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Thread: What are your go-to sharpening stones?

  1. #1
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    What are your go-to sharpening stones?

    I know, this is sharpening thread number 1000...

    Hopefully this one won't be controversial. Today, I use diamond plates and a Shapton 15k finishing stone. My normal process is medium diamond, XX-fine diamond, then the 15k. If I'm just refreshing the edge, I may skip the medium. I use an 8" grinder to create a hollow and then add a secondary bevel for the working edge.

    I'm considering moving to water stones completely. Some folks go from the 1k (or there about) directly to the finishing stone, others have at least 1 intermediate step. If I do buy water stones, I really like the the Shapton pro stones. the 15k is my only experience but it works well and I do not want to have to soak stones. Splash and go means I can sharpen any time with no setup and this is crucial for me.

    I'm really interested in what stones and grits others use in their typical chisel and plane sharpening and honing. I'm also curious why you do or do not use a middle stone or why you use particular grits.
    -- Dan Rode

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

  2. #2
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    I use a vintage combination India stone and an old translucent Arkansas, along with a piece of leather glued to a block of quarter sawn white oak. Both the leather and the oak have polishing compound and I use both sides depending on the situation. This setup is used for all my planes and chisels, although I tend to skip the trans ark for the LN chisels I sometimes use because it cuts too slow and I don't have all day. The fine India and then polishing compound / strop does good enough for those.
    Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.

  3. #3
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    I have Norton waterstones - 1/4K combo and an 8K. If I need to go back to 1K, I progress up through 4K to 8K. Lately I've been also stropping on a piece of pine with diamond paste on it to finish. To touch up an edge I may just use the strop or the 8K.

  4. #4
    I have Shapton 1000 and 8000. I like the Shaptons because they can be spritzed, and don't require immersion.

    I have an EZElap coarse plate for flattening that works well.

    I was counselled that an intermediate stone (2000-5000) is not a requirement. I have found that to be true. I find it easier to get a mirror polish if I use an intermediate stone, but I don't find it really affects the quality of my edge, especially if I'm willing (and I'm increasingly willing) to sharpen often.

    (And if you want to cheat sometimes, get a used Worksharp with some diamond lapidary plates off 'Bay for quick flattening and regrinding)

  5. #5
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    Thanks Prashun. You are already doing what I'm now contemplating. I'd be making the jump from 1000 to 15k which is a wider gap but I've watched Rob Cosman (among others) make that same jump many times. I prefer the simplicity of a 2 stone routine.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I have Shapton 1000 and 8000. I like the Shaptons because they can be spritzed, and don't require immersion.

    I have an EZElap coarse plate for flattening that works well.

    I was counselled that an intermediate stone (2000-5000) is not a requirement. I have found that to be true. I find it easier to get a mirror polish if I use an intermediate stone, but I don't find it really affects the quality of my edge, especially if I'm willing (and I'm increasingly willing) to sharpen often.

    (And if you want to cheat sometimes, get a used Worksharp with some diamond lapidary plates off 'Bay for quick flattening and regrinding)
    -- Dan Rode

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

  6. #6
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    I have a 800/4k Norton stone. I've pulled it out this weekend just for the heck of it. It's what got me thinking about this in the first place.
    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Thompson View Post
    I have Norton waterstones - 1/4K combo and an 8K. If I need to go back to 1K, I progress up through 4K to 8K. Lately I've been also stropping on a piece of pine with diamond paste on it to finish. To touch up an edge I may just use the strop or the 8K.
    -- Dan Rode

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

  7. #7
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    I use a set of Sigma Power ceramic stones I got from Stu at Tools from Japan: 1K, 6K, and 13K. The last can be used splash and go, but the first two benefit from soaking for a few minutes. I flatten them with a Diaflat lapping plate. For touch-up while doing joinery or planing I will just use the 13K to hone the secondary bevel freehand. I don't strop.
    I don't use a bench grinder, just stones. I use diamond stones only to re-establish primary bevels or for other heavy work, which I'll usually do with a jig like the LV MKII (or the new LN once I get it!).
    David B. Morris

    "Holz ist heilig."

  8. #8
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    I have no experience with India or Arkansas stones. The ark is slow on LN chisels because the metal is harder?

    What the general grit of the India stone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Dillinger View Post
    I use a vintage combination India stone and an old translucent Arkansas, along with a piece of leather glued to a block of quarter sawn white oak. Both the leather and the oak have polishing compound and I use both sides depending on the situation. This setup is used for all my planes and chisels, although I tend to skip the trans ark for the LN chisels I sometimes use because it cuts too slow and I don't have all day. The fine India and then polishing compound / strop does good enough for those.
    -- Dan Rode

    "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

  9. #9
    DMT diamond plates: 4 grits from coarse to extra fine.
    Water stones: Norton 4000/8000.

    I've never seen the need to go over 8K.

    Is something breaks I'll probably to to a Shapton.

  10. #10
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    My water stones are 1k, 4k and 8k. For a quick touch up, just the 4k and the 8k are needed.

    If the 1k is used, the 4k usually follows. It does remove the burr from the 1k quickly and doesn't take but a few strokes to raise a burr. There is a tub of water for the stones to sit in when not in use. They are usually ready to go without delay.

    My experience is time spent being careful and deliberate is usually better spent than time spent being in a hurry. There are usually more trips back to the sharpening station when a step was jumped.

    My oilstones have been getting more use of late. They are easier than water stones when sharpening molding plane blades. The regimen sometimes starts with an India stone. If the blade isn't in too bad of shape, it starts with a Washita stone and then to the fine Arkansas. Again depending on the blade it either gets stropped after the Ark or it may get a bit of polishing on a piece of jasper given to me by my wife.

    Currently my favorite slip stone is from Dan's. It is a translucent Arkansas stone and works quite well. For rougher work I have a coarse and a couple of fine India slip stones. There is also a number of water slip stones in my shop.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  11. #11
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    My water stones (Norton, 1k, 4k and 8k) have been collecting dust for a while (at least the last year or so). I've been using the Gramercy diamond paste kit (45 micron, 15 micron and 1/2 micron) on some mdf with outstanding results. The paste cuts very quickly and a quick honing on the 1/2 micron once the bevel is already established is all you need to do for a long time before going down to the coarser grits.

    I've noticed a lot of folks going over to the diamond stones (from water) the last few years, I wonder why the paste isn't much more popular: its inexpensive and a little goes a very long way.

  12. #12
    I'd double check whether your ultimate stone should be 8000 or 15k. I lusted for a 15k, but was counselled that 8000 was more appropriate. You may find getting all the scratches from 1000 out harder with the 15k; and the difference in the polish may not give you a practical difference in performance. I have never used a 15k, so I can't corroborate that statement, but have found 8000 to be enough cowbell for me.

  13. #13
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    I've been using a Spyderco Ultra Fine for my polishing stone. I do not know what it is in terms of grit. Somewhere between 6000 and 10000. It gets sharp enough. Before this is a Spyderco Medium which I think is around 3000-5000. Not sure. The only stone I am sure of is the Shapton 1000, the best 1000 I have used.

    This system requires little maintenance: the stones stay flat and they do not need much water.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  14. #14
    I've got a granite tile and sandpaper. Not the greatest, but it works for now. I do want to pick up some nice stones though.

  15. #15
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    I grind and sharpen on a viel 1" belt grinder. I polish the edge on a 10000 japanese water stone from LV. Strop on leather charged with green goo. I get good edges this way. Much easier on the hands, too.
    Paul

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