Thread: Suehiro Stones

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Interesting stones, but if you are going to end up at 20k or a natural edge, the bevel setter and middle stones really don’t make a difference how you get there.

I have most of the popular stones and tons of naturals, lately I have been using Kings, (Just because I like the feel of the 1k, kind of muddy) 1k and 6k, finish on 20 or natural or paste

I dunk in a tub of water and do a quick lap with a 600-diamond plate, then flood with a squirt bottle while on the holder. I do this with all stones, even naturals. I add water with the squirt bottle as needed. And let dry on edge on a wooden plate rack after use.

No warping, no issues, except for my 8K Snow White, that crazed a couple years ago, but you cannot feel it with a thumb nail and it does not affect its polishing ability. I bought a new 8k, about a year ago after hearing a rumor on a knife site, that they were going to stop making the Snow-White Fuji, hasn’t happened. I have not unboxed the new one and the crazed 8k is still producing near mirror bevels. I do like that stone it is a great jumping off point to a natural and is both aggressive and a polisher.

When I first got my 20k years ago I had a problem with it scratching and it did not feel like it was cutting smoothly. I had lapped with a 300 and 400 plate. I had been babying the stone, reading all the, ”Hone with the weight of the blade and take care to not over hone” ,reviews.

One day I gridded it with a lumber pencil and lapped the creap out of it aggressively, with a 140 plate, a few times and finished on a 600. I has worked just fine since.

Like the guy who hit the mule between the eyes with a 2X4 said, “First you got to get their attention.”

I kind of subscribe to the take it to the limit, go over the limit, then back it off a notch or two, theory. Otherwise, how do you really know where the limit is?

Well-said!

Originally Posted by Steve56

No, with the tiny amount of water it absorbed it never occurred to me to do it. The surface also looked normal (dry). What do you think that you’d be looking for? It probably isn’t too late.

Cheers, Steve

When I soak my Nani’s, the water pools a bit longer on top of the stone and the cutting is way smoother I feel. Way less of a granular feel. I know it’s dumb, but I swear it works better.

That’s where I’m at - but like I said, I have no idea.

Me too, earcutter. I have the thin naniwas, I have to soak them or they’re not flat. Had I lapped them with just dunking them I could just spray and hone. My 1k and 12k will bow a 1/16” from flat when totally dry. Soak them for 5-10 minutes and they’re perfectly flat. I like the feedback better too when they’ve soaked in the tub for a bit.

I love the traditional Suehiro 1k/3k combo as a hand-held bevel-setter in the 40mm x 135mm dimension, prior to naturals, although any larger dimension will also suffice as needed for bench use. For an all-around combo for beginners, then it's the traditional Suehiro 1k/6k combo clocking in at around 63mm x 180mm followed by a pasted strop.

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

I love the traditional Suehiro 1k/3k combo as a hand-held bevel-setter in the 40mm x 135mm dimension, prior to naturals, although any larger dimension will also suffice as needed for bench use. For an all-around combo for beginners, then it's the traditional Suehiro 1k/6k combo clocking in at around 63mm x 180mm followed by a pasted strop.

That's hilarious. Aside from the Dual Stones I ordered, I just ordered the stone you’re talking about to use exclusively with my knives. And a 280/1K grit. I have a 200 and a 400 Nani, but I kind of hate em so... why not.




I got a 3 pack of DMTs too lol! I’m on fire. That should about do it for synthetics. Short of the 20K, but I’m really excited about those Suehiro Duals.

Originally Posted by Steve56

O.K., I ain’t afraid of no ghost.... I did the experiment with my Gok 20k.

Dry weight, 689.1g it had been weeks since I used it so it was ‘at equilibrium’ dryness. After a 30 min submerged soak, 689.5g

So it absorbed 0.4g water in 30 minutes, or 0.058% of the stone’s mass. Not much! It also did not appear to warp, though extended or perpetual soaking may cause other issues, but the tiny amount of water that it absorbed seems to indicate perpetual soaking wouldn’t do anything useful anyway. The tiny amount of absorbed water also means (to me anyway) that soaking is unlikely to warp the stone.

Jamie’s and other’s opinions that the stone is practically non-absorbent appears to be true.

The stone is now in a controlled dry in a Shapton Pro box.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks, Steve for carrying out this little experiment, so my hunch was probably correct, in regular use the 20K doesn't absorb or take on any water.

Originally Posted by earcutter

That's hilarious. Aside from the Dual Stones I ordered, I just ordered the stone you’re talking about to use exclusively with my knives. And a 280/1K grit. I have a 200 and a 400 Nani, but I kind of hate em so... why not.




I got a 3 pack of DMTs too lol! I’m on fire. That should about do it for synthetics. Short of the 20K, but I’m really excited about those Suehiro Duals.

Man, David! I made the mistake of looking at the plethora of Japanese waterstones out there a while back.
Seems they have come out with a PILE since I last looked long ago.

The cold sweats ensued......OY! Look at THAT! Grits were dancing in my head!
Rubbed my face and forgot about it.

As if the razor related rabbit holes aren’t deep enough already.

Originally Posted by earcutter

That's hilarious. Aside from the Dual Stones I ordered, I just ordered the stone you’re talking about to use exclusively with my knives. And a 280/1K grit. I have a 200 and a 400 Nani, but I kind of hate em so... why not.

I got a 3 pack of DMTs too lol! I’m on fire. That should about do it for synthetics. Short of the 20K, but I’m really excited about those Suehiro Duals.

The 1k/3k has been around for a long time, in a variety of dimensions; and to repeat, it is a great combo for setting things up for naturals afterwards. Often I am of the opinion that the ubiquitous 5/8 razor is not much larger than a pocket knife, so stones that will do for a pocket knife format should also do for smaller razors with hand-held honing. One smaller set-up I like for this is a perforated 6" x 2" coarse DMT for lapping, serious visible chips, and reshaping; a perforated 6" x 2" fine DMT for light visible chips and reshaping; the Suehiro 1k/3k combo (5" x 1-5/8"); a 125mm x 40mm veinette coticule; and a 35mm x 135mm purple Welsh slate. No need for the Gokumyo 20k with such a set-up.

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

The 1k/3k has been around for a long time, in a variety of dimensions; and to repeat, it is a great combo for setting things up for naturals afterwards. Often I am of the opinion that the ubiquitous 5/8 razor is not much larger than a pocket knife, so stones that will do for a pocket knife format should also do for smaller razors with hand-held honing. One smaller set-up I like for this is a perforated 6" x 2" coarse DMT for lapping, and serious visible chips and reshaping; a perforated 6" x 2" fine DMT visible chips and reshaping; the Suehiro 1k/3k combo (5" x 1-5/8"); a 125mm x 40mm veinette coticule; and a 35mm x 135mm purple Welsh slate. No need for the Gokumyo 20k with such a set-up.

It’s remarkable how on board I am with you on the size thing. I’ve slowly begun to amass a a collection of 6” x 2” everything. I have a complete set of Arks in 6x2, the DMTs in 6x2, a Coti as close to 6x2 as I could, and now i’ll be getting those Dual Stone synthetics in 6x2’s.

That’s by design. Every one of those items comes in 8x3, I just really like a 6x2. Especially when I’m in the mood to palm hone. I know many will think it silly that I prefer the 6x2’s over the 3x8’s, but then, I collect 4/8’s so... lol.