Thread: Imanishi water stones

I decided to take a chance and pick up the Imanishi #4000 & #8000 water stones from Lee Valley: Bester/Imanishi Ceramic Water Stones - Lee Valley Tools, they can also be viewed at this website: Japanese Waterstones: IMANISHI Bester. I used a granite tile and 220 wet/dry to flatten, rinsed the stones, added some water, and then proceeded to basically push water back and forth with the razor. I was wondering if the water should be turning grey as that is what I was expecting ,it seems that I didn't really do anything. I suppose I could start a slurry with the 220 wet/dry or go down to a #2000 stone?

Furthermore, the stones look exactly like the Arashiyama #6000 and Kitayama#8000 on CKTG: Imanishi Stones

Any help/ideas/knowledge of these ceramic stones based on your experience and expertise would be greatly appreciated in my quest in learning to hone.

Thank You

Shane

Just yesterday, a japanese expert told me this about Sigma and Bester Stone about razor sharpening

This are his word
Sigma and Bester, while their general performance (hard, fast, even, nondiscriminating in steel type) and the price for such thick stone is great, they have this problem of occasional large and super hard scratching particles surfacing from time to time, and this is devastating for the razors....

So i opted for other stones, in my case i need a 1k stone

Originally Posted by kairen

Just yesterday, a japanese expert told me this about Sigma and Bester Stone about razor sharpening

This are his word
Sigma and Bester, while their general performance (hard, fast, even, nondiscriminating in steel type) and the price for such thick stone is great, they have this problem of occasional large and super hard scratching particles surfacing from time to time, and this is devastating for the razors....

So i opted for other stones, in my case i need a 1k stone

I've experienced that with a Bester 2k. It's like honing over a small lump in the hone. No big deal as you can ignore that part on such a large hone but the problem would be if you had lots of these at random spots. Could have to do lots of lapping to get rid of them.
Back on topic , the 2k was a lightning fast cutter. Tho the 4 & 8K are a different construction I can't imagine why they don't seem to work. Contacted the seller ?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I've experienced that with a Bester 2k. It's like honing over a small lump in the hone. No big deal as you can ignore that part on such a large hone but the problem would be if you had lots of these at random spots. Could have to do lots of lapping to get rid of them.
Back on topic , the 2k was a lightning fast cutter. Tho the 4 & 8K are a different construction I can't imagine why they don't seem to work. Contacted the seller ?

I'll try making a slurry with 220 wet/dry and also contact the seller to find out any other info on the stones, and check the forums pertaining to kitchen knife users as they might also be familiar with such stones. If they don't work out, I'll use them to sharpen kitchen knives and pick up a coticule.

Cheers

I wouldn't advise 220 wetndri for a slurry. Any particles from the paper mixing in on a 4k stone will take you back or maybe wreck your edge.

Why not try something else like lapping them to a finer grit. Some stones work better that way. g'luck