King 1000/6000 combo stone on the way

[Greggy]

I currently use a Sharp Pebble 1000/6000 combo stone for my softer steel knives. I know these get trashed in some circles, but the 1000 side has been a perfectly serviceable stone in my experience. The problem has always been the 6000. Pure garbage, it always leaves a duller edge despite varying pressure and technique. It does not matter. So I saw the King combo stone and pulled the trigger. Some reviews state that the combo stone 1000 is softer than the King Deluxe stone 1000. Not sure this is true. Also, the 6000 side is splash and go while the 1000s side is a soaker. That is weird. Anyway, please feel free to share any experience and/or opinions regarding this stone. I will likely use it early next week for the first time. Thanks.

 

[chalby]

I started with the King 1000/6000 combo years ago, although I believe there are different grades available. It's a perfectly fine stone for basic alloys. There is a fair bit of snobbery in the hand sharpening circles regarding stone choice but you get what you pay for in a lot of ways. Generally the basic King's will cut slower and dish faster than stones like Shapton's and Naniwa's for example, but they will still give you a sharp knife in the end. I haven't used Sharp Pebble to compare.

I found(on my King's) the 6000 side to be a bit soft and chalky. It was a little bit prone to gouging if you were not careful(depending on your technique), particularly if you soaked it for too long. A 5-10 minute soak I found it to be a bit better than longer soaks. In the end I didn't really see the need to use the 6000 side very often though. I prefer a toothier finish most times. I now use a 3000 grit for most of my kitchen knives finish-wise. It seems your 6000 side is different to mine anyway, mine was definitely a soaker, not splash and go.

You will have to flatten the stone more often than the more expensive ones out there, but the 1000 has a very nice feel to it when sharpening. If you like a more polished finish, then the 6000 worked well on my stone other than a couple of edge gouges in the early days which was mostly my fault.

 

[Greggy]

From youtube reviews, it seems that the King 6000 combo stone is splash and go, while the King Deluxe 6000 stone is a soaker. It really is confusing. I will test with my stone when it arrives and decide for myself.

 

[Greggy]

I sharpened my 8 inch chef's knife and four steak knives with the King stones. Observations.

1. The stones are soft but effective. I actually scraped a bit off the 6000 stone when the sharpening choil dug in a bit.
2. I was able to clean and fix the slice with a nagara stone, so no problems and lesson learned.
3. Unlike my Sharp Pebble 6000 grit, the King 6000 did its job and polished the edge without dulling the knives. Good stuff for the most part.
4. The King will require a flattening stone more frequently than my Sharp Pebble. No problems.
5. I was surprised at the speed of the stones. I expected them to be slow given the softness, but was surprised.
6. Used a soft touch for the most part.
7. The chef's knife is the typical German stainless used by the big manufacturers.
8. The steak knives are VG10 plain edge.
9. And finally, the 6000 is definitely splash and go. It does not absorb water beads. The 1000 absorbs them like a dry sponge. So the youtube videos speak truth.

So far I am happy. I now have a 6000 stone that does what it is supposed to do. Yay!