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grit stone is
usually sufficient for most chisel and plane blades. But if you’d like
to take your tools to the next level,
such as for paring chisels, specialty
carving tools, and smoothing planes,
this stone is worth adding to your
sharpening arsenal. TESTER’S TAKE: An 8000-
grit waterstone’s polish is fine for
most of my edge tools, but this stone’s
superior polish makes it a keeper for times when I need |
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Waterstones
are fast-cutting, provide good feedback, and are popular with
pros and amateurs alike for honing
chisels and plane irons. But synthetic
stones don’t come cheap, and natural
stones are even more expensive—over
$100. And the highest-grit stones,
those used for ? nal polishing, are
typically the most expensive. At $30,
this natural polishing stone sounds
like a real bargain. So, does this
budget-priced stone deliver?
THE SETUP: The stone was
plenty flat right out of the box, but
the surface was somewhat rough,
necessitating smoothing before use.
Although you could smooth and
reflatten the stone with another stone
of similar or lesser grit, this stone is
so hard that the quickest approach
is to rub the surface with a medium-
grit diamond stone. (Medium-grit
sandpaper adhered to a flat surface
will also work.) Incidentally, at 1¼"
thick × 2¾" wide × 8" long, this is
an extra-thick stone which means
longer wear and life. (Note: stones
are cut and polished by hand so sizes
may vary.) |
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will need practice to master this stone because it is so
hard that it more closely resembles
an oilstone’s feel, providing very little
“grip” as you rub. Also, unlike many
finishing stones that allow you to skip
a few grits in the sharpening process,
with a polishing stone it is important
to work your way up. For general
sharpening, I recommend starting
with 1000 grit, then moving to 6000-
8000 grit before finishing on the
polishing stone.
Compared to my other stones, I
noticed that there’s very little slurry
build-up, even when the stone is
rubbed with a nagura (a small stone
used to prepare waterstones and
create a slurry). This lack of slurry
makes the tool want to skip over the
surface, which can scratch the tool
and the stone. The trick is to use a
light touch, rubbing gently and with
less pressure than normal. Although
this process requires more strokes
and takes more time, the resulting
super-shiny surfaces and keen, sharp
edges are worth it.
BEST APPLICATIONS: For
everyday sharpening, finishing an edge with 6000-
or 8000- |
the best possible
edge, such as for my delicate carving
chisels and thin-bladed knives. This
stone does not quite deliver the finish
I can get with the micron-grade
sandpapers and diamond pastes on
the market. However, for a fraction of
the cost of comparable stones, it does produce a
wonderful
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