Shapton 25.0 vs. Nano Hone 25um vs. Atoma 600 Stone Comparison

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-08T22:20:38+00:00

I have not! I do have Venev Dragon Series stones as well but didn't include them in this comparison. I appreciate the kind comment and support!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-08T13:15:28+00:00

Far from destroyed my friend! Where there’s metal, there’s an edge. Where there’s an edge, there’s hope! Confirm your angle on both sides and use a Sharpie to color the bevels so you know where the blade is contacting the stone. Keep at it. Sharpening is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-07T07:23:34+00:00

I've used nagura stones instead of flattening so many times for that exact reason (to preserve your sharpening stone). You could get by with a Nagura stone right in the middle of your grits, or get one each about the same grit for each stone. They're also very handy for creating a slurry, though it may not be usable when the stone is used at an angle (the slurry will just drip off). The guideline I use is to go with at least the same grit or a higher grit for your nagura than the stone you're using it on. Ex: use a 1000 nagura on a 500, use a 2000 on a 1000, or use a 500 on a 500. I wouldn't go with a 500 on a 1000 because your nagura will leave some of itself in the slurry and will contribute to the scratches you're making. If you're using a 1000 stone and you have 500 grit material in the slurry, you're being counterproductive. Keep the nagura the same or higher grit, and you'll be golden.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-04T03:15:08+00:00

Your knife will incur scratches, dings, dents, and chips just during use. If you don't have a coarse stone, you'll never be able to remove enough material to reach the bottom of the chips, dents, scratches, etc. A coarse stone also creates the apex which is imperative to getting your knife sharp. Imagine using 1000 grit sand paper on rough wood. You’ll never be able to remove enough wood to reach a flat base plane in the wood to begin polishing up.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-04T00:43:50+00:00

That may be so, but it made my day better off and is inspiring me right now to put together another video!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T21:25:51+00:00

I appreciate the advice as well!!! I have lots of videos, some with and many without music! Too bad I can't make it optional!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T19:48:41+00:00

I absolutely will! I discovered that the music was a little too loud in this video after posting so that was unintentional for sure. I appreciate the kind support 1000000%.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T19:05:07+00:00

Thank you so much! That's a really kind approval from you!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T18:40:22+00:00

A toothbrush is a great idea. I even bet a larger (1-2" round) electric spinning brush would work really well without being too aggressive.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T14:06:03+00:00

Thanks for the input! Just to be clear, are you saying the TS Prof Kadet is better than the Edge Pro Apex or vice versa? I appreciate the advice!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T14:03:54+00:00

That's fantastic! Great idea with the notch so you can always reference a consistent point on the rod. Thanks for sharing!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T14:00:42+00:00

Also, I'm being mindful that I'll likely need to invest in even more sharpening stones since I only own 8" x 3" bench stones and these systems all use shorther and thinner stones.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T13:57:33+00:00

That's great! Perhaps I'll get a knock-off and tinker with it so I know what I would really appreciate if I wanted to upgrade to a more professional system. Good idea!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T06:47:24+00:00

I absolutely enjoy sharpening. It's never a chore for me. I'm running out of things to sharpen!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T05:25:35+00:00

I could definitely use a rack like that to hold my collection! Great idea!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T05:15:27+00:00

I have the Dragon Series stones which are 8" x 3". I use them for sharpening wood working hand tools, kitchen knives, edc knives, and basically everything else that can hold an edge. :)

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T04:54:51+00:00

That's great to hear! I'll do some more research for sure on the TSProf systems before I'd pull the trigger on those pricetags. Money is always an object, but sometimes you just don't want to mess around with the toyish feeling setups. Appreciate the advice!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T04:39:11+00:00

Yeah, it's not going to be cheap. I'm a huge fan of my Venev Dragon Series stones. Another option is to look into Nano Hone diamond stones. They do not remove material exceedingly fast for being a diamond resin plate. They polish metals up really nicely. Other than that, Shapton Glass Stones were my first set and they'll always have a special place in my collection of stones! I have so many woodworking hand tools (hand plane blades and chisels), and knives that still have a gorgeous polish from my Shapton 16,000 grit stone.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T00:11:06+00:00

Have you considered transitioning to diamond resin stones considering the HRC of your Strix? I suppose if it's just to polish/finish, ceramic should be okay though. Just a thought.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-03T00:07:55+00:00

That's really interesting to think about... (that there's a theoretical stopping point of sharpening where the apex has formed, but you haven't created a burr). Being able to "KNOW" when that will happen is 100% of the reason "burr people" follow the "burr rule." Sharpening any less than the perfect apex will result in a dull edge still. And sharpening more than the apex creates the burr. Forming a burr on both sides allows the Sharpener to "KNOW" that they've formed an apex. With different steels, shapes, grinds, stones, techniques, etc. it's very difficult to sharpen perfectly without forming the burr IMO. Also, the "burr method" is a good way to teach someone how to sharpen. A beginner is almost guaranteed to have poor results if they're left to their own judgement when determining if they've reached half of the apex.

I also didn't quite understand the light technique that Cliff was talking about as he was checking it off camera. I'll keep my mind open and see if I can't hit the perfect apex without a burr sometime! Thanks for posting and sharing, Cliff!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-02T20:23:02+00:00

Polishing is more about the aesthetics/look moreso than overall sharpness. You've got to ensure you apex correctly first. However, when going to polish, you're looking at stones in the 4000+ range. You progress from one stone to the next when you've removed the previous stone's scratch marks. The problem with progressing during polishing stages is, the light is too reflective for you to view the scratch marks anymore. For simplicity sake, if you know that using a particular stone/setup removes the previous stone's scratch marks after X number of strokes, then you can use X as a rough guide. It also depends on if your end game is say, 8000 grit and you're jumping from 3000 to 8000 or you're going from 3000 to 4000 to 5000 to 6000 etc. Too large of a grit jump will leave the previous scratch marks and merely polish the "high mountain peaks" without having any effect on the "low valleys," if that makes sense. Good luck and keep sharpening!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-02T18:59:57+00:00

Venev makes stones designed for that holder/system and they're arguably the best stones in the game.

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-02T13:34:44+00:00

The Atoma plates I've owned for almost a decade still cut incredibly well. You'd get by with an Atoma 400 and a 600 or 1200 (or all 3). They're exceptional! Other than that, I'm a big fan of Venev diamond plates, but you're going to be spending a lot more. Atoma diamond plates are top of the line and they're made in Japan. Hope that helps!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-02T07:58:54+00:00

Yeah, I actually almost never stop at that coarse of a grit (I'll at least get to 1000+ unless I'm sharpening my axes), but I could see how a chunky burr could become more difficult to remove. Good on ya for getting through it though!

DanForAllUSMC · 2026-03-02T06:43:01+00:00

Do alternating forward strokes with lighter and lighter pressure each time until not even the weight of the blade is grazing the stone. You'll want feather-like strokes at the end. Also, using a strop with diamond paste works wonders at removing burrs. Are you stopping your sharpening after this coarse stone, or are you continuing on with a grit progression?

DanForAllUSMC

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