Woodstock SteeleX D1130 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit Japanese Waterstone
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Woodstock SteeleX D1130 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit Japanese Waterstone
Customer Review: Arrived broken. Twice.
Summary: 3 Stars
I am assuming it is a good product based on the others' reviews, so I give it 3 stars which is consistent with an "OK" rating.
Unfortunately, I was unable to use this stone, and I am leaving this review as a warninng about shipping. On the first stone I received the white 6000 grit part was broken on both sides. On the replacement one end was broken off.
Amazon was great at sending the replacement and issuing a refund at the end.
Customer Review: Arrived chipped
Summary: 3 Stars
Arrived broken into two main pieces. Works very well, but it would work better if there wasn't a one-inch chunk missing from the waterstone.Customer Review: Chisels are a viable tool now
Summary: 5 Stars
I have resisted hand tools and chisels in general because I could never get them sharp enough and it took forever. A friend showed me how easy it was to tune one up on a water stone (once they have been hollow ground) and I was amazed at how little time and what good results came from it. Now, I use chisels and feel it slice the fiber instead of tear it. The combination 1000/6000 stone may not last overly long, but I'll get dedicated thicker ones when the time comes because water stones are the way as far as I'm concerned.
Edit as of Dec 2010: While I don't use this particular stone because it finally wore out, I definately have stuck with waterstones. Many people don't like them because they are messy, but with the polishing stones, you only have to spritz with water right before use. To avoid the soaking of lesser grit stones, I did move to a DMT diamond 1200 stone for the shaping which also only requires spritzing, but still have an 8000 for polishing. Keeping it flat is as simple as a 1'x1' tile and a 220 grit sanding screen. Draw a quick pencil grid on the stone, turn it upside down and rub on the sanding screen and when the pencil marks dissapear, your done. It takes far less than a minute. I don't see myself ever switching - fast and very effective.
Customer Review: Combo 1K Grit and 6K Grit Water stone
Summary: 4 Stars
I rated this stone 4 stars. First of all i like the fact it had 2 grits on both sides. It sharpened to a mirror like finish. However waterstone tend to wear very easily, and the thickness of each grits is only 1/2 inch. The overall stone was 1 in so each side has 1/2 inch of the stone. The waterstone wore out very quick resulting in my lapping my stone every 3-4 chisel or plane irons.Customer Review: Decent performance and reasonably priced
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this stone for $30. It is more expensive compared to typical oil stones which only cost $3-10. However, a waterstone grinds more uniform and the resulting edges are more polished.
This combination 1000 + 6000 grit Japanese waterstone is 2" wide, 8" long and 1" deep. It is an artificial water stone. A waterstone works fast and consistent because it constantly reveals new grinding surfaces. This also means it wears out fast and one must keep its surface flat by lapping the stone frequently. This stone is fairly soft even for a waterstone, so I need to lap the stone once per knife, unless I am doing a compound bevel edge, then I may do one more when I switch the angle. I recommend getting a diamond stone for lapping, like this: DMT W6FP 6-Inch Diamond Tabletop Whetstone, Fine Grit, DMT W6CP 6" Diamond Whetstone Sharpener - Coarse With Plastic Box or others. A diamond stone not only can work as a lapping stone, but it functions as a coarse sharpening stone. The real important point is not what you use to keep this stone flat, but the fact that you must have a mean to do so. You do not have to get a diamond stone.
I have one criticism. I wish the 1000 and the 6000 grit surfaces are not equally thick. Because the 1000 grit surface wears out much faster than the 6000 grit surface, it would have been nice if the 1000 grit surface is twice as thick as the 6000 grit surface.
***A short explanation of waterstone for those unfamiliar with it***
Japanese waterstones are known for its unique performance. Water is essential for the sharpening performance of these stones, thus their names. They are quick to work with. This is because waterstones are made with small abrasive particles which are loosely held together. During sharpening, the surface particles easily come loose and revealing new layer of particles for fast and consistent sharpening. The loose particles are then carried away by the surrounding water and form a slurry which also assists the sharpening process. The disadvantages of waterstones are that the stones wear out fast and the slurry can be messy.
*Update on Jun 08, 2010*
I have worn the 1000 grit side down to 1/8", while the 6000 grit side is 3/8". I have upgraded to a 2000 grit and a 5000 grit Naniwa Super stones. In comparison, the Naniwa Super stones are more expensive, but higher performance and larger. Although I have out grown this combination stone, I don't regret buying it. It was relative inexpensive and it is soft, which is a good stone to learn. Although a softer stone requires frequent lapping, it has a nice feel to it and provides decent feedback.