Thread: Confused on differences between Pre-finisher vs finisher vs polisher

Originally Posted by Aaron27

Would there be any benefit to using a Chinese 12k before transitioning from a Norton 8k to a naniwa 12k?

Not really. All you'd be doing is wasting time. The Naniwa 12K is almost certainly going to be a finer finish than your Chinese 12K, because it's going to be a true 12K finish and not a number attached to a natural stone just to sell hones. You'd be lucky if your Chinese 12K is actually finer than your Norton 8K. If it isn't, you'd be taking a step back before moving forward. If it is somewhere between your 8 and your 12, then it's just going to be slow going polishing the blade up to the Chinese 12K's potential because it cuts slow. By comparison you could probably move from the Norton 8 to the naniwa 12 and have the blade finished in 10-20 strokes because it's a pretty quick cutter.

That said, if you find you like the edges your Chinese 12K produces better than the Naniwa, you can always add that in at the tail end. It should take fewer strokes to get where you want to be coming off the Naniwa 12K than it does coming off the Norton 8K.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Not really. All you'd be doing is wasting time. The Naniwa 12K is almost certainly going to be a finer finish than your Chinese 12K, because it's going to be a true 12K finish and not a number attached to a natural stone just to sell hones. You'd be lucky if your Chinese 12K is actually finer than your Norton 8K. If it isn't, you'd be taking a step back before moving forward. If it is somewhere between your 8 and your 12, then it's just going to be slow going polishing the blade up to the Chinese 12K's potential because it cuts slow. By comparison you could probably move from the Norton 8 to the naniwa 12 and have the blade finished in 10-20 strokes because it's a pretty quick cutter.

That said, if you find you like the edges your Chinese 12K produces better than the Naniwa, you can always add that in at the tail end. It should take fewer strokes to get where you want to be coming off the Naniwa 12K than it does coming off the Norton 8K.

That is true, but only initially.....if compared, the 2 stones might tilt towards Naniwa, if the 2 stones are brand new,However, the characteristics of the 2 stones are greatly different. A Naniwa stone of 12000 grit will always be at that grit range....however a Chinese Natural stone can surpass it if the stone is used. Like any natural stone, the more it is used, the finer the surface crystals will be more refined, and that changes the grit quality. So....for example a natural stone might be considered a 12000 grit, but over time can produce edges in the 15000-17000 grit range. No synthetic stone can do that, for their surface crystals never change after prolonged, and light pressure use.

One of the best natural stone is the Ozuku Asagi.....but the surface molecules (crystals) can produce an edge in the 15000-25000 grit range, even if the initial grit range is around 8-10000 grit. Ozuku Asagi Japanese Natural Sharpening Stone 1664.4g (3lb. 10.8oz.)

Originally Posted by ksst

No synthetic stone can do that, for their surface crystals never change after prolonged, and light pressure use.

Nope. That is not correct. Some synthetics can burnish for an altered cutting effect.

Originally Posted by ksst

One of the best natural stone is the Ozuku Asagi

This is a false generality
Natural stones can and do vary dramatically in quality. Some Ozuku Asagi hones are of high quality, but there is no guarantee that every blue/gray rock from that mountain is a great hone.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Nope. That is not correct. Some synthetics can burnish for an altered cutting effect.

My experience with the Naniwa, Shapton stones always produced the same type of edge....my Arky Trans produces a vastly superior edge right now, after prolonged use, compared to the time when I purchased it from Dan's whetstones. So is my Ozuku Asagi, and Okudo white suita.

Originally Posted by Utopian

This is a false generality
Natural stones can and do vary dramatically in quality. Some Ozuku Asagi hones are of high quality, but there is no guarantee that every blue/gray rock from that mountain is a great hone.

But they do perform the same way......to my knowledge, all of them improves the quality of the edge, compared to the time when they were new. I agree, not all of them are of a great quality, but their performance increases after prolonged use. That was my point.

There's a limit to how burnished a stone can get. I can assure you that my PHIG is at it's limit, and it caps out somewhere above 8K, but most likely not 12K. The surface was polished up to 8K and has been further burnished with carbon and tool steel blades to get it as fine as humanly possible - it's seen a few thousand strokes by this point. The only way to refine the edges the stone gives beyond this is use with oil. Which you won't see me doing because I rather like it as a base for slurry work, and the edge with water alone is more than refined enough for my purposes.

There may be a PHIG out there somewhere that burnishes better than mine, but I've yet to see anyone say that theirs matches, much less tops, a 12K with water as the honing medium. There are a few well burnished translucent/surgical black Arkies that can. I've seen claims about Jnats being able to go in excess of 12K. I've got a Welsh Slate that probably tops out above 12K, I would put it's edges right on par with my Translucent Arkies. But I've never seen that said about the Chinese 12K, and everyone seems to have 1 lying around somewhere.

Originally Posted by ksst

My experience with the Naniwa, Shapton stones always produced the same type of edge.

This is another case of generalities. Naniwa and Shapton do not represent all synthetic hones, but I understand your point.