8K Stone Investment

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Kmeyers
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8K Stone Investment

Post by Kmeyers »

Hi,
I'm a bit newer to the board and tried to do a bit of research, but I'm curious to know what others thoughts are regarding whether or not I ought to invest in an 8k stone, and if so what stone would be worth the investment. Currently I have a naniwa professional 3k and a suehiro debado 6k as my two highest grit stones. Would my investment in an 8k stone be worth the money and would the improved results be that noticeable? I am hoping to stay within the $100 ish amount, and have thought about the naniwa snow white or the kitayama 8k, but I'm open to other suggestions as well if people have them. I'd consider a 10k if it is within that similar price range and the results are worth it. Thanks for your help.
cliff
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by cliff »

This is a hard question to answer. It's worth the money if you want a high polish. Do you prepare a lot of sushi? For most applications, you do not need such a refined edge. A strop is probably a better bang for the buck. If you do want to go for a refined edge, naniwa superstones are a good value -- you will likely see a range of different preferences. You might consider whether you prefer softer stones (the 10K superstone is very, very soft) or something harder, like a shapton.
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ken123
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by ken123 »

8 k snow white or Nubatama bamboo 10 k would be my choices or1.5 micron CBN on a kangaroo strop

Ken
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Jeff B
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Jeff B »

For my daily drivers in the kitchen I don't find an 8k necessary, I usually stop at 3-5k. That being said, I bought a Shapton Pro 8k off a friend on the cheap, unexpectedly liked it so much I sold my Snow White. I don't go to 8k very often, only on a few very hard or very wear resistant knives I have. But if you truly want one, the Shapton Pro is a very good 8k at a very reasonable price compared to others.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by gladius »

I too prefer the Shapton Pro 8k (favorite stone of the series) over the Snow White but the Kitayama over both.
cliff
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by cliff »

Jeff B wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:59 pm For my daily drivers in the kitchen I don't find an 8k necessary, I usually stop at 3-5k. That being said, I bought a Shapton Pro 8k off a friend on the cheap, unexpectedly liked it so much I sold my Snow White. I don't go to 8k very often, only on a few very hard or very wear resistant knives I have. But if you truly want one, the Shapton Pro is a very good 8k at a very reasonable price compared to others.
I'll generally stop at 6K for most kitchen knives. But when I go higher, it's usually on a white steel or AEB-L suji.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Emieloss »

for sashimi / sushi preparation you could go for an 8k.
I notice myself stopping on the 3k naniwa pro or 5k Suehiro rika for my all purpose knives. Above that doesn't really improve performance on cooked meat, vegetables, etc.

So it depends what you plan to use it on wether it'll be worth the investment.

A strop is a good investment if you don't have one yet. It will probably bring you more than an 8k stone.
Kmeyers
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Kmeyers »

Thank you so much for your input! I am a home cook and by no means a professional. To be honest most of my motivation comes from being a perfectionist and wanting to get the greatest amount of pleasure from sharpening and using my knives as possible without disrupting my bank account too much. Appreciate the thought and help in my search.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by jacko9 »

cliff wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:41 pm
Jeff B wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:59 pm For my daily drivers in the kitchen I don't find an 8k necessary, I usually stop at 3-5k. That being said, I bought a Shapton Pro 8k off a friend on the cheap, unexpectedly liked it so much I sold my Snow White. I don't go to 8k very often, only on a few very hard or very wear resistant knives I have. But if you truly want one, the Shapton Pro is a very good 8k at a very reasonable price compared to others.
I'll generally stop at 6K for most kitchen knives. But when I go higher, it's usually on a white steel or AEB-L suji.
I have a Shapton Pro 5K and I wonder if you have one to compare to your recently acquired 8K?
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by jacko9 »

While I respect Ken's opinion I stop after my 6K Nubatama Platinum which is a fabulous stone.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by branwell »

Kmeyers,

Stones are so personal, anyone of the recommended above could be your perfect stone. I say, If you have a scratch, itch it :)
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by orezeno »

If you plan to use your 6K stone as part of your progression and then advance to a finer grit stone, I suggest going to a 10K rather than an 8K. If you plan to go from your 3K to something, than moving from 3K to 8K seems reasonable.

I have always heard great things about the Kitayama but have never used one. And I have no experience with the Shapton Pro line. For kitchen knives I normally stop in the 2K-4K range. Lately, I've been following the Matukusuyama Red Aoto (2K - 4K) with a Snow White or an Imanishi 10K. I really like the result that comes from the extra polishing step, but I don't think the owners of these knives have really noticed a difference. The Imanishi 10K is soft and a joy to use, but I think the Snow White polishes a little better.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Santas_101 »

You might want to try a Japanese natural finishing stone.
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lsboogy
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by lsboogy »

jacko9 wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:49 pm While I respect Ken's opinion I stop after my 6K Nubatama Platinum which is a fabulous stone.
I do as well for the most part, but Ken set me up with a 15K Nubatama and I used it on a single bevel knife a few weeks ago - OMG silence through newspaper. I am a solid believer in the Nubatama stones - and remember that a good stone will last lifetimes for most users (I have some Belgian Bleu stones my mom bought in the 60's - will pass them on to my daughter), a home cook who sharpens 3-5 knives twice a year will never wear a stone out - it's cheap in the long run to buy good stuff
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Qapla' »

What knives are you sharpening/polishing?
Mike9
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Mike9 »

I too go to 6k with most of my knives then the strops finishing with inky news paper. I have an 8k diamond plate, but hardly ever use it except to hold my strops backed with magnets. Knives for butchery generally go to 1k maybe 4k tops as they need a more aggressive edge I can easily touch up on the fly.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by ken123 »

ken123 wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 12:11 pm 8 k snow white or Nubatama bamboo 10 k would be my choices or1.5 micron CBN on a kangaroo strop

Ken
I forgot about the Nubatama 8k speckled Ume! Very hard and precise. Perfect for razors. Easy to sharpen at 8k. If you want to go past this consider the Naniwa 10k and 12 k superstones.
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by Kmeyers »

Thanks for all your help everyone! Ended up going with a Kitayama 8k to try on my Moritaka knives. So far it’s been great!
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by gladius »

Kmeyers wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:53 pm Thanks for all your help everyone! Ended up going with a Kitayama 8k to try on my Moritaka knives. So far it’s been great!
---
Good choice - especially good on Moritaka. One has to adjust cutting technique due to blade sticking in board, it gets uber sharp!
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Re: 8K Stone Investment

Post by ken123 »

"I forgot about the Nubatama 8k speckled Ume! Very hard and precise. Perfect for razors. Easy to sharpen at 8k.
8kspeckled2.jpg
Ken
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