finalize and publish whetstone post

_posts/2024-08-11-whetstones.md

@@ -1,40 +1,22 @@
 ---
 title: "Whetstones: Buying Guide"
-date: 2024-08-11
-last_modified_at: 2024-08-11
+date: 2024-10-5
+last_modified_at: 2024-10-9
 categories: [knives, whetstones]
 tags: []
-description: Inventory of my whetstones with recommendations.
+description: A beginner's guide to buying Japanese whetstones.
 media_subpath: /whetstones/
 image: 20240902_154347.webp
-published: False
+published: True
 ---
 
-## Related Posts
-This post is part of a larger series about sharpening and whetstones. If the item has a link, then the post has been published, otherwise it is still in progress.
-
-- [Whetstones: Buying Guide]({% link _posts/2024-08-11-whetstones.md %})
-- Whetstones: Beyond the Basics
-- Sharpening: The Basics
-
-
-## Overview
-This post is designed to give a prospective buyer a list of high quality sharpening equipment to purchase, at different budgets and for different purposes. Although this will not be a sharpening tutorial, I will attempt to briefly explain the equipment and outline the tradeoffs between price categories.
-
 ## Background
+I can’t imagine life without sharp tools. Even as a kid with a pocket knife, I always had a small whetstone to keep it sharp. Now, two and a half decades later, it feels like almost every hobby I have involves sharpening in some way. For woodworking, it’s chisels and hand planes. For wood sculptures, it’s carving knives. Then there are the camping knives, pocket knives, and multi-tools. Bookbinding? That needs leather paring knives. Cardboard crafting? Turns out even Olfas benefit from a diamond strop. And let’s not forget my small collection of Japanese straight razors from that phase when I thought I was too good for normal people shaving. Oh, and of course, dozens upon dozens of kitchen knives.
 
-I really can't imagine a life without sharp tools. Even in my earlist memories as a 7 year old with a pocket knife, I had a small whetstone to keep it sharp. Two and a half decades later, I'm drowning in hobbies that require sharpening. 
-
-- woodworking chisels and hand planes
-- woodcarving sculpture knives
-- japanese straight razors
-- camping, bushcraft, pocket knives, and multitools
-- leather working and bookbinding knives
-- kitchen knives
-
-Over the years, I've spent thousands dollars on sharpening equipment of all kinds: oil stones, water stones, diamond stones, pull through sharpeners, guided systems, electric wheels, and more. For my money, there is nothing that beats a good set of Japanese water stones, so that is mostly what I will focus on here.
+Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on all kinds of sharpening equipment—-oil stones, water stones, diamond stones, pull-through sharpeners, guided systems, grinding wheels, and more. This post is meant to guide prospective buyers through the process of selecting high-quality sharpening equipment, catering to different budgets and uses. While this isn’t a sharpening tutorial, I’ll briefly explain the key equipment and highlight the trade-offs between various price categories.
 
 ## Can't I Just Buy the 10 Piece Amazon Special?
+
 No. Dear god no. Please don't. I have tried several, and they are all terrible. They are slow, they wear quickly, they dish easily, they clog, they are inconsistent, they are poorly made, they are poorly graded, they are poorly packaged, they are poorly everything. They make everything about sharpening harder, and you will really, seriously regret owning them. 
 
 Yes, I know they are cheap. Yes, I know they have inexplicably good reviews. And yes, I know they come with 6 stones, a stand, a flattening stone, a strop, and a partridge in a pear tree. But seriously, it's all junk and you don't want it.
@@ -73,17 +55,17 @@ Although coarseness is measured by seemingly objective grit numbers, manufacture
 
 In this table, I've outlined 3 paths, the Minimum, Upgrade, and My Personal Setup. 
 
-<b>Minimum</b>
+<b>Sharpening: Minimum Setup</b>
 
 The King KDS 1k/6k is an excellent introductory Japanese stone. Although 1k is a little finer than I prefer for edge setting, there is essentially nothing at this price point that can compare to the quality of the King Deluxe. This is a soaking stone, so you will need to let it soak submerged in water for 10-15 minutes before use. It is extremely important that you buy the King Deluxe (KDS) and not any of the standard Kings, such as the KW65, KW45 or any unmarked variants, which are smaller and lower quality.
 
-<b>Upgrade</b>
+<b>Sharpening: Upgraded Setup</b>
 
 In this path, the King is replaced with two of my favorite stones, the Shapton Glass 500 and the Rika 5000. Out of my ~25 or so whetstones, the Shapton Glass 500 is simply my favorite. It is a splash and go stone, meaning you can use it immediately without soaking. And is a joy to use, cutting quickly and leaving a great edge. You'll want to only use it for the initial edge setting and for chip repairs, as it is a little greedy for routine sharpening. Meanwhile, the Rika 5000 is a luxurious soaking stone that builds up a creamy slurry and feels simply heavenly under the knife. The 5000 grit is a bit overstated -- realistically it is more like a 3000 grit, which is perfect for kitchen knives.
 
 If you some extra cash to throw at your equipment, these two upgrades are well worth the money.
 
-<b>My Personal Setup</b>
+<b>Sharpening: My Personal Setup</b>
 
 Pulling out all the stops, you can add a $15 stone holder to make you life that much easier when using the Shapton. It is by no means necessary -- a wet paper towel on top of another stone will do just as well -- but it is a nice convenience and what I personally use. Finally, although I do have a real soft spot in my heart for the Rika 5000, I often simply don't have the patience to wait the 15 minutes of soaking that it needs to truly shine. So what I actually end up using is the vaunted Morihei Hi 4000, a crisp splash and go that blends synthetic and natural grinding agents, for a true-to-grit finish. Although I have plenty of higher grit stones, this is my usual stopping place for kitchen knives.
 
@@ -104,19 +86,19 @@ These days, strops are typically loaded with a fine diamond compound that serves
 | [CKTG Diamond Paste](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/chdipa1mi.html)                                        |      | $6   |      |
 | [Gunny Juice 1um](https://www.gritomatic.com/products/gunny-juice-poly-diamond-emulsion)                   |      |      | $20  |
 
-<b>Minimum</b>
+<b>Stropping: Minimum Setup</b>
 
 The essence of stopping is a mild abrasive to remove the last vestiges of the burr. If you are at the limits of your budget, you can reach a sorry imitation of stropping by using a piece of cardboard, a pair of jeans, or even a piece of carpet. These are all poor substitutes, but they are better than nothing. If I had to pick one of these methods, I would hot glue a piece of cardboard to some scrapwood and use that.
 
-<b>Upgrade</b>
+<b>Stropping: Upgraded Setup</b>
 
 If you do have the money for a real strop, I strongly recommend it, as it will make everything about getting a razor sharp knife easier. Although leather is the material traditionally associated with strops, I exclusively use balsa wood for this purpose. 
 
 Why balsa instead of leather? Well first, balsa is hard, so it doesn't roll over the edge and soften your apex. Second, you can transition all the techniques and muscle memory from regular sharpening to strop the perfect edge. Third, balsa can easily repaired, so if it gets damaged, you can simply sand it to have a fresh surface. Finally, basla simply does a great job of loading with diamond compound. 
 
 You can probably buy balsa at a craft store, but if you want a purpose built solution, CKTG sells a wonderful magnetic balsa strip that you can attach to an arbitrary metal surface or to the base they sell separately. They also sell a 1 micron diamond paste that is perfect for maintaining a razor edge in between sharpenings. If you intend on sharpening actual razors, you will want to refer to the specialty applications portion of this guide for additional advice.
 
-<b>My Personal Setup</b>
+<b>Stropping: My Personal Setup</b>
 
 Personally, I spent the extra money to buy the strop base, which is a heavy metal base with rubber feet that makes your stopping experience a dream. I also upgrade from the CKTG diamond paste to the Gunny Juice 1um, which is a poly diamond emulsion that is a more aggressive and a more effective. It's honestly a bit of a splurge unless you are doing a lot of sharpening, but if you want the best, this is it.
 
@@ -134,16 +116,16 @@ The solution is very flat, rough grit stone that you rub on your actual whetston
 | [CKTG 140](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/140grdistflp.html)    |      | $30  |      |
 | [Atoma 140](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BN32EXY)               |      |      | $55  |
 
-### Minimum
+<b>Flattening: Minimum Setup</b>
 If you are on a tight budget, you have a few cheap options for stone flattening.
 - Two Stone Method: Just rub your sharpening and your finishing stones together, making sure to use the entire surface of both stones and to change the angles as you go. This will be slow and imperfect, and you may risk grit contamination in your finishing stone, but it beats not flattening at all.
 - Paving Stone: You can buy a cheap paving stone from a hardware store and use that to flatten your stones. This is a little faster and more effective than the two stone method, but it is still slow and imperfect.
 - Sandpaper: You can buy a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper and glue or tape it to a flat surface (like glass). This is the fastest and most effective of the cheap methods, but it is also the most expensive in the long run, as you will need to replace the sandpaper frequently.
 
-### Upgrade
+<b>Flattening: Upgraded Setup</b>
 Flat aluminum stones with diamonds embedded in the surface are the gold standard for flattening. The CKTG 140 is an excellent and inexpensive choice, especially if you are already buying their strop and can save on shipping.
 
-### My Personal Setup
+<b>Flattening: My Personal Setup</b>
 Personally I use the Atoma 140. It has excellent particle distribution, is true-to-grit, and will last forever. It is a great stone, but it is also a bit of a splurge, and you can get by just fine with the CKTG 140.
 
 
@@ -226,136 +208,8 @@ If you want to sharpen straight razors, you will need a full progression of ston
 | [CKTG 120](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/140grdistflp.html)                                               | $30  |
 
 A few notes about this setup: 
-- If you are restoring razors, you will want to add a ~1000 grit stone to this set up. If you are maintaining already sharp razors, you might be able to skip the 4000 grit stone.
-- You can't use th
-#### Finishing Stones
-I have multiple stones in this category, depending on how your sharpening goals. For fine work such as straight razors, you will want to go all the way to the Naniwa 12k. However for kitchen knives, I stop sharpening at the Morihei Hi 4000 or the Rika 5000.
-
-- [Morihei Hi 4000](https://carbonknifeco.com/products/morihei-suzu-whetstone-4000): This is a wonderful feeling splash and go that blends synthetic and natural grinding agents. I use it as my primary finishing stone for kitchen knives.
-- [Rika 5000](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JLP4635): This is a soaking stone that leaves a nice matte finish, silky smooth and feels awesome to use. Often said to be more like a 3000 grit in cutting speed. I've developed a suspicion that mine leaves occasional deep scratches, which is irrelevant for the kitchen but matters for razors. It benefits from long soaks, think 15+ minutes, which is the only reason it is not my primary finishing stone.
-- [King KDS 1k/6k](https://www.amazon.com/KDS-Combination-Whetstone-Sharpening-Harder/dp/B01BB1ZDVW/): The 6k side of this stone is the cheap alternative to the Morihei Hi 4000 or Rika 5000. To perform best it will need a long soak.
-- [Kitayama 8000](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3VIX0M): This is another famous stone with a well-deserved reputation. It has a silky smooth feel and benefits from a couple minutes of soaking. It is excellent for minor touchups or in a razor progression. 
-- [Naniwa Gouken 12k](https://www.amazon.com/NANIWA-Whetstone-KAGAYAKI-NK-2091-Finishing/dp/B01JI9YPPY): This is a relatively expensive, single purpose stone. I literally only use it for razors and nothing else. 
-
-#### **Polishing**
-Diamond loaded strops are an absolute game-changer for maintaining a razor edge in between sharpenings. I will often go months without sharpening, only using a strop. They can also make up for leaving a small burr after the finishing step, often allowing you to remove it to get your final egde. 
-- [Balsa Strop](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/bamapa.html)
-- [Strop Base](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ristba.html)
-- [CKTG Diamond Paste](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/chdipa1mi.html)
-- [Gunny Juice  1um](https://www.gritomatic.com/products/gunny-juice-poly-diamond-emulsion)
-
-### Personal Everyday Kit
-Having every stone possible for every use case is great, but you can save $150 and get only what I actually use for 95% of my sharpening tasks.
-
-
-## New category descriptions
-
-### Poor ($37)
-This is the bare minimum stone to be able to get a knife sharp.
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Basic sharpening setup with King KDS 1000/6000.
-  - Covers basic sharpening and polishing needs.
-  - Much better than any amazon stones. Will sharpen faster and last longer. 
-- **Compromises:**
-    - Limited versatility and refinement.
-    - Lacks tools for heavy material removal. Can't significantly change the geometry of a knife.
-    - You won't be able to sharpen razors.
-    - You can't use the stone on short notice, it requires a 15 minute soak.
-
-### Min ($57)
-This adds a strop and diamond paste for edge refinement. I specifically don't recommend a leather strop, because they are soft they roll over the edge and dull it. A balsa strop, if it gets damaged, can be sanded to have a fresh surface. They're much more forgiving and will give you a much cleaner surface even after making mistakes. This particular one has a magnet on the back so it can attach to the base I recommend in some of the higher upgrade levels.
-- **Advantages:**
-  - With a strop, you can remove the final burr and end up with a way sharper knife, especially at a beginner skill level.
-  - You can quickly strop a knife during regular use to maintain sharpness so you won't have to sharpen as often.
-
-
-## Old category descriptions
-
-### **Poor ($37)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Basic sharpening setup with King KDS 1000/6000.
-  - Covers basic sharpening and polishing needs.
-  - Much better than any amazon stones. Will sharpen faster and last longer.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - Limited versatility and refinement.
-  - Lacks tools for heavy material removal. Can't significantly change the geometry of a knife.
-  - You won't be able to sharpen razors.
-  - You can't use the stone on short notice, it requires a 15 minute soak.
-
-### **Min ($57)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Adds Balsa Strop and CKTG Diamond Paste for edge refinement.
-  - Improves sharpness and edge longevity.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - No stone holder for stability.
-  - Missing coarse and ultra-fine stones.
-  - Still requires soaking the King KDS 1000/6000.
-
-### **Comp ($153)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Introduces Shapton Glass 500 and Rika 5000 for detailed sharpening.
-  - Includes stone holder for stability.
-  - Covers a broader range of sharpening tasks.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - Lacks Morihei Hi 4000 and Atoma 140 for coarse and fine work.
-  - Not fully comprehensive.
-
-### **Alt ($227)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Adds CKTG 140 for coarse sharpening.
-  - Includes a strop base and stone holder for convenience.
-  - Provides better control and edge refinement.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - Missing Atoma 140 and ultra-fine polishing stones (Kitayama 8000, Naniwa Gouken 12k).
-
-### **Pers ($260)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Includes Atoma 140 and Morihei Hi 4000 for superior sharpening.
-  - Gunny Juice 1um and strop base for fine edge refinement.
-  - Well-rounded setup for most sharpening tasks.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - Lacks ultra-fine finishing stones (Kitayama 8000, Naniwa Gouken 12k).
-
-### **All ($356)**
-- **Advantages:**
-  - Complete setup covering all sharpening tasks.
-  - From coarse (Shapton 120) to ultra-fine (Naniwa Gouken 12k, Kitayama 8000).
-  - Includes Gunny Juice 1um and strop base for maximum sharpness.
-- **Compromises:**
-  - High cost, but offers the best results and versatility.
-
-
-## Recommendations
-### Personal Use
-details on exactly what I recommend for a full set
-- Diamond Flattening Plate
-    - [Atoma 140](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BN32EXY) - $55 This is what I actually own.
-    - [CKTG 140](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/140grdistflp.html) - $30 I've heard this is functionally as good for half the price.
-- Main Stone
-    - Shapton Glass HR 500
-- Finishing Stone
-    - rst
-- Strop
-    - [Balsa Strop](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/bamapa.html) - $14
-    - [Strop Base](https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ristba.html) - $25 (The strop is magnetic, so you might get away without this)
-    - [1 micron Diamond Suspension](https://www.gritomatic.com/products/gunny-juice-poly-diamond-emulsion) - $38 
-
-Do not accidently buy the KW65, which will be brown and white. You want the KDS 1000/6000 which is red-brown and tan-brown. 
-
-### Compromise Options 
-
-### Budget Options
-
-
-## Things to Avoid
-
-Please never, never, buy the Amazon Basics stones. For a tiny bit more money you can get my minimum recommendation, the King KDS 1000/6000, which is a world of difference better.
-e Rika 5000 for razors, as it leaves occasional deep scratches. This is fine for kitchen knives, but absolutely unacceptable for razors, hence my recommendation of the Morihei Hi 4000. For slightly less money, you could also try the [Chosera 3000](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EBFWY4) or maybe the [Shapton Glass 4000](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KU03WW), which are excellent stones often available for $60-$70.
-- You need to add at least two high grit stones, in this case, I've recommended the Kitayama 8000 and the Naniwa 12k. As long as the true grits of your progression are matched, you can mix and match between brands without problem.
+- If you are heavily restoring razors, you will want to add a ~1000 grit stone to this set up. If you are maintaining already very sharp razors, you might be able to skip the 4000 grit stone.
+- This set features two high grit stones not yet covered in this post. I've recommended the Kitayama 8000 and the Naniwa 12k. As long as the true grits of your progression are matched, you can mix and match between brands without problem.
 - It's extra money, but I highly recommend buying the strop base, unless you have a good DIY solution in mind.
 - I've included two diamond pastes and two strops, 1um and .5um. You can go even finer, but I haven't found it to be necessary.
-- You <i>must</i> buy a flattening stone. For straight razors this is not optional
-
-
-
-
+- You <i>must</i> buy a flattening stone. For straight razors this is not optional