Craftsmanship in Wood

I have a Bester 1200 and it's a good stone, but it sometimes leaves deep scratches, and I don't care for the
feel. I've pretty much stopped using it, and am using the M-series Shapton 1500, 2000, and 5000 before
going to a natural stone. The 1500 isn't quite coarse enough, and I'm looking for a stone to supplement or replace it. Any suggestions here for a stone that has a nice feel, doesn't wear terribly fast, and cuts well?
A King 1000, but harder, is the idea...maybe a Chosera 1k?

TIA

-CW

I've been happy with all my Chōsera stones, and would recommend any of them. I use both their #600 and #1000 for flattening and bevel setting. Slow to dish, don't load up, and have a pleasant cutting feel.

I have come to prefer ceramic stones in general and they are about all I'd consider these days in the realm of artificial stones.

King now has a ceramic stone in their line up I do believe, the King Hyper, and it comes in #1000 and #2000. Might be worth a look, though I have no personal experience. Teshiba-san at Mandara-ya seems to think highly of them, describing them as hard and long-wearing:

http://www2.odn.ne.jp/mandaraya/kinngu-haipa1000.html

Thanks for the informative reply, Chris. I will probably go with a Chosera 1000, since it sounds like it has
the qualities I'm looking for.

-CW

Do you find the Bester has a 'gummy' feel?

Chris Hall wrote:Do you find the Bester has a 'gummy' feel?

I can't say that I notice 'gumminess' in the Bester, it's more the harsh, coarse feel that seems like it's tearing up the steel that bothers me, these days. It's good for hogging metal though, especially for a 1200.
When I think of a 'gummy' stone, I think of the 'Kitayama' synthetic finish stone, for comparison.

What I like about the Shaptons on the wood bases, especially the 2k, is that they have a slightly 'chalky' feel, that to my mind anyway is easier on the hagane, while still cutting very well. I think the M-series 2k is a real good stone, my favorite synthetic, and I like the 5k too. But the 1500 is like a lesser version of the 2k, and maybe even doesn't cut as well as the latter. Hence the search for a fairly-quick cutting stone for getting back to good metal without ripping it apart, like I sense, accurately or not, that the Bester does.


-CW