DIAMOND SHARPENING STONE PREPARATION
BEFORE SHARPENING
TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT EDGE, START WITH A FLAT STONE SURFACE
When sharpening knives, it's crucial to ensure the surface of the whetstone is flat. Irregular whetstones can cause uneven wear, reducing their lifespan. It's important to regularly flatten the surface to maintain optimal cutting performance.
A flat whetstone ensures even contact with the blade, preventing uneven sharpening and potential dull spots or inconsistent cutting performance. Using a flat whetstone allows for efficient and uniform sharpening in a shorter time, extending the lifespan of the whetstone. It also stabilizes the blade angle, helping to maintain cutting performance over time.
1, FLATTEN THE SHARPENING STONE TO START SHARPENING
HOW TO FLATTEN THE DIAMOND SHARPENING STONE WITH FLATTENER
WHAT YOU NEED
- Diamond Stone, NSK Kogyo
- Flattener, NSK Kogyo
- Sharpening Sink Bridge
- Pencil
- Clean Water
HOW TO PERFORM NSK KOGYO'S DIAMOND STONE FLATTENING
Before beginning make sure all essential tools/items are laid out.
1, Set the sharpening stone.
Rinse everything clean. Place the stone on the stand so that it will not move and wet the surface with water. Thoroughly wash with water not only stone but all the tools for sharpening. This water washing process prevents new scratches from forming on your blades. Especially when using a fine grit stone, there may be rough grit from a previously used stone lurking somewhere. Wash the entire tool with clean water. (NSK Kogyo sharpening stones do not need soaking beforehand.)
2, Use a pencil to check the current state of the stone surface.
Draw a mesh on the surface of the stone with a pencil, cover the stone with a flattener, and rub the surface several times. The flattener will not touch the sharpening stone where it is worn, so any pencil marks left on the stone are low spots. lap the stone so that it is fully flattened by changing the direction of the stone and the flattener.
3, Bevel the edges and corners of the stone to make it round.
Place the flattener against the edge of the sharpening stone and rub the stone. By rubbing the stone while changing the angle, rounded corners can be created. Don't forget to round the corners as well.
4, Rinse with clean water.
When you finish flattening, don't forget to clean everything up with water.
5, Metate is effective for coarse grain.
For coarse stones 200 grit and below, Metate can revive the cutting speed. Please check this page for instructions on how to do it.
5, Ready to sharpen!
Now that the surface is flat, you can start sharpening. Stones are subject to wear and tear, so if rough sharpening is done, maintain the surface as needed depending on your work.
KEY POINT
- Instead of focusing on one spot on the stone, use the entire surface to prevent excessive wear.
- If you're using a coarse grit and notice a decrease in cutting speed, try the following Metate or Maintain the stone below
FLATTNER
RECOMMENDATION FLATTENER FOR EACH GRIT DIAMOND STONE
The following particle sizes are recommended for flattener
Flattener
# 200 : #200 - 800 diamond stone
# 400 : #400 - 2000 diamond stone
# 600 : #800 - 2000 diamond stone
#1000 : #1000 - 3000 diamond stone
#3000 : #3000+ diamond stone, Natural Stone
#6000 : #6000+ diamond stone, Natural Stone
2, DIAMOND NAGURA USE
MADE MUD WITH NAGURA FOR EDGE SHARPENING AND POLISHING
WHAT IS NAGURA
NSK Kogyo's Nagura is made of their diamond stone material, therefore Nagura can produce these muds artificially in advance, helping you begin your sharpening needs right away.
The 120 grit Dressing Stone will be used rubbing the surface of the sharpening stone with it, refreshing the surface and reviving the cutting speed. On the other hand, Nagura is not only has similar benefits, but by making the mud it affects the crisp edges, and in sharpening you get good feedback like a natural sharpening stone.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Diamond Stone, NSK Kogyo
- Nagura, NSK Kogyo
HOW TO SET UP NAGURA
1, To prepare the stone and Nagura
Once the diamond sharpening stone is flattened and prepared, the Nagura needs to be prepared as well; to avoid scratching the stone with the Nagura, sharpen the edges of the Nagura with another sharpening stone to make it round. When you are done, wash it clean with water to prevent other grains from mixing with it.
2. Make mud on the diamond stone
Place the Nagura on the diamond stone and make circular motions across the stone so produce a slurry or mud.
At this point, be sure to use the entire surface of the diamond stone evenly so as not to concentrate on one spot. Keep this mud as it will be used for sharpening.
3, For polishing, also rub the edges of the stone
Rubbing the edges of the stone with the Nagura can have a beneficial effect, and it works to rub the Nagura at different angles as well.
KEY POINT
The mud from the stone or Nagura refreshes the surface of the stone helping to keep the flow of sharpening.
The stone above 1500 grit helps give feedback from the stone during sharpening, and refines the edge leaving a clean toothy edge for edge sharpening.
For polishing using above 3000 grit stone, the mud gives nice feedback similar to a natural stone for polishing.
