Review on 🔪 Naniwa Chosera 800 Grit Stone: Achieve Superior Sharpening Performance by Troy Early

If you are looking for one of the best 1K grit waterstones and money is not an issue then look no further. I'm not sure why Naniwa chose that particular Cho tag '800 Grit' - and then also offered another Chosera 1K stone to compete with. In the end, all that was done was to affect the visibility and sale of this stone, which in my opinion (and in the opinion of many) is the better stone of the two. Many buyers of 1K bricks would automatically choose Cho 1K over 800, largely due to familiarity with the 1K label. Whether it's a kitchen knife or pocket knife, chisel or plane, etc., this Chosera does it all. The hardness is just right and the feedback perfect. Then the stone cuts quickly and the edge is clean. This stone cuts like a 1000-1200 stone, I don't know why the label is 800 but Chosera is notorious for underestimating their stones by grit. When I need a reliable/practical edge that isn't highly polished, I usually go with the Chosera 3K and stop there. Many follow the 800 with Cho 5K, also with good results. I also went for the Cho 800 --> Cho 3K --> Naniwa Snow White 8K line when I needed a sharper edge with great results. (Note that the Cho 10K is VERY expensive and to me the 8K SW costs 90% of what the Cho 10K costs MUCH less). Some carpenters I know like to go straight from Cho 800 to Naniwa 8K Snow White, but I find it too labor intensive to eliminate the 800 scratch pattern and stone in between (like Cho 3K). A few use/care tips for this stone - you will hear many different opinions and there are do's and don'ts to keeping your Cho in good condition. First, these are spatter and dry stones, but they can be helped by a short soak before use (note the "short"). Pre-soaking for 10-15 minutes can help. DO NOT WATE THESE STONES PERMANENTLY. Short and fast. Also, they require frequent water refreshments if you run them initially. but quickly reaches a saturation point where the surface does not need constant renewal. NEXT - and most importantly - dry them at an even and slow pace - don't expose them to heat, sunlight or any other means to dry them faster. I let them dry for a few hours and then wrap them in a cotton towel to dry the last 10-20% for a day or two afterwards. The key is natural, slow drying. You will read that some have problems with Chosera deposits/splitting and that 99,999 times out of 100 this is due to improper handling, overwatering or improper drying/storage methods. Of course, Chos require a little extra grooming and feeding to keep them in peak condition and they aren't bulletproof, but to me that's the price you pay for such a high level of quality. (Think of her as a high class lady who needs a little extra care to stay happy :-)) If you have the budget and don't mind spending more for that little extra quality, this is a great stone. Note that the market for 1K water stones is crammed with so many choices that the price of this stone can mean others will choose another at half the price. Recommended. Thank you for reading.