SHAPTON Ha No Kuromaku Ceramic Whetstone (A-Set) Medium Grit (#1000) + Fine Grit (#5000)

I love these Shapton ceramic stones, I now own the 1000 grit, 2000 grit and the 5000 grit. I find that generally my kitchen knives can be kept razor sharp using 2000 grit and a strop using 6 micron diamond compound, followed by 1 micron diamond compound. If I have a particularly dull blade I use the 1000 grit followed by the 2000 grit then strop. The 5000 grit I don't use as often, but I do use it and the strops to keep my straight razor really sharp and polished. These are great stones, worth the investment, just get the stones that best suit your needs :)

Are you tired of using blunt knives all the time? These are exactly what you need. I’ve been using what you see chefs use on TV - the stick with a protective/protruding part to protect your thumbs and they scrape it up and down diagonally to sharpen. Those are for straightening the blade but don’t necessarily sharpen it. After looking up loads of reviews, these Shaptons came up tops. The 1000 grit is a coarse enough ceramic plate to take just the right amount of material that other “sharpeners” will take too much material off and the 5000 grit is to do the finishing which is really fine. Unlike a lot of cheaper options like the King ones, these have a great mini suction base for keeping them steady and a great storage case. Additionally, these are splash and go. Few splashes of water and you’re ready - no having to soak the block for 10-15minutes in water waiting for bubbles to appear like cheaper alternatives. Instructions come in Japanese so a quick load of YouTube shows you how to use these. You essentially glide the knife on the 1000 grit first (orange block) at 10-15 degrees scraping across the blade on one side then work on the other. You put pressure on the burr - not too much but enough to keep it steady. A minimum of 5-10 minutes is recommended with 15 minutes being the sweet spot depending on how dull and/or whether there are any chipped parts. Then you repeat on the finer grit (higher the number, the finer the grit so to speak). I would have gone for 8000 but honestly don’t think it’s needed. 45 minutes later spent on 3 knives and I have 3 amazingly sharp knives. They’ve never felt so sharp since the day I bought them! The quick test is to peg a piece of paper in place and swipe down a bit like fruit ninja. If the blade slices through them with ease, you’re done! Absolutely fantastic review and came earlier than expected despite being shipped from Amazon in US and clearing customs (modest customs fee to be paid initially upfront via Amazon). Don’t regret buying these, fantastic purchase and should last a lifetime with proper case. Ensure the blocks are dry before storing in the case which also allows you to store the blocks on top for sharpening.

Unbelievable quality. Great stones, almost feel like marble to the touch. Very easy to use, sharp and effective knives within a couple of minutes and a few swipes on each stone. The case doubling as a holder is a great idea and makes stacking when stored very neat too. Wouldn’t hesitate to buy again.

Great stones. Definite upgrade over my king stones.

Bear with me, I'm so I'll nerding out about these absolutely incredible stones! I've used everything from 2nd hand and cheap £ store stones to more expensive brand name stones, but these.. If you're keen about proper kitchen knife maintenance then get these! I got the #1000 & #5000 grit stones and used them almost as soon as they arrived! The results are insane! After a few minutes on the #1000 my knives were gliding through paper, I almost decided not to try the #5000 but the polish that puts on your edge is gorgeous! The little storage cases they come in are cool too. They aren't labelled (like no etching or embossing on the container) but that's the closest thing to a drawback these stones have. Just to tick some boxes; Great Value For Money. Excellent build quality and super easy to use. Will cut your maintenance times in half and will last a good long while. P.s. Apologies for no pics/vids of my claims, if I can edit this review later then I will add them.

Excellent pair of stones, shipped directly from Japan so took longer than expected.

Great tool for sharpening, easy to use. Just few drops of water are needed. Very quick to remove material. The 1000grit stone is great. Its very quick to sharpen straight blades, sharpening curved blades require skill. The 5000grit stone requires great skill and steady hand to use effectively. If used properly gives you close to mirror finish on the blade. Still needs stropping to remove the burr and reach ultimate sharpness.

Really good for sharpening my Japanese knife

Good product

Machine precision whetstones. Not much left to say. Sharpening your knives will become much faster, more precise, and more enjoyable. Worth every penny for a purchase that you can pass on for generations.

Perfect. You might need a coarser stone to start if your knives are really dull.

Arrived in perfect condition. It's a very versatile pair of whetstones that is a great starter set for anyone looking to sharpen their knives and tools quickly, and efficiently. They're splash-and-go stones that only need to be soaked on the first use (Shapton's recommendation) so they're quick to set up and easy to maintain. They will also rarely need truing, so they will last a long time with casual (and correct) use, and will not cause a mess as they do not slurry. I've used them to sharpen carbon steel kitchen knives as well as leatherworking skiving knives made of D2 steel. I had no problems getting that skiving knife to a mirror polish, and some fine stropping in the end brought it to a hair-splitting edge. Literally.

The 1000 cuts really quick. The 5000 is slightly slower than the suehiro rika 5000. Both are really hard and doesn't dish quickly. I don't think there's any stone in the market that beats these in value to performance ratio.