Thread: Chosera 5K or Shapton 6K

Originally Posted by ridnovir

After Kitayama it passes hht with ease. After 16k shapton the hht is noticeably difficult the edge comes back on 1m Diamond on Balsa though and gets even better on CrOX on balsa and 0.25m Dimanod on Balsa. I suspect that i spend way too m much time on 16k I will try fewer strokes next time.

Looks like my progression is fine an mid range stone is not necessary. Might end up with Chosera 5k after although Arashiyama 6K or Penguin 6K are two stones that I will consider as well (sadly I cannot find much info on these).

If the diamond helps after the 16k it may be that it has cleaned up a false edge or micro burr from too many strokes on the 16. After that point you could do say, 2 or 3 feather light strokes on the 16k again & see how it shaves. Another experiment.
btw , not advocating excessive laps on any stone but it can happen.

I would invest in a decent triplet loupe or a USB scope and see what the edge looks like, both pre- and post the 16k glass stone. Obviously something is amiss there. I have seen the Kitayama touted as an 8k, 10k and 12k, so if you are pushing it towards the 10k or 12k end and then spending a lot of time on the 16k, which would be a minimal step in the progression (and in this case probably not necessary), you are possibly over-honing. If so, use the Kitayama 8k as an 8k, ie no slurry, just water, and just enough laps to refine the bevel, then on to the 16k.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

use the Kitayama 8k as an 8k, ie no slurry, just water, and just enough laps to refine the bevel, then on to the 16k.

Used without a slurry, the Kitayama tends to leave a ragged edge, not even as smooth as a Norton 8K provides in the same time. This is a big part of why I decided to use mine for kitchen knives rather than razors. If you work the stone a bit, it fights well above its weight grit-wise, but it's not really as much of a splash-and-go as, say, the Naniwa SW. The edge I got on the K yesterday provided a very good shave today, but it took a long time to get that edge.

I can't seem to find my Shapton Pro 8K scratch-test, so I can't do a loupe comparison with it and my other 8Ks. I have some stones on order with Stu, so I'll probably re-do the Shapton test when I do the new guys if/when they get here. There are two 8Ks in that order, so my beloved SW may finally get some real competition.

Anyway, closer to the original topic, I feel that the 5-6K range stones are optional but fun, and the Kitayama is an idiosyncratic stone that might be better off replaced with a more mainstream 8K, like a Naniwa Super Stone or the GS 8K. However, if the OP is happy with the edges he's getting with his current setup, there's no real tearing hurry to add or replace stones anywhere in his progression.

I don't think he is happy - why post in the first place otherwise?

The point of using the Kitayama as an 8k was to see if he was over-honing with the 16k, nothing else.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I don't think he is happy - why post in the first place otherwise?

The point of using the Kitayama as an 8k was to see if he was over-honing with the 16k, nothing else.

Regards,
Neil

I am pretty happy with my set up and the edges I get. With improved technique and skill the edges will get better. I just thought that a mid range stone would not hurt to have and wanted to know the general opinion on them.

Originally Posted by ridnovir

I am pretty happy with my set up and the edges I get. With improved technique and skill the edges will get better. I just thought that a mid range stone would not hurt to have and wanted to know the general opinion on them.

Smaller jumps ie more stones, means you can do less work on each stone & make smaller changes to the edge at each grit. It's not crucial for the shave but allows for a nice polish for those of us with OCD.
Also some stones, even from the same maker may have different characteristics e.g. the Shapton Pro 1k & 1.5k . Not a lot of difference in grit rating, huge difference in their construction which could mean certain steels prefer one or the other.

As has been said earlier, I think you can work fine with what you have. With more experience you can see if an anomaly turns up in the progression that requires maybe an extra stone or maybe even a replacement. Sometimes it's just easier to stick to a progression of the same make... Unless experimentation is your thing.