I recently purchased a 1000/6000 whetstone for sharpening my chisels, but I'm really puzzled. When I use the 1000 side, it's quieter and leaves a shiny finish, while the 6000 side is much louder and gives a matte finish. Shouldn't the 6000 side be the finer one that produces a better shine? Also, the 1000 side feels less abrasive when I touch the top, but the untouched sides of the 6000 feel smoother. Am I missing something here?
3 Answers
It sounds like your whetstone might be mislabeled. I've heard similar stories where the 6000 side turned out to be a lower grit. Another possibility could be that the 6000 side is dirty or has some residue on it, which could affect the performance. Just to confirm, have you checked if maybe you actually have a 1000/600 instead of a 1000/6000? That’s been a common mistake for a few people.
I had a similar experience with my whetstone, but it was a 1000/600. It really seems like there's a labeling issue with your stone too. Where did you buy it?
Have you considered that both sides might just need some breaking in? Have you dressed the stone at all since you bought it? That could really help the performance; sometimes new stones need a bit of work to get them to their optimal state. Also, if you could share more details about the specific model, that might help us troubleshoot further!
It's actually a budget stone from Parkside. Dressing it? I haven’t done that yet... should I give that a shot?
Thanks for the tip! I’ve noticed others have the same confusion too. I might just use mine as a 600/1000 and find a finer grit to go with it!