Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic Sharpening Stones 120x-12,000x 2-3/4" x 8-1/4" x 5/8"
These Shapton Kuromaku Professional Sharpening Stones are widely regarded as some of the finest sharpening stones in the world. They are made in Japan to the highest standards and are designed to sharpen extremely hard steels, such as those found in woodworking chisels, plane-irons, carving, turning tools, knives, shears, and scissors. The stones produce razor-sharp edges on a wide range of tools and knives and can be used for freehand sharpening or with guides.
The abrasive material is a super hard-wearing ceramic that cuts fast with minimal wear, which means that the stones will not wear out quickly or dish out in the middle. As a result, the Shapton Kuromaku requires much less maintenance and flattening.
The stones are 5/8 inches thick, so you can use both sides to sharpen. The sharpening particles are very pure and uniformly graded, producing a superior finish and allowing you to progress through grits without any trace of previous abrasive material that could cause scratch marks. They are available in a wide range of grits, from the very coarse 120 up to the ultra-fine 30,000.
Unlike some other water stones, the Shapton Kuromaku stones do not absorb water. Consequently, they do not require soaking before use, only an occasional spritz of water to lubricate the surface and carry away the swarf. Additionally, the stones are conveniently housed in color-coded storage boxes, with each grit indicated on the outside for easy identification. Anti-Slip rubber shoes underneath prevent the storage boxes from sliding around and enhance stability during sharpening sessions.
Measuring 2-3/4 inches wide by 8-1/4 inches long by 5/8 inches thick, these stones are compact and versatile.
Shapton Kuromaku Professional Sharpening Stones are available in the following grits:
120 Grit (White): This is the coursest of the Shapton Kuromaku Professional stones and will remove a substantial amount of material very fast. It is perfect for very dull, nicked, and damaged edges.
220 Grit (Moss): This is considered a coarse stone and will cut fast and remove a lot of material on harder steels. It is perfect for very dull tools and knife edges.
320 Grit (Black): This is still considered a coarse stone that cuts fast to sharpen dull tools and knife edges.
1000 Grit (Orange): This is still considered a medium stone and useful when refining tool edges and knives when a lot of material does not need to be removed. This stone will leave a much finer scratch pattern than any of the coarse stones.
1500 Grit (Blue): This is still considered a medium stone and useful when refining tool edges and knives when not a lot of material needs to be removed. This stone will leave a much finer scratch pattern than the coarse stones.
2000 Grit (Green): This is considered a medium fine stone and useful when refining tool edges and knives after the edge has been shaped by coarse stones and the edge just needs to be refined. This stone will leave a finer scratch pattern than the medium stones.
5000 Grit: This is considered a very fine stone and useful for putting a beginning polish on tool edges and knives. This stone will remove scratches left by the fine stones.
8000 Grit: This is considered an ultra-fine stone and useful for putting a near mirror polish on tool edges and knives. This stone will remove scratches left by the very fine stones.
12,000 Grit: This is considered an ultra-fine stone and useful for putting a true mirror polish on tool edges and knives. This stone will remove scratches left by the very fine stones.