Thread: Shapton 15k pro or 16k glass questions

Howdy!
I've been thinking of getting a better finishing stone for a while now.

My current setup is;
king 1/6k (only use the 1k side)
Norton 4/8k
Chinese 12k
Chrome ox on leather

I get good shaves off this setup, but I may have joined the pilgrimage to the "perfect shave".

I had decided on the shapton 16k, and was going to order one as soon as I had the expendable funds. Then the other day I saw a pro 15k at a B&M store and almost bought it on the spot.

My questions are;

1- Is there much of a difference in the edge off of these stones?

2- Are there differences in maintenance? i.e. more lapping?

3- I know that the consensus is that the difference between the edge off of a 16k is better than the edge off of a 12k. Would there be a noticeable improvement going from a Chinese 12k to a 15k pro?

After shipping costs they would be nearly the same price. The only difference would be the instant gratification (I could use it today ) and supporting a local business.

Thanks SRP!

I haven't used either but I love the Shapton Pro stones. I think the GS is a fad so Shapton makes more money by offering a lot less honing surface on each stone. I dunno, maybe the GS are really great though. Either way I don't think you'll find many here who have used both and you'll get a lot of GS 16k advocates just because that's what they bought. I suggest PMing JimmyHAD- he has a lot of insight (and experience) into the pro series.

I have a 12K Chinese but I haven't gotten around to using it yet. I bought my 15K pro off of The Topher. He is a forum member who has a lot of experience in honing and lives in my area. He showed me a lot of what I know ....... however much that is

He wanted to go with the 16K because so many folks were enthusiastic about it. After he had it awhile I asked him if he liked it better then the 15K. He said that it was very good but that he didn't find much difference in the two.

Speaking to Harrelson Stanley, the US importer for Shapton, he has told me that the glass stones are a different formula from the pro. Keeping in mind that these stones were made to sharpen Japanese wood cutting tools I don't know how much difference it makes.

With the pro you get 15mm thick stone and with the glass you get 5mm. Both , according to Shapton, should be lapped before each use. I am very happy with my 15 but being a HADDICT I may eventually break down and buy a 16.

I can also say that Chris Moss has pros and from what I have read of his posts on honing has gotten good performance out of them. So after all of this blather, I don't know what to tell you . I imagine you would be happy with one or the other.

why not the Shapton 30k if you want to go all out?

Originally Posted by cotdt

why not the Shapton 30k if you want to go all out?

This comes from the Shapton USA website, How To Use Shapton Stones;

"Always clean your tools and stones before moving up to the next stage in your process. Carrying coarse grit or other materials under your fingernails can cause errant scratches in your surfaces. These stones are very dense and particles will remain on top of the surface if not cleansed carefully.

The most important concept when using the Shapton system is achieving consistancy at a given grit level before moving up to the next finer stone. At the 2000 grit level, your tool should be perfectly shaped. It is ineffective to attempt to reshape your tool at any finer grit level. If you have built a good foundation at the coarse grit level, very little work will be required at the finer grit levels.


Sharpening is an attempt at perfection. The most interesting aspect of sharpening is the reflection of the infinite."

Uh, guys? I'm kinda embarrassed to ask, but just to clarify...with those Shapton Glass stones (of which I own a 16k), are you supposed to use the glass side? Because I've been using the ceramic side...

Thanks in advance for "straightening" me out!

A little help, please? Are you supposed to use the glass side? I honestly do not know, since when I bought it I thought it was a ceramic stone....

if you have to choose shapton or chinese go shapton you will save a lot of honing time

you will not have a noticable difference in edge sharpness on the 2 shaptons
at the same price i'de take the 15k pro anytime

i have 8k pro and 15k pro they are very good
also have glass shaptons from 200 to 4k. they are also excellent

I was wondering how they compare too, but isn't Shapton stopped production of the Pros?

Also, without hijacking this thread, how does Spyderco UF compare to the 15k or 16k Shaptons, The UF is about 13K, I also have a Chinese 12k and hope the UF and either Shapton would be a bit better.

Originally Posted by honersimpson

I was wondering how they compare too, but isn't Shapton stopped production of the Pros?

Also, without hijacking this thread, how does Spyderco UF compare to the 15k or 16k Shaptons, The UF is about 13K, I also have a Chinese 12k and hope the UF and either Shapton would be a bit better.

I recently got the Spydercos lightly used and although I haven't given them too much time so far I'm not liking them much.

I have read that the Pros were being discontinued but I still see them on the Shapton USA website and at Japan Woodworker. I called and asked the latter if they had heard of them being discontinued and they had not. They have dealt with Shapton for 30 years they said so I doubt that they wouldn't have heard something from Shapton Japan directly.