Bester Whetstone, #4000

Bester brand ceramic whetstone, made in Japan.
Stone # 4000 is made for polishing the knife.

Its format is 205x75x25mm.

Imanishi - Bester

Excellent for general use, Bester / Imanishi stones have a moderately strong bond that allows abrasive particles to release quickly enough to maintain a fast cutting speed, while still wearing well.

Bester 220x, 1000x and 2000x stones should be soaked for approximately 15 minutes before use. The 4000x, 6000x and 8000x resin bonded Imanishi fine stones only need a little water on the stone during sharpening. Best used in progression, the 1000x stone establishes a base edge, the 2000x is an intermediate stone to use before lapping with the 4000x, 6000x, and the 8000x polishes to a mirror finish.

The number of grains in a whetstone is determined by the number of particles in an area of ​​2.5 cm x 2.5 cm. The lower the number of grains, the coarser the stone and vice versa, the smaller the particles, the higher the number.

The # 80- # 320 grain stones ( Ara-to , "coarse") are mainly used to repair shards or to correct geometric distortions. They are rarely used at home. The # 400- # 2000 grain stones are Naka-to (medium stones). Most people in the home want to use a medium stone for sharpening. Stones over 3000 grains are finishing stones ( Shiage-to ). They are used to polish the surface of the rim in order to prolong its cutting performance.

Recommended stones to get started are Naka-to and Shiage -to . For regular sharpening in order to keep as much of its edge as possible, a finishing stone ( Shiage-to ) is recommended. With a finishing stone it is harder to break the rim or damage the blade. They can therefore be used by beginners in sharpening. We therefore recommend Ara-to for the experienced.

For sharpening it is important to start with the medium stones and finish with the finishing stones.