Microscope can get some quite interesting results. Most people only look at the edge but you can also get many useful and information from stone microscopy. With side illumination you can see the topography in much better details than just frontal lighting. A simple cellphone light is enough. Also if you take a picture of a ruler you can add a scale. Would be interesting to see what you make of it, results are quite surprising. For example grit size doesn't always match description, a 320 stone sometimes is coarser than 220 stone. Sometimes actual stone grit doesn't match resulting edge. I have an ultra hard stone that works as if its a finer stone because of rounded abrasives. Relative grit varies a lot on this stone depending on conditioning, same as a natural stone would. With abrasive pastes results are also quite crazy. Solingem paste is famous for giving an edge that behaves like a 6-8K grit but looking on microscope its has abrasives up to 20 microns. Same behavior is seen on other abrasive pastes so relative grit from pastes work completely different than stone. Not many people do stone microscopy, would be cool if you shared your results.
I find it easier to keep a steady angle if I put the stone parallel to me and do side to side movements. That’s just personal preference but if you are having issues with current technique its worth a shot. I can can send a video link If you want, easier than explaining with just words. I do think side to side is a safer. I cut myself a couple times doing up and down sharpening and after I switched that never happened again. A finger on the spine prevents the other fingers from slipping to the edge or the stone. Locked wrist also helps to keep steady angle, that goes with either technique.
Awesome vid again! I was seeing Tanaka Toishi stones in ai&om knives website but there was little to no info online. It is great you're reviewing rare stones as well. About the difficulty with setting a nice bevel on both sides, I'm like that too. I'm also right handed and I'm also getting a very nice bevel on the right side of the knife, like a v edge, but on the left it is not like that it gets convex due to inconsistent angle. Only solution for me is ambidexterous sharpening and it wasn't extremely hard but I ended up going back to right handed sharpening again. I guess it wasn't much of an issue for japanese people in old eras due to single bevel back then :D
@morehn these are not natural stones, but i believe it is a blend. Tanaka toishi is the supplier, and aki, shiro, suki -monogatari is the name of each stone In this series.
Would you consider maybe switching your "weaker side" hands around? I recently got the hang of using my left hand and glad I did because to me it feels more consistent on maintaining the angle.
Microscope can get some quite interesting results. Most people only look at the edge but you can also get many useful and information from stone microscopy. With side illumination you can see the topography in much better details than just frontal lighting. A simple cellphone light is enough. Also if you take a picture of a ruler you can add a scale. Would be interesting to see what you make of it, results are quite surprising.
For example grit size doesn't always match description, a 320 stone sometimes is coarser than 220 stone.
Sometimes actual stone grit doesn't match resulting edge. I have an ultra hard stone that works as if its a finer stone because of rounded abrasives. Relative grit varies a lot on this stone depending on conditioning, same as a natural stone would.
With abrasive pastes results are also quite crazy. Solingem paste is famous for giving an edge that behaves like a 6-8K grit but looking on microscope its has abrasives up to 20 microns. Same behavior is seen on other abrasive pastes so relative grit from pastes work completely different than stone.
Not many people do stone microscopy, would be cool if you shared your results.
Good video as always 👍 2:45 didn’t make out who you said was the knife maker.
This one is made by musashi :)
I like your videos. Thanks. Everyone uses fine Japanese knives for their sharpening videos. Do you have advice for sharpening cheap knives?
I find it easier to keep a steady angle if I put the stone parallel to me and do side to side movements. That’s just personal preference but if you are having issues with current technique its worth a shot. I can can send a video link If you want, easier than explaining with just words.
I do think side to side is a safer. I cut myself a couple times doing up and down sharpening and after I switched that never happened again. A finger on the spine prevents the other fingers from slipping to the edge or the stone.
Locked wrist also helps to keep steady angle, that goes with either technique.
Awesome vid again! I was seeing Tanaka Toishi stones in ai&om knives website but there was little to no info online. It is great you're reviewing rare stones as well. About the difficulty with setting a nice bevel on both sides, I'm like that too. I'm also right handed and I'm also getting a very nice bevel on the right side of the knife, like a v edge, but on the left it is not like that it gets convex due to inconsistent angle. Only solution for me is ambidexterous sharpening and it wasn't extremely hard but I ended up going back to right handed sharpening again. I guess it wasn't much of an issue for japanese people in old eras due to single bevel back then :D
Are all these different types of Tanakatoishi?
I have a hard Aoto Tanakatoishi, but I don't understand jnats fully yet.
@morehn these are not natural stones, but i believe it is a blend. Tanaka toishi is the supplier, and aki, shiro, suki -monogatari is the name of each stone In this series.
Would you consider maybe switching your "weaker side" hands around? I recently got the hang of using my left hand and glad I did because to me it feels more consistent on maintaining the angle.