I have been away from sharpening for a few years. My living arrangement has changed making anything but “splash & go” stones awkward and unrealistic. Even more important is the drying time. It’s killing me.
I have searched the forum and found some qualitative information but not much quantitative. [edited to add: Yes, I understand that different environments will give different results. For your environment, whatever it may be, what are the answers to these questions?]
- What stones are the fastest drying naturally?
- I assume some form of splash and go, correct?
- Would Shapton Glass be the fastest drying?
Splash and go with quick drying is my ideal.
Steel wise I have VG-10 (Tojiro), AUS-8 (Fujiwara), and two Hiromoto AS knives I am terrified to use since they are irreplaceable. Love the edge I got on the 270mm gyuto back in the day! I plan to get mostly HAP40 and perhaps one Aogami Super (for fun) this summer to round out my collection.
Strops seem to be in good shape. I will add a 3x11 nano cloth with CBN or Diamond as part of my total sharpening kit. No big changes there.
As always, I appreciate the time and knowledge you are willing to share here.
Many Thanks,
Mike