One stone to rule them all?

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kkdk99

Joined
Dec 20, 2023
Messages
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Hi

I'm kind of new to the sharpening game. I own a few smaller pocket stones for when I'm outoors, but not a larger one for when I'm home.

I take care of my knifes in between uses, with a little stropping with a medium green compound.

I don't really want a whole arsenal of stones at home, but just one good stone.

Any recommendations for one stone or grit count, maybe a double sided?
 
Thanks. Oh maybe I should say the steels on my knifes are Sleipner and 14c28n plus some Bohler 720 so nothing super hard
 
For some time now I like 'less is more' approach.... one diamond plate and a strop.
First point:
The stone must be simple to maintain and to clean and I don't want to use water or oil when sharpening. I want easy and simple approach. I can use my diamond plate dry and I clean it with brush or cloth.
Second point:
I can't find any sence in those high polished edges..... going through 5 or 6 stones up to #8000 just to make my edge shine. My goal is sharp long lasting edge who bites through various materials I cut and I can get this with one diamond plate and strop.

Watch the video below. You will see what I'm talking about.
The guy is using DMT coarse diamond plate and a strop. You can't go any simpler.
You can also get double sided DMT plate like coarse/fine if you wish.
 
kkdk99 said:
Thanks. Oh maybe I should say the steels on my knifes are Sleipner and 14c28n plus some Bohler 720 so nothing super hard
Click to expand...
For a single stone setup, a 1000 grit (JIS standard) stone should suffice. As for myself, I would also include a coarser stone for when you need to dig deeper or re-bevel. Say a 200-400 grit stone. I can get a softer steel blade as sharp as I need with a 1000 grit stone. If you vary the pressure carefully, a 1000 stone behaves somewhat like a finer grit stone. Takes practice.
 
I would like to suggest two stones:
- Classic Norton India IB8 combination stone
- Fällkniven DC521.

The India stone is aluminum oxide. Fine side + stropping. All you need for a good working edge.

Fällkniven DC521 is the bigger brother of the well known DC4 pocket stone. One side 25µ (fine) diamond. The other side a ceramic. After a break-in-period (the ceramic is very rough when new) the ceramic side works great, leaves a very sharp edge and is good enough for touch ups, too. This is a great stone for keeping your blades sharp.
 
You would do well to figure out what level of coarseness or refinement you need or would most benefit from. For example if you want to thin and rebevel knives the two sided Zandstra FOSS 7205 would be a good choice.
 
No need for rebeveling or removing alot of steel. I keep a working edge while I'm outdoors.

I like the idea of a 1000 grit, and perhaps a 5000 since strops and Scandi grinds apparently doesn't seem to go well together. Something about the leather being soft creates a convex bevel instead of a straight.. any thoughts on that? I have a pretty decent stropping paddle 😊
 
kkdk99 said:
No need for rebeveling or removing alot of steel. I keep a working edge…
Click to expand...
For a working edge you certainly don’t need a 5000 grit (polishing) stone.
You can keep an edge as sharp as needed on any stone between 300 and 800 grit. The 1000 grit stone would be as high as I’d go.
If you’re using your edges they will be dull, perhaps rolled, or worse, and a lower grit stone will sharpen the blade much quicker than a higher grit stone, without the need to polish the edge (3000 and up).
 
Papilio said:
I would like to suggest two stones:
- Classic Norton India IB8 combination stone
Click to expand...
+1 on the Norton India IB8 combo stone.

If you're just going to get one or two stones, and you're a beginner to freehand, I think it's pretty important to get a stone coarse enough so that you're not there all day trying to make an apex and raise a burr on a dull knife. If you try to apex a dull knife on a 1000 grit stone, you'll probably slog away at it for an hour or three and finally give up because you (incorrectly) assume that it's impossible. It ain't impossible, it's just SLOW on a too-fine stone, kind of like trying to scrape off barnacles with nothing more than wet toilet paper. (There will be blood.)

As a beginner, you'll also find a coarser stone is helpful because you don't have to keep your bevel angle consistent through 10,000 strokes, but rather maybe only 50 strokes or ten. In my opinion, keeping bevel angle consistent is probably the hardest thing to master, and the biggest reason beginners can't get their knives sharp -- so if you can minimize the length of time that you need to maintain a consistent angle (by using a coarser stone), I think you'll get a better outcome.

You can manage without a really fine stone, but you can't do without a coarse one. That would be like trying to be a carpenter without owning a hammer, IMHO.
 
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kkdk99 said:
No need for rebeveling or removing alot of steel. I keep a working edge while I'm outdoors.

I like the idea of a 1000 grit, and perhaps a 5000 since strops and Scandi grinds apparently doesn't seem to go well together. Something about the leather being soft creates a convex bevel instead of a straight.. any thoughts on that? I have a pretty decent stropping paddle 😊
Click to expand...

Try either a thinner leather, like goat, or just naked wood. Start with balsa and go to pine if needed.
 
kkdk99 said:
No need for rebeveling or removing alot of steel. I keep a working edge while I'm outdoors.

I like the idea of a 1000 grit, and perhaps a 5000 since strops and Scandi grinds apparently doesn't seem to go well together. Something about the leather being soft creates a convex bevel instead of a straight.. any thoughts on that? I have a pretty decent stropping paddle 😊
Click to expand...
I started with shapton kuromaku stones in a 1000 grit and 5000 grit as the above poster mentioned. They are easy to get a feel for on whetstones and leave an outstanding edge. Just my two cents
 
tinfoil hat timmy said:
American Mutt works very well.

byxco.com

BYXCO -- Baryonyx Knife Company

Proudly providing a careful curation of timeless tools. Family-founded, employee-owned.
byxco.com byxco.com
FortyTwoBlades FortyTwoBlades
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The mix of grits definitely allows for some very interesting modulation of the finished edge by altering your stroke pressure. The very best box cutter edges I've ever gotten have come off of various runs of American Mutt stones. Plus they're economical enough that if you end up expanding your collection in future you'll still find it useful.
 
TheOne45 said:
I can't find any sense in those high polished edges..... going through 5 or 6 stones up to #8000 just to make my edge shine.
Click to expand...
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kkdk99 said:
No need for rebeveling or removing alot of steel. I keep a working edge while I'm outdoors.
Click to expand...
Look at the King Neo 800 ST-2 or ST-3 in that case. I (still) haven't used one but you can find quite a few favorable reports here.

King "Neo" Waterstone | The best kept secret in freehand sharpening

King "Neo" 800 grit A total "sleeper" stone. This is the best kept secret stone for getting into benchstones and freehand. Has all the features of the more expensive Choseras and Shapton Glass, but better feedback, feel, mud, and cutting speed with less burnishing on chromium carbide rich...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

 
Mr.Wizard said:
Look at the King Neo 800 ST-2 or ST-3 in that case. I (still) haven't used one but you can find quite a few favorable reports here.

King "Neo" Waterstone | The best kept secret in freehand sharpening

King "Neo" 800 grit A total "sleeper" stone. This is the best kept secret stone for getting into benchstones and freehand. Has all the features of the more expensive Choseras and Shapton Glass, but better feedback, feel, mud, and cutting speed with less burnishing on chromium carbide rich...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

Click to expand...
Or go for the ST-4, which according to Amazon has the following dimensions: 72.83"L x 24.41"W x 9.84"H

😂
 
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