Thread: Your Thoughts on These Whetstones

My slip is showing..

To be fair, I try to get advice from as many sources as possible and then I compare.

Originally Posted by TstebinsB

My slip is showing..

To be fair, I try to get advice from as many sources as possible and then I compare.

And, to be clear, I wasn't insinuating anything negative about you posting the same questions (wise move IMO) over at B&B, I had just noticed that you asked the same things over there as well.

I don't think it can be denied that Joel is a DMT fan. Nothing wrong with DMT.

Chris L

And the interresting part is that Joel have around 70 hones, I think he likes hones, but when it comes to performance the D8EE is the thing.

But you have to be cautios about the cutting speed.. so you 6/8 doesn't turn into an 4/8.. (well, it could still shave very well.. )

I spoke to a Japanese sword smith and he told me to get a natural whetstone of 12,000 grit. Its name is IYO (イヨ). Iyo is actually an ancient Japan province that had a lot of natural stones for sharpening. The stones from that area keep the name. As for the next stone, he recommended a diamond stone of 6,000 grit instead of the natural one. I'm sure as a sword smith with over 40 years of experience, he knows what he's talking about. But as a deer in headlights, I'm losing my way..

While that swordsmith probably knows a lot about sharpening, an actual sword is sharpened by a sword polisher. sword smithing and sword polishing are 2 different things, done by different people.

Polishers done smith, and smiths don't polish, or so I was told. At least for swords this seems to be the way.

Both require a lifetime of experience, hence the need for specialization.
If you really want to know the details about sharpening stones you should try to ask a sword polisher.

Please understand that I do not want to speak badly about the person who gave you the advice. He probably knows more about sharpening than most of us (myself included), and several blacksmiths also sharpen knives and other things they make.