Re: Two more Water stone Questions
Alan Hamilton
>Joe,
I don't use my tools everyday, and I certainly don't use my stones everyday, or every week, or... But I too keep all my stones in water. So far I've had no troubles whatever. However, my oldest stones have been continuously wet for only twenty-five years or so. I find that storing my stones in water makes the sharpening routine easier, and saves time. Also, despite what others say, including the manufacturers, I find my polishing stones work quite a bit better when they're saturated; "just a little spritz" doesn't work as well.
As for a Nagura stone, as in the post above, they are used just for creating a slurry on polishing stones: stones of about 4000 grit or more. There's absolutely no reason NOT to use one every time you use a polishing stone; in fact, it's much better if you do use one. On those hard polishing stones it takes forever to create a good slurry by just rubbing some expensive steel back and forth. A Nagura stone does it in a few swipes.
Always the rebel, I see no reason for an 8000 stone. After a certain point there's no rational reason to use a finer stone--except to massage your ego with an iron that's more mirror-like than your neighbor's. I don't believe an edge polished on an 8000 stone cuts any easier, faster or lasts longer than a tool polished on a 6000; and perhaps even a 6000 stone is overkill.
I'm also a big strop guy...hmmmm...that doesn't sound quite right...oh well... A strop will give a tool that extra little polish that's sooooo pretty and impresses POOSs so very much. But it also serves an actual, useful function. A strop will remove that last little microscopic wire edge left by the final stone. And when an edge starts to slow down a bit, a few swipes on a strop can restore the edge to a remarkable degree.
Whoa! What a windbag!
Alan