What I use for sharpening

[hruukki]

Hi everyone, here's what I use for sharpening, occurred to me someone might want to try it too:

1. for shaping: a Tormek wet grinder. Any other will do, I just happen to have the Tormek.
2. rough sharpening: fine India stone, coarse slipstones
3. next stage, Arkansas bench stone and slipstones (until the tool is almost sharp)
4. Japanese 2000 grit waterstone (and a 4000 grit Japanese slipstone - I haven't found 2000 grit slipstones, probably too soft for a small stone). This will give a shinier surface than the Arkansas, but the tools bite into it too easily, that's why I use the Arkansas first.
5. Japanese 4000 to 6000 grit waterstones and slipstones: 6000 is enough for a fiinish. There are even 8000 and 10 000 grit stones but I think that's overkill.

What's good and bad about the Japanese stones is they wear quickly. That's why I don't use them for rough work: I feel the 1000 grit waterstone wears far too fast, and might even damage the blade . With India stone and equivalent there's not as much risk of that.

Henri