Shapton K0703 Blade Blade, #2000, Medium, Green

These are the best stones on the market, and the cheapest. Cheapest in terms of the various top tier Japanese water stones (naniwa, suehiro, bester etc). I use them mostly for razors, chisels, plane blades, but mostly razors. The 1k is a metal eater, it’s fast as heck, hard, slow wearing. I hone razors commercially, roughly 300 a year plus all of my own and at this rate I’ll get 15 years out of it. That’s pretty great for a $40 stone. The 2k may be the star of the whole lineup. It’s got the best feedback, creamy feel, fast cutting, again slow wearing. The 5k is super fast as well and puts a bright polish on the bevel. Essentially a mirror finish. This 5k and the 8 and 12k don’t really wear at all. They will most likely last the rest of my life. The 8 and 12 are also super fast, hard and slow wearing. The shaving edges off the 12k are good, especially if you do 10 laps on chromium oxide after.For knives I really like the 1k, and especially the 2k. The 2k is a great finisher for most western knives, German, Us made stuff. For Japanese knives I like to go a little higher..The 5k puts a brilliant polish on a knife, but it’ just lacks feedback. It is feels kind of dead. The 8k is a little better in this regard. But overall, the finer stones all don’t have the greatest feedback for knives. But like I said, the finish is great. The 8 and especially 12k will leave a perfect mirror polish. But there really isn’t any knives that I would use the 12k for. 8k is the max.

Works great for touch ups on my work knives. Takes almost no water and no time to get back to shaving sharp and is easy to debur the edge left. I use a little diamond plate to create a slurry with as small amount of water and that's all it takes. Cleans up easy with the same diamond plate and the carrying case that is also a stone holder has drain holes so it doesn't stay wet and crack. Have let co-workers use and it did not get destroyed but did get a small chip in a corner that was easily fixed with the diamond plate. Highly recommend this as a one stone option if you use it at least once a week and didn't let the edge of your knife get too dull between sessions and you will never need to spend more than five minutes sharpening

Let me say that these are not the best stones on the market, but they are certainly up there in quality and dependability. For me, I just don't feel like spending hundreds of dollars to get those stones. For the price and quality, these stones are, by far, the best out there. They are pure Japanese stones and if you know anything about Japanese swords and sharpening them, these are the stones to have. Issue? Once you get one in your inventory, you will quickly realize that the other stones Shapton offers need to be in your collection as well. The grit size is pretty darn close, and you may have to use some caution (also known as technique) to use the "right" stone for what you are attempting to achieve. This particular stone is ceramic and quit forgiving if you are just starting with knife sharpening. As you progress, get better, you will find that these stone will grow with you. The stone comes with a plastic base, and although descent, you may wish to invest in a stone holder, (or if you have more stones a couple of holders) to assist you in getting that desired edge. Generally, if you are not interested in getting hundreds of dollars of sharpening stones, and just want to get into the entry level, then these are the go-to stones. Well made, durable, and with the right stone, can give you that perfect edge. The directions for how to use the stone are in Japanese and it is advisable to get the English translation to make sure you use the instructions correctly. They are, by nature, delicate and fragile (at least the ceramic ones) and are intended to be used by someone familiar with the techniques, processes involved, and knowledge of sharpening. Hand-sharpening knives is an art-form and not for the faint of heart. As quickly as you can put an edge on a knife you can ruin it. But with good technique and practice you can hardly do worse than having high quality stones in your work force. These are those stones.

This is an amazing stone. It cuts quickly with great feedback. The water helps clean all the metal shavings off as you sharpen. It's flat, about the same size as other stones, but a bit thinner.I can't speak to the durability, but I've heard only glowing reviews from others so I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!

The stone arrived well packaged, one week earlier than anticipated despite shipping from Japan. It exudes high quality manufacturing; it is easy to use (spray and play) and the results are fantastic. I can't yet comment on its long-term performance, but for now it is definitely a combo (whetstone plus stand/case) worth considering.Kind suggestion in case Amazon people are reading: As I write this review, Shapton stones have 1,582 reviews. The whetstone I received came with instructions in Japanese only, and I wonder how difficult it would be for Amazon USA to include an English version. Either within the listing, or as a PDF, it would definitely help non-Japanese speaking newbies in this type of whetstones. After all it is a tool, and knowing how to use and maintain it is essential.

Hubby also said that this is a nice ceramic stone and wanted to place a review after using for the last six months or so.Overall rating he gave 4 (slightly softer at 2000 than expected)Value for money 5 (bought here when it was cheaper, otherwise 4)Easy to use (not rated because it depends on sharpening skills)Pictured is the last knife sharpened a few days ago, just before Thanksgiving: hubby finally came to grips with his late chef father's passing and decided to tackle reprofiling and sharpening of my father-in-law's favorite knife, an eight-inch Henckels from the 80's.After several prior more aggressive stones, hubby finished off with this one and stropping.He's satisfied (I think he will do his father's other knives too!)