for Western Stainless

Western stainless knives are softer and lower in carbon than Japanese stainless knives, they are typically tougher but dull a bit faster. They have a wider range but  sacrifice edge life and working well at fine finishes. Western stainless knives benefit from being left more toothy.

For western stainless knives, we recommend a coarser finish from medium stones, around 1000 grit, then deburred with borachrome on a strop for a more durable, bitey feel. Jinko Aoto (2000-4000) and Naniwa 2000 can also be used if a keener edge is desired, however it might feel slidey sooner than a 1000 grit finish. 

Remember that sometimes a coarse stone is necessary to re-set more heavily dulled (or rounded from a steel) edges. If you have a rounded edge, or it takes more than 5 minutes to get a burr with a medium stone, then a coarser stone is in order.

Keep in mind western stainless steel knives benefit from periodic edge maintenance with a sharpening steel. Feel the edge in an outward motion (pushing across the edge off of the knife face) to feel for a slight bend on the edge; one side will feel smooth and the other a little rough, this is the time to use a steel. Stones are essential to preserve ideal geometry in tandem with regular steeling.

Diamond stone flatteners are best to quickly level out the widest range of stone grits. Some flatteners can leave behind large particulates on medium and finer stones that can leave deep, unexpected scratches. Use your fingers to feel for any malignant grit that needs to be cleaned off.