Unless you have single bevel kitchen knives that you're using for fish the 8k is overkill for the kitchen, and so can be requisitioned for the shop and will cover off the high end grit.
For Coarse grits power comes in handy, so long as you control the heat, all you're doing is removing the bulk of the material, which the faster you do the quicker you can start focusing on the actual edge.
Mid range diamonds are good for ease and being maintenance free, oilstones work but a bit more hassle, Waterstones are quick but need good technique to even out the wear. Ceramics like Shaptons are really nice but expensive.
At the fine end, you're barely removing any material, so used properly a Waterstones should barely need lapping. You have an 8k so I wouldn't buy anything else.
My money would go
£40-50 coarse -second hand grinder or linisher
£30-40 medium - 3 diamond stones 400-800-1200
£20 Strop - leather and compound
I've played with papers and found them ok at first but now much prefer grinder and stones
For Coarse grits power comes in handy, so long as you control the heat, all you're doing is removing the bulk of the material, which the faster you do the quicker you can start focusing on the actual edge.
Mid range diamonds are good for ease and being maintenance free, oilstones work but a bit more hassle, Waterstones are quick but need good technique to even out the wear. Ceramics like Shaptons are really nice but expensive.
At the fine end, you're barely removing any material, so used properly a Waterstones should barely need lapping. You have an 8k so I wouldn't buy anything else.
My money would go
£40-50 coarse -second hand grinder or linisher
£30-40 medium - 3 diamond stones 400-800-1200
£20 Strop - leather and compound
I've played with papers and found them ok at first but now much prefer grinder and stones
