Hand Tools Archive
david weaver
You have a setup pretty much for life if you don't drop any of them.
Anything that another stone would promise is something that can probably come from those (for example, if you find them sticky, it's avoidable - you just know what to do.)
The only thing you might ever do that they won't handle well is carving tools, but of the synthetics (other than pure ceramics like spyderco), they are most tolerant of that kind of stuff. You can always sharpen gouges on the edge of a stone like people did before they had piles of stones to use for various things.
Even if you're sharpening a full flat bevel, the cutting strength is there in that progression such that anything between the stones would be a waste of time.
Use them and enjoy, and if you have any technical hurdles (stiction, etc), post a message - it's easily solved with very minor technique changes.
I liked the shaptons so much that after I sold mine off, I went back and bought a 1k and 12k kuromaku. I'm so far down the road with stones that I like the oddballs now (vintage superfine india stones, foreign synthetic barber hones, etc - stuff that I can find really cheaply and that comes along with better stuff that I flip), but the shapton pair is just something I'd like to keep.
The reality of sharpening all things, by the way, is that economical technique will ultimately lead you to a grinding apparatus of some sort (could be a stone or power), a single medium stone and then something ultra fine. The 5K stone is in the neighborhood of 3 microns. It often gets abuse because it's not fast and it's not ultra fine, but it bridges the gap, and when you flatten the backs of things, you might find it useful. It prefers a small soak if you're going to use it a good bit. If you strop the edge that comes off of it, you'll be surprised just how sharp it can get - and with the fact that it can raise a polish (quickly) as well as a lot of softer 8k stones.
The best thing about the stones that you got (since you didn't go through a US distributor like is common with the "pro" labeled stones) is that they're relatively inexpensive.
Messages In This Thread
- flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- Another possibility presents itself......
- What a great thread this has been.....
- Re: What a great thread this has been.....
- a little bit the Indian and a little bit arrow
- which side to use?
- Quick and dirty summary:
- Atoma - $64
- Re: Quick and dirty summary:
- Re: flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- A different perspective *LINK*
- Re: A different perspective
- Re: A different perspective
- My thoughts
- CBN and grit
- The flat wheel surface - or not..
- Re: My thoughts
- Re: My thoughts
- The flat wheel surface - or not..
- My Opinion...
- My thoughts
- Re: A different perspective
- Re: A different perspective
- lapping film?
- Re: flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- Diamond plates......
- Flattening
- Re: flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- Re: flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- Re: flattening Waterstones- shapton pro
- What a great thread this has been.....
- Another possibility presents itself......