Thread: Cheap Japanese Water Stones on The Bay

For ~$16 they are worth a shot. If they are garbage, I'll look for something better. Thanks for the replies.

Remember: buy cheap buy twice. Are you rich enough to buy twice?
If you have a sharp kitchen knife a sharpening rod is all you need. I have one from Sabatier, my kitchen knives never see a stone.
If you use a wooden or synthetic cutting board it is nigh impossible to ruin the edge.

Assuming you know how to sharpen the knives, I would not hesitate to tell you to use the same stones as you use for your razors. If you feel uncomfortable, then going for a cheaper stone is the way to go.

I would never use the same hone for knives and razors unless you are happy to lap the hone every time you start honing a razor after sharpening a knife. But maybe I am too obsessed with flatness.

Well, i have a rather small arkansas stone to sharpern my knives, but i must say i'm waiting for my 4k/8K norton for trying it on my knife.. i bet i will splice tomatoes with just the weight of the knife

I have a Norton 2220/1K and a 4K/8K and a Naniwa 12K. Love them all for my razors, but don't want to ruin them for razors by sharpening knives on them. The 2K/5K will be her Monday. If it's junk, it was only $16. I have spent more on beer in an evening.

Originally Posted by rjezuit

I have a Norton 2220/1K and a 4K/8K and a Naniwa 12K. Love them all for my razors, but don't want to ruin them for razors by sharpening knives on them. The 2K/5K will be her Monday. If it's junk, it was only $16. I have spent more on beer in an evening.

I'm not trying to be rude here, but could you please elaborate on how using a knife on the stone will "ruin" it for razors? These stones are very tough, and designed for use with knives. I personally, as well as thousands of others, have used the norton stones to sharpen knives many times. The average user, who doesn't sharpen professionally, could sharpen as many knives as you could imagine, and still have a stone with enough meat on it to pass down to the next generation. Why get more stones, of lesser quality, if it's not necessary.

Originally Posted by rjezuit

I would never use them on my razors, but has anyone tried the cheap waterstones ~$16 for a double sided hone for knives? I have a Norton 4k/8K, plus Naniwa 12K for my razors I do not want to put my knives on them. I figure for around $16 hey might be usable with knives.

I've read All of the posts here so far and while you won't 'ruin' your razor hones, why not send the money to get something that has been used for decades by meat cutters (myself included/I own two/one vintage made of cast iron and this one) and many others who use knives on a regular basis;

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/N...em-P48C65.aspx

For $20 more you can get an Arkansas

My dad told me to buy good tools as they will last you a lifetime. He's been dead for 17 years and his tools are still going strong!

I don't cut meat professionally. I realize you get what you pay for, and if I cut for a living I would get a better stone. Kind of like shopping at Harbor Freight for a tool you use every so often. As far as ruining the stones, it is more about my skills in honing a knife blade as opposed to the stone. I just see that the stones I have used in the past for knife sharpening get hollowed out. Rather keep my "good" stones flat. It's $16. If it's junk I will use it as a paper weight.

I have stones that I use for both knife & razor honing & have had no problem. Once you get a knife sharp & keep it sharp a steel is all you should need for touch ups.
I am very careful with all of my stones & would be hard pressed to damage a stone from sharpening a knife every now & then.


Slawman