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Professional knife sharpener, review of Nubatama 1000 grit whetstone.

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Nubatama ume 1000 grit review

Nubatama ume1000 review

Nubatama ume 1000

I don’t know what to say, this was supposed to be an ordinary review, stating the facts and impression of the stone. Fist off it isn’t like any other 1k stone, it feels porous, have a beautiful deep blue color, sounds porous dry, and feels more like a lower grit stone to the touch. My first thought was to compare it to some other very common stones in this grit range, like Sigma ps, Shapton pro, Beston and Chosera.

The second thought was to compare it to some cheap clay stones and I realized that the Nubatama would eat them alive so that would not be fair. Third thought was Chosera 1k, but I don’t use it anymore, because I usually go straight to Bester 2000 wish is my everyday midrange stone.  Well after the Nubatama 320 retired my Bester 500, maybe I should compare it to Bester 2k instead. I love Bester 2k, I know even before I start that I will still love the Bester in the end, and that there is no way that I will retire it.

Nubatama ume 1000 vs. Bester 2000

  1. Size: Nubatama wins it’s twice the size
  2. Dry out time: Bester 2k wins 3min 10sec and just 2min 26sec for Nubatama
  3. Cutting speed: Nubatama wins it’s not twice as fast, but definitely much faster
  4. Dishing: None of them dish much, but Bester dish slightly less
  5. Finish: Bester 2k wins, it leaves a much clearer finish
  6. Feel: I love the feel of Bester 2k, but with mud build up Nubatama feels super nice just in a different way.

Ok I realize that it isn’t a fair compare, I love the Bester and the grit is too different to even try to compare them. I went and got my old favorite Chosera 1k, to see if that is a better match up.

Nubatama ume 1000 vs Chosera 1000

  1. Size:  Nubatama wins it’s twice the size
  2. Dry out time: They are both thirsty stones but the Chosera wins with a tiny 10sec
  3. Cutting speed: Nubatama wins but not with much, my guesstimate is 5%-10% faster
  4. Dishing: Nubatama wins but not with much
  5. Finish: Chosera wins it has a better finish
  6. Feel: They both feel awesome but very different; I had almost forgotten how smooth the Chosera felt so this is more a matter of taste.
  7. Clean up on higher grit: I give it a slight edge to Chosera, but it is not as much as I would have thought.

Would I replace my favorite Bester 2000 with Nubatama ume 1000, no I would not. Would I choose Nubatama ume 1000 over Chosera 1k. Yes, I would because it is twice the size, dishes less, and doesn’t have that green mud that stains everything. If you care about finish in this grit range, Chosera might be your choice.

Conclusion:

Nubatama ume 1k isn’t a metal-eating beast like Sigma 1k, but it cuts faster than most other 1k stones. It doesn’t dish much and you get a big stone that will last you a while. What is amazing about sharpening on this stone is hard to put down in facts. It is a matter of feeling, after building up the first mud with another 1k stone, it has the magic. That magic feel and sound that makes you drool, awakens that warrior sharpening his sword deep inside, that have been hidden for a long while.

You slow down and close your eyes, hear and feel every stroke against the stone. It makes you feel how the power almost makes your beam energy. Everything else around you disappears. That edge is taken from sharp metal to an edge that will carry a piece of your soul forever.

Do I have to say more, I love the feel of this stone. Now I just have to find use for it. I might end up using it as a step-up stone after Nubatama ume 320. If someone was just buying a single stone to keep their knives sharp, I would definitely recommend Nubatama ume 1k as.

Magnus Pettersson hand knife sharpening in Santa Monica, call or text 310-486-6068 or email.

The master sharpeners, of two professional knife sharpening stones.

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Quality evaluation of Nubatama ume #320 vs Bester #500

I just got 4 Nubatama Ume stones #320, #1k, #4k and #6k. I was hesitant to buy them because the only reviews I could find were from the people selling them. I will start with the Nubatama Ume #320, and compare it to my favorite coarse stone Bester #500. It will replace the bester in my setup if it is up to the task. I love the Bester, it cuts fast and gives decent feedback. The downside is that I use a lot of pressure with the coarse stones, they dish fast and are tough to flatten.

I use up 10-15 bester #500 a year, and it dries out way too quickly, so it’s not problem-free for me. I know I could use DMT, but I don’t like the feedback. The list of coarse stones I have tested in this grit range is extended. The one that got closest to Bester was Chosera #400 it did dish but not as much and left a nicer finish. It was not as fast, and time is money.

Knife sharpening Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500 water stones

Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500 water stones

Drying time test and dish compare of the whetstones

First I will compare, cutting speed, dishing, general feel, and the finish they leave. The Nubatama came really flat, I still gave it a fast flattening to get rid of that glossy new stone feel.

Drying time compair between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

Drying time compared between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

One thing that bothers me with Bester is how fast it dries out, so that was the first thing I tested. The Nubatama is a bit better, 48sec for Nubatama and 34sec for Bester. It’s almost a 50% improvement that will make a small improvement.

2 brand new Kiwi knives to use to compare Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

2 brand new Kiwi knives to use to compare Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

The cutting speed

To make the cutting speed test fair, I have used 2 brand new cheapo Kiwi knives. I know it’s cheap somewhat soft stainless, but at least it will give me an idea of how fast they cut. I have sharpened Henckel twin cermax RC 66 on Bester, but it takes a lot of time, so I know Bester’s limit.

Within time I will test the Nubatama on some tough steel too, and report how it went. I expected Nubatama to be slower cutting than Bester, after seeing how glossy. Well it wasn’t, it just took 6 strokes to get a good burr with Nubatama and 10 strokes to get a burr on Bester. So Nubatama Ume #320 cut faster and it behaves as expected for a #320 grit stone.

Edge finish difference between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

Edge finish difference between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

The finish

The Bester isn’t known to leave a nice finish, but Nubatamas finish at least on the burr is even rougher as it should be for a low grit stone. What I think is fascinating though, is that the surface is slightly greyer from the Nubatama which is usually a sign of a finer stone. Time will tell but I think that Bester leaves a better finish.

The difference in dishing between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

The difference in dishing between Nubatama ume 320 and Bester 500

Dishing test

Here comes the most positive surprise Nubatama dishes less, but not by much. The picture is taken after 50 strokes on the corner of each stone, and as you see it is obvious, that Bester dishes a little bit more. So taking in effect that Nubatama is faster cutting and dishes slightly less, it should mean much less stone flattening.

Feedback and feel

There was very little difference in sound between them, and the feel was somewhat the same too. The Nubatama doesn’t have the annoying sticky feel under pressure as the Bester has. It feels a bit sandier, and rougher. They both have a similar amount of feedback feeling. I think I prefer the feel of the Nubatama. (it might just be that the Nub is the newest one and that I just have an hour on it)

I did a fast test cleaning up the scratches on a higher grit stone. In this case, I used a Bester #2000 grit. They both cleaned up equally fast, it makes me think that the finish from the Nubatama just looked rougher and they were pretty much the same.

Flattening: They are both pretty hard stones to flatten, but I think it went slightly faster to flatten the Bester.

Conclusion:

Nubatama positive: Twice the size, cuts faster, dishes slightly less, and doesn’t dry out as quickly as Bester.
Nubatama neg: Leave a slightly rougher finish and a bit harder to flatten.
Bester pos: Leave a slightly better finish, easier to flatten
Bester neg: Cuts slower, dishes more, dries out faster

After using the Nubatama a little bit more, I prefer the feel and performance of it over the Bester and it is the coarse stone I will be using from now on. I will keep the Bester, in case the Nub doesn’t perform well on a high-performance steel.

Update: After some heavy use the last week, I still love the stone. I have sharpened some hard steel +rc61 knives on it, and the nub dish as much as Bester if not a little more wish was a bit disappointing. I have realized that it is much easier to flatten than my first impression, so it evens out. One other thing it is a rather muddy stone, and it helps the cutting speed a lot, the mud is the grainy sandy kind so it is a bit messy and not the most pleasant one.

Santa Monica knife Sharpening, call/txt 310-486-6068 or email.

For more of my tests check my Instagram @santamonicashrp

Happy Professional sharpener, shows how to sharpen a knife better

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What you need to do before you can sharpen your knife

Start with making sure that the knives are clean, and straight,  also determine if they have chips or other damages that need attention. You also have to check if the edge bevel is straight, with the correct angle for the knife. All of this needs to be corrected before sharpening could begin. Straighten and do all repairs, for this, I recommend a really coarse DMT plate which makes it fast and easy, and for bevelling something in the 500# grit range is perfect to set the initial edge.

Putting the correct angle on the knife

Before starting, prepare the stones and make sure they are flat and clean. Find the right bevel angle for the knife, somewhere between 15-20 degrees is a good starting point. An easy way to find the angle is to measure the height of the blade at the heel, let’s say that your knife is 2” high at the heel, as in the picture below.

best knife sharpening in Pacific Palisades measuring knife blade height at heel

Measuring knife blade height at the heel

In this case, you could just divide the height of the blade, to get an estimated height that you need to hold the spine above the stone. Below I have a large heavy-duty knife of bad quality so I decided to give it an obtuse edge angle of 30°. I divided the height of my blade by 2 and that tells me that I have to hold the spine one inch above the stone, see the picture below.

best knife sharpening in Brentwood measuring knife spine distance from stone

Measuring knife spine distance from stone

Here is a table of rough estimates of values to divide the blade height for different angles.

For 30° divide by 2

For 24° divide by 2.5

For 20° divide by 3

For 15° divide by 4

For 12° divide by 5

The knife sharpening process

When you have fixed everything you need and the angle is right you can start sharpening. I usually start with a coarse stone 700# grit till I get a smooth straight even edge with a burr. Next, I continue with a medium stone in the 1000# – 2000# grit range making sure that I keep it tight and have a light burr. I usually hold the knife diagonal over the stone to avoid wobbling, see the picture below.

best knife sharpening in Los Angeles Hand sharpening knife diagonally to avoid wobbling

Santa Monica hand sharpening knife diagonally to avoid wobbling

After this I deburr with some light edge trailing strokes on both sides and a few slicing strokes on a cork or a piece of wood, before moving on to the finishing stones. 

best knife sharpening in Santa Monica using edge tailing strokes on fine sharpening stone to deburr

Edge tailing strokes on fine sharpening stone to deburr

best knife sharpening in Venice carlifornia deburring knife edge on cork

Deburring knife edge on cork

Finishing the edge to your desire

Usually, I start the finishing work with a fine stone in the 4000# – 6000# grit range. While using lighter and lighter pressure, this stage it’s a lot about feedback. What does it sound like, does the water roll up on the edge evenly, and so on?  If the groundwork has been done correctly on the coarser stones 10 strokes per side should be enough. This should be enough for most ordinary kitchen knives, just deburr on a cork. At this stage, you should be able to shave with the knife with a little bit of pressure.

If you want you could continue with super fine stones, but that is pure vanity. I most often only use a 8k# and 12k# stone to get that shiny mirror finish. Of course, you could continue to refine it even more, but that is more for straight razors.

Things to remember

  1. Make sure the stones are flat and clean.
  2. Don’t use too much pressure, let the stones do the work.
  3. Avoid doing it too fast, so you don’t wobble.
  4. Try your best to keep the angle, after a while it will come naturally.

Magnus Pettersson hand knife sharpening

1423 Euclid Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404

To request knife sharpening call or text 310-486-6068 or email.

Please follow me on Instagram @santamonicasharp

Knife repair, giving new life to a broken knife

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Santa Monica Knife Sharpening
old broken knife with chipped edge

Unsharp broken knife before regrinding

This knife was given to me by a good friend, at first look it doesn’t look to bad except for the big chip right there the heel starts. After a closer look I realized that the primary bevel was concave and parts of the edge was folded over, I also realized that the secondary bevel was way wider in the back and at the tip. Look at that tip I could have folded it by hand, it was thin as aluminum foil. At the moment I just saw two different ways to fix it, one was to leave the primary bevel concave and try to give it a new edge on the side of a sharpening stone, or regrind a new flat primary bevel and give some sort of compound edge. I decide to give it a new primary bevel to get rid of all edge damages and big scratches on shinogi.

illustration of edge before and after regrinding

Illustration of edge before and after regrinding

Above is a little illustration what it look like before and after, and what I would like to achieve. First I went to work with a large blacksmith file, because of the amount of material that I needed to take off, just to realized that it didn’t give me much precision, tried a bunch of different coarse stones, the one that eventually seams to do the best job was Beston #500. With this stone I worked until I got an even flat primary bevel all the way to the edge, I also used it to set the secondary bevel. After that I changed to King #1000 to smooth both bevels out and did some initial sharpening. After that just a fast brush with Bester #2000, before starting with my favorite stone it’s a man made blue Aoto rated to #2000 but feels much finer. This blue Aoto gives that perfect mist to the soft steel on the primary bevel, its super soft and have great feedback; the only thing is that if you don’t want your hand to look dirty for days after, use glows. For final sharpening and finishing on the secondary bevel I use Kitayama #8000 also a great stone, after this just some light stropping, before setting the micro bevel with Shun #6000 wish gives a nice bite to the edge.

I also did some clean up and light polishing just to make it easier to clean, I’m using it daily now, and its one of my favorite knives. I realized that I’m not good at always cleaning and drying the knife after use, so it started to get some stains/rust on the pretty mist on the primary bevel, so I gave it a light polish with #2000 sandpaper and all is good now. Yes of course its sharp, not hair popping sharp, but sharp enough to shave with or to slice cigarette paper into small strips. Pictures of the knife after regrinding below.

Knife after repair, regrinding and polishing

Knife after repair, regrinding and polishing

Magnus Pettersson hand sharpener, now serving the whole Westside with free pickup and delivery: Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Culver City and West LA.

For free pickup and delivery on the Westside, call/txt 310-486-6068 or email.




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Fixing reverse bow edge and sharpening a Global knife

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Reverse bow edge on Global knife

Reverse bow edge

As you see in the image of the knife, the edge just make contact at heal and tip, with a big gap between the surface and the edge in the middle. This is a common damage for knives that has been sharpened on small electrical counter machines. The easiest way to fix this is to grind the edge down till it makes contact all the way on the side of a coarse sharpening stone.

The bow edge is know fixed and in contact with the whole edge

The bow edge is know fixed and in contact with the whole edge

This is after the edge grinding, as you see the edge makes contact with the surface all the way. Time to start to recreate the bevel, for this I used a coarse DTM (steel plate with diamond particles embedded. After that I started the sharpening on Beston #500 until I got a good burr, to follow up with a no name #1000 stone, #2000 Bester, #5000 Naniwa and finally Kitayama #8000 stone.

The edge is straight, shiny and sharp on the Global knife

The Global knife once again has its edge straight, sharp and smooth

The edge is straight, smooth and shiny, and you could see that it make contact all the way after the sharpening job.

The edge in x15 magnification after the sharpening job

The edge in x15 magnification after the sharpening job

Well the edge doesn’t look to shiny magnified x15 in real life it looks mirror polished.

Magnus Pettersson hand sharpener, now serving the whole Westside with free pickup and delivery: Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Culver City and West LA.

For free pickup and delivery on the Westside, call/txt 310-486-6068 or email.