Well Ken, thank you first of all. Your name gets brought up on this forum a lot, and now I understand why!!!!

I understand how synthetic stones work and how their grits are defined and controlled. I've read a lot about how your sprays are made. I now understand that its easier to measure synthetic stones and assigning their grit. And in turn why defining grit to natural stones is difficult or elusive because its depends on how these "corn flake" break into pieces when creating a slurry. not overly complex.... I love information, knowledge is a wonderful thing:)

Therefore.... using japanese natural stones, the edge would have different impressions from the different grits making the knife "feel sharper" and the edge longevity "increase" but.... in a theoretical perspective, its actually the microscopic "teeth" in the edge from the natural stones and the depth of these flake creating several failures along the edge as they break into the "slurry"? making the knife "feel" like its still sharp and having plenty of "bite" when cutting something even after hundreds of cuts.....

Am I way in left field here?

so... as far as i'm concerned this japanese knife sharpener has a preference of using two different grits on either side (we all have some weird preferences or schools of thought); but it really just boils down to the effect of sharpening on natural stones that make their edges feel sharp and stay sharper longer.

Thanks Ken

How about using 2 different grits Not on different sides, but at different ends of the knife. For example: A little courser grit at the tip so a push cut is used to break the skin of a tomato it will "grab" the skin but the smoother edge follows as the knife slices the interior pulp.

R.JeffreyCoates wrote:


Welcome to the forum!

There's a well regarded sharpener (whose name slips me right now), that recommends this. Good idea!