Another Chosera 1k Thread....

[ChopperDave]

I'm trying to avoid the HAD. I think I did good job with that goal this weekend. To the OP, I do like my Chosera 1k. It has wonderful feedback. The two (I know that ain't much) razors that I have set bevels on it, I felt it on almost the exact stroke where the bevel was set. I think you will be pleased with it. But it does cut fast, so if you are honing incorrectly, you will make a mess before you know it (done that too)... lol

[eddy79]

I love my choosera 1k. I had the naniwa ss 1k before and the choosera has a better feel and leavs a better finish IMO

[Denvernoob]

This arrived on Thursday evening and I got to play with it a bit on Friday. I know the Norton and this Chosera are both 1k, but the grit on this one just feels a bit "finer" to me. I gave it a good lapping to get the course top layer off and get it flat. I have only honed a couple of razors on it thus far so I am still evaluating but it does seem to cut a bit faster for sure (especially c135 steel on a TI I put on it). Otherwise it is a great quality stone. Only time will tell if I have made a good decision here but either way I am confident that this one feels a bit better to me from a feedback perspective.

[Denvernoob]

Well here we are a couple of months and about a dozen razors later (of my own stock) that needed work.
Among these razors was my first, which was a Whipped Dog Sight Unseen with a reworked heel and a bit of abuse I had subjected it to while I was learning, in addition to the pretty descent amount of hone wear it had due to use and age (3 layers of tape to get good stone contact).

Now that I have been on this stone for a while I can say with the utmost certainty that my honing has improved markedly. I know many have been skeptical about transitioning to this from my Norton 1k. Perhaps with the Norton I was not patient enough (because it was devastatingly slow), or it didn't have enough abrasive material in the stone....either way, this Naniwa performs above and beyond what the Norton did, and the remarkable edges I have been producing since its purchase is proof positive enough for me. For the record, I still use my Norton 4k/8k combo religiously in my progression and find that combo stone to be first rate...so whatever happened with my 1k is a mystery to me.

My bevel sets come fairly quickly and evenly. The rest of my progression flies by quickly after I get off of the 1k, as there really is very little work left to do at that point. The stone certainly has a "feel" when one is getting close to a proper bevel set...the feedback is excellent, even on heavier grinds. Moreover, the scratch patterns are very consistent and don't go too deep...getting back to my quick progression thereafter. Very consistent every time.

So in conclusion...whether it was the stone, my technique improving/evolving, or both....this purchase was very worthwhile and I would recommend this stone to anyone with the budget to add it to their progression.

[Euclid440]

There is no question that the Chosera is a fine stone with a smooth feel. But is it really that much better than any other?

I have a Chosera, Super Stone, Norton, King and Nubatama 1k’s, they all produce the same 1k edge in about the same amount of time, the Nubatama the fastest, surprisingly without deep stria or rough edge.

If you are new and money is no object the Chosera is a fine choice, but switching from any other stone to a Chosera, will not improve honing over any other 1k.

Recently I picked up another used King 1k, for a couple bucks and have been using it to lap other stones and because it is handy in the sink, have been using it to bevel set occasionally. It is a real nice stone, it likes water and self-slurries a bit, but for the price, not all that different from a Chosera in feel and certainly not in performance.

So yes the Chosera is a nice stone, but don’t expect dramatic results over any other 1k, they all produce 1k edges. The 1k’s job is to hog off material, they all do that well.

Where 1k’s do differ, is in the deepness of the stria and rough edge they produce, which can be an issue, if it is not completely removed, often the bane of the novice honer. Deep stria can easily be flattened and edge straightened by jointing, circles and/or side honing.

And that is the job of the next stone in the progression, transitioning from setting the bevel to straightening the edge…

[JOB15]

I'd like to add.
I came from the Shapton Glass 1k to the Chosera 1k.

The Chosera feels nice n soft to me.

The Chosera 5k is my favourite stone though, It has a great feel.