Thread: Naniwa 4,8,10k Plus a 1-6k King stone

I have posted before that i have a 4k samurai deluxe (Naniwa), a 8K SS and a 10k ss. My latest acquisition is a 'King' 1k & 6 k combo stone. Do i need to consider the differences between the two brands considering that the 1 K is going to be my bevel setter, the 6k is probably going to be an ornament, maybe a little testing in the progression when I eventually get the whole idea! But, would there be a marked difference if I were to insert the 6k King bewtween the 4 &8k naniwas in a progression? This is so addictive....

I don't know anything about the 'King', is it a natural or synthetic stone ?

I don't know about the 6K as I've never used it, I do have a King 1K and it is my primary bevel setter..great hone but a thirsty one. I find it gives great feedback and serves the purpose

G'day. I've never used a 6k but I don't think you'll get a great deal of benefit using it in between the 4k and 8k. I've always gone from a 4k or 5k to an 8k and it seems to be about the right jump.

Hi Bobski,
welcome to the greatest way to test your patience and develop a zen like calm!
Really, it is all ggood but you do need to be patient and prepared to walk away for a while if you stop getting the results you want. Come back to it the next day.
I started out with King stones. The difference between that and the Nania SS is marked, but changing up in your honing progression is fine.
the thing to note is the King has clay as a bonding agent and the Naniwa has a resin. This means the King breaks down very quickly and produces a lot of slurry. It also means you need to soak the King in water whereas the Naniwa I just apply water with a spray bottle to create a film on it.
put the King in a bucket of clean water until no more bubbles come out. I still use mine for knives, so soak about 20 minutes. You will still need to add water with your spray bottle as you go. When bevel set try going to your Naniwa. The cutting actions are different and the brands feel different. If the results are not want you want, maybe adding a few strokes on your 6K is not a bad idea.
the most important thing on clay stones like the king is lapping. You need to keep ALL your hones lapped and flat and the edges slightly chamfered, but as the clay stones wear A LOT faster you need to do that more often. Sometimes even during a long session. I use diamond plate for the Naniwa SS but find for the clay Kings that a lapping stone works better and faster, perhaps as the clay clogs the diamond plate faster?
The selection you have will work just fine. All you need do is maintain them and perfect your technique.
Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by bongo

I don't know anything about the 'King', is it a natural or synthetic stone ?

Maybe.
I'm not being silly as the 8k King contains some crushed Jnat powder in the formula but can't say for the 6k hence the maybe.

Originally Posted by Adam G.

Hi Bobski,
welcome to the greatest way to test your patience and develop a zen like calm!
Really, it is all ggood but you do need to be patient and prepared to walk away for a while if you stop getting the results you want. Come back to it the next day.
I started out with King stones. The difference between that and the Nania SS is marked, but changing up in your honing progression is fine.
the thing to note is the King has clay as a bonding agent and the Naniwa has a resin. This means the King breaks down very quickly and produces a lot of slurry. It also means you need to soak the King in water whereas the Naniwa I just apply water with a spray bottle to create a film on it.
put the King in a bucket of clean water until no more bubbles come out. I still use mine for knives, so soak about 20 minutes. You will still need to add water with your spray bottle as you go. When bevel set try going to your Naniwa. The cutting actions are different and the brands feel different. If the results are not want you want, maybe adding a few strokes on your 6K is not a bad idea.
the most important thing on clay stones like the king is lapping. You need to keep ALL your hones lapped and flat and the edges slightly chamfered, but as the clay stones wear A LOT faster you need to do that more often. Sometimes even during a long session. I use diamond plate for the Naniwa SS but find for the clay Kings that a lapping stone works better and faster, perhaps as the clay clogs the diamond plate faster?
The selection you have will work just fine. All you need do is maintain them and perfect your technique.
Hope that helps.

Well said Adam. I don't find my Atoma plate clogs on the Kings but keeping things well rinsed may help ?
Kings are a great knife stone due to their friability but whether a 6k King fits in between a 4k ~ 8k Nani ? I'm guessing it will work ok.
Experimentation as well as magnification may help so maybe you can tell us your results bobski ? As I have hinted in a previous thread the more stones, the less time needed on each one as a rule.

Thanks AdamG, I'm glad you've helped me with the make up of this stone. I note it needs soaking unlike my naniwas, but I think I'll stick with the 1k king as the bevel setter, and just have a bit of amuck around with the 6K on a filleting knife I have just to see it's texture. I only got the combo stone as it was cheap as buying just a 1K, no harm done. I only have 4 razors, but in the rotation i've one that is ordinary, no matter what I did with it on the 4k. (My bad technique probably, but I'll take your advice and walk away for a day or so) I must admit on the naniwa 'samurai' deluxe 4k stone on a stand, it's expensive but with a slurry it's smooth as silk, and most of my carbon blades respond to it, as you dilute. A good stone ( I got mine from Kizlyar knives in Sydney, they sell Russian hand made knives, look though their catalogue and you could start a small war with their array of serious cutting gear.) They see all the Naniwas up to the 10k they post anywhere and fast too. Nice people to deal with. (I got the 4,8,10k there)(I got the King from Carba-tec). Once again thanks mate for your advice.

I just had a 'Penny Drop' moment. I watched Lynn Abrams short video of re-freshing razors that had been shave ready but got slightly dulled. Thats me all over. I've realised I probably don't need a 1k stone for any of the razors I own. BUT HAD means that in the near future I'll need it. In the last half hour I've given my Two dovo's that were a little dull, 7 strokes each on the nani 10k, then half a dozen on the crox balsa. Result was superb. It gets like you wish you needed to shave twice a day....hehehehe. I'm learning folks. I'll still mess with then1k/6k combo, there is no way to prevent it. I do have a few e bay bids in....who knows?

I've looked at dozens of posts/sites, all searching for the 'sharpest' blade. For example, in your kitchen, are all you knives maximum sharp? No, very rarely. Do they do the job....'Yes'' they do. In my opinion after talking to a metallurgist, the sharpest knives/blades dull the fastest, due to their fine nature. This is not rocket science, a truly extremely fine straight razor will only be at that level for a few days. 'Shave ability' however lasts for a few months. That's the reason 'barber's hones still get the job done.Agree or not but blokes in America have had many great shaves off the Norton 4/k 8/k. To be fair, a full set of naniwas shoud get a better result. Subjectivity gents is the view of the positive mind. We've all seen you tubes about Norton 4/8K'. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the subjectivity is in those hands. I manage to stuff things up with my naniwas, so good luck to anyone who has a go. I love watching the u tubes, It gives me the courage to admit I've a lot to learn. I'm serious though about being too sharp. One or two shaves on a razor that has been anointed with some exotic matter, doesnt make it shave better. If it makes your shave better, all.. power to you.