has anyone used these water stones?

[andyxedos]

Just found these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NATURAL-C...pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item2a2d7a9d0f


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NATURAL-W...pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item27d2e39384


both look a really good home grown alternative to japanese waterstones.......but are they any good?
andy

 

[Dave Budd]

not come across them myself. There are some good slates for a very fine edge, but I don't know about that one. Probably would work just fine and worth a go for a tenner.

I personally don't use natural stones on account of their non-uniform textures. Some of the slates that I've used have been hard and glassy along some plains and soft along others, so if its sawn and not split (or wears unevenly) then it can damage your cutting edge

 

[EarthToSimon]

I bought one of the dragons tongue stones to hone my straight razor, personally I think it's a bit fine for bushcraft use. But it worked great sorting my straight out after I chipped the blade dropping it in the sink.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

I've got the Dragons tongue. I prefer to use it with oil. It cuts fast and fine on an already sharp edge and I've used it to re profile a pocket knife. It took over an hour but I did it to prove a point to someone who insisted slate can't sharpen a knife as slate is softer than steel. He's wrong. I say my slate is a cracking bit of kit, especially considering the price of fine water stones.

The seller of these slates gives his opinion on how fine they are using 'grit' ratings as a yard stick. I can't really comment as I've never used a high grit waterstone. Mine is a combi stone 2000/5000 but it's Chinese made which the seller reckons equates to around 2000 grit Japanese stone. Progression from that to the slate works well for me that's all I know really. It gives fantastic feedback. Anybody who finds free hand knife sharpening to be a meditative practice would love how this slate feels on the steel.

It's great for maintaining a sharp edge too as it requires very little effort and removes very little steel when used lightly. Maybe it's just doing the same as using a strop with compound I don't know. I have a strop and blue goo in the post right now so I'm interested in how that fits into the equation.

 

[Lyope]

I've all but given up with stones for sharpening. They do work, of course; but they're heavy, difficult to use well and generally a pain in the backside. I like using knives, not sharpening them - so I go for the fastest, most effective method I can.

These days, give me a bunch of different grades of wet and dry paper and either a lump of float glass or some bits of MDF and I'll make a sharp thing sharper within a matter of minutes. Seriously, I recommend reading up on the scary sharp system and spending your £9.99 on a pack of Axminster's finest waterproof silicon carbide paper. You can get a mixed pack for £7.90 and it'll last for ages:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/hermes-wet-and-dry-waterproof-silicon-carbide-sheets--packs-10-prod19877/

 

[Perrari]

Not used those particular stones, but have used slate to sharpen knives & tools. They are only really good for polishing an edge that is already sharp. Slate is very soft and wear quickly. Fortunately up here in Snowdonia there are millions of tons of waste slate heaps, I just used to get a piece with an almost flat surface and then flatten it further with coarse sandpaper on an already flat surface. I have never tried it but would imagine that it would make a good slurry stone to use on wet or dry paper with water for sharpening.

 

[sasquatch]

Those are both great stones but more suited to razors and chisels and similar. If you want a good cheap stone go for an old Norton India oil stone. They're faster for what you want. If you want an interesting natural try a Belgian coticule but again they're more for razors.

 

[mereside]

I use those stones for my sharpening it does a cracking job on my stalking knife and also my straight razor, atb wayne