Bought some Shapton Pros

[Andrew Pitonyak]

What's wrong with the glass shaptons? I bought the 1k, 4k, and 8k and they work well for me. Are the pros a better deal or better medium?

I thought that the only difference was that the glass shaptons have less material and that the purpose of the glass was to allow less material without it breaking. I could be wrong, but that was my understanding. So, the only advantage to the pro is that you have more usable (thickness) in the stone.

[ken hatch]

I thought that the only difference was that the glass shaptons have less material and that the purpose of the glass was to allow less material without it breaking. I could be wrong, but that was my understanding. So, the only advantage to the pro is that you have more usable (thickness) in the stone.

Working off the top of my head and no time to look up the reference but....The glass backed Shaptons were designed for harder steels such as A2 and blue paper steel. The Pros are made for High Carbon white paper steel. That is IIRC.

ken

[Richard Hutchings]

What the heck is white and blue paper steel?????

Working off the top of my head and no time to look up the reference but....The glass backed Shaptons were designed for harder steels such as A2 and blue paper steel. The Pros are made for High Carbon white paper steel. That is IIRC.

ken

[Robert LaPlaca]

What the heck is white and blue paper steel?????

I believe the white and blue paper refers to Japanese white and blue steels manufactured by Hitachi, the steels are wrapped in white or blue paper depending on the type of steel

[Joe Snare]

I own the Shapton Diamond Glass Lapping Plate and it has no match in flattening because it is a 320 with easy to hold backing. I use it on all my Shapton glass backed stones and they perform like no other sharpening system I have ever used. I actually enjoy sharpening and I hone my chisels after each use and my plane blades at the first sign of a dull blade. A dead flat stones yields a very sharp tool. I start with 1000 then 4000 then 8000 and hone with 16000 but the 16000 is not necessary for sharp but honing with it is a plus. Prior to getting a Shapton Diamond Glass Lapping Plate I used a DMT extra course continuous diamond bench stone and it worked very well. You must dry it after a sharpening session or it will rust because of the steel plate. If using another waterstone to flatten be sure to use a courser stone to flatten. Best use a diamond stone that that you can trust to be flat such as a DMT. I am not sure I would trust that a Harbor Freight diamond stone fills the bill.

[Richard Hutchings]

Thanks Joe. Like you, I enjoy sharp tools and sharpening as well but wow! With that price I'm going to have to be satisfied with less than perfect for a while. I'm going to plan on buying that without any in between jumps to the DMT. I'll just have to wait.

[Winton Applegate]

Shapton Diamond Glass Lapping Plate . . . has no match in flattening because it is a 320

The DMT with the round holes is 220 and works very, VERY well.
At more than three times the price (nearly four times the price) buying the Shapton would be throwing your money away.
Speaking of throwing money away I still have not bought the Shapton 30,000 but some day perhaps.

[Winton Applegate]

Working off the top of my head and no time to look up the reference but....The glass backed Shaptons were designed for harder steels such as A2 and blue paper steel. The Pros are made for High Carbon white paper steel. That is IIRC.

Well first off my Pros work very well on A2 which is the majority of the steel I sharpen.
I have not watched the videos on the Shapton site but the amount of text info there is pathetic.
This is a good source for info and I bought all my Pro stones from him and he does a great job; fast ship, perfect/safe packaging, good prices though the 30,000 is way out there in cost.

He indicates the HC series of GLASS stones are for fine grained White AND Blue steels.
The HR series of GLASS stones are engineered for hard and tough tool steels such as O1, A2 and HSS
and
The Pros are well suited for sharpening a wide range of hard steels used in woodworking tools, kitchen knives and straight razors. so are a good all around sharpening stone qute capable of sharpening the A2.

As I understand it the blue steel is the equivalent of HSS and is extra tough like the A2. In use I find that is true but the sharpening angle is more important toughness wise than the steel (white or blue).

[Richard Hutchings]

Don't ya just love buying tools I'm so easily swayed.
Now I feel foolish wanting to spend all that money. You're absolutely right.

[ian maybury]

+1 that the Pros seem to have no difficulty handling A2 as on Lee Valley BU plane irons - 01 and white steels also. I've not tried other brands to any serious degree, but have to say that i so far (curiosity apart) don't feel any need to do so...

[David Ragan]

I have the Shapton glass 8K and 12K ones, with the lapping tool. Love it all.

A couple of years ago, got the stone holder cause the stones rocked a little. Love it too. Was a lot cheaper-i think it was on sale.

Derek from Perth--why do you not like the Shapton glass stones?

[Derek Cohen]

David, I do not hear that there is much difference between the Glass and the Pro stones in cutting ability. However, for much the same outlay the Glass offer 5mm of abrasive mounted to 5mm of float glass, while the Pro provide 17mm of abrasive (which you can epoxy to glass if you so choose, as I did).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Ragan]

That is a great reason.

[David Ragan]

Has anyone ever had one of those glass ones break?

[Daniel Rode]

I use diamond stones for honing but finish on a Shapton pro 15k . 17mm thick for less money was a pretty convincing attribute for me.

Plus, it says "Pro" on the package. I didn't want amateur stones

David, I do not hear that there is much difference between the Glass and the Pro stones in cutting ability. However, for much the same outlay the Glass offer 5mm of abrasive mounted to 5mm of float glass, while the Pro provide 17mm of abrasive (which you can epoxy to glass if you so choose, as I did).

Regards from Perth

Derek