ShaptonK0710 Melon 8000 Blade Finishing

This is the import version so be aware of that and what it entails (warranty!).But aside from that, VERY SWEET. High grit but you can see the metal coming off relatively quickly even so. Will help refine an edge on still sharp utility blades (like your handy SAK). Gives me a good shave-ready edge for the straight razors.Being able to use this with a bare minimum of water is an amazing improvement over standard "whet-and-we-mean-soaking-stones". Set up, use, and clean up are all easier.My next stone will likely be a 12K Shapton. If I had to start over again, I would take a long look at putting together a usable set with these from top to bottom.

used it once so for, compared to naniwa 8000 that was the same prce. this stone os 15 mm thick not 10, has a case/ holder, does not load up like the naniwa or warp like the N. grit wse they are both good Im no expert so time will tell. I wanted the snow white but did not have the extra $. I believe the shapton is finer tan my Rika 5000 but by how much Im not sure.

I own several 8000 grit whetstones by other manufacturers. Because I have other grits in the Shapton Kuromaku lineup (220, 320, 1500, 2000, 5000) and they all perform well, I decided to get this 8000 stone, as well.The stone arrived promptly. It is very hard, and very smooth. Like other stones in the lineup, this 8000 grit is splash and go, meaning that it does not require soaking before use.Although it was very flat out of the box, I still lapped it with my Atoma diamond lapping plate because the surface of this stone had a very light oily, hydrophobic feel to it, probably due to the manufacturing process. A minute of lapping removed that coating. This coating is not a defect, by the way. I always lap a brand new stone as a matter of course, before first use.A small amount of the swarf that forms on the stone during honing tends to coat the surface, but most of it washes away simply by rubbing with my fingers. In any case, I briefly clean the top of this stone between knives anyway, using a Nagura stone.An 8000 grit stone is a great finishing stone for harder steels, typical of Japanese knives (HRC 60 or higher). You can use it as a final step for German knives (Wusthof, Henkel), but you probably will not see much improvement over a 3000 grit stone.

Shapton are great. 8000 provides an extremely high polish and is slow wearing, (Unless Angle Jig is used). Angle jigs on water stones of any kind will dish the stones out quicker than anything else.. I’ve gotten to the point where I form my bevel on diamond stones with a jig, then freehand on the Shapton stones. It’s not that difficult in the more you do it the quicker you become proficient at it.. I can’t think of anything negative to say about Shapton Kuromaku.

Just what I needed to hone a razor.

This stone is nice compared to the King dual stone due first to its resilience or resistance to being accidentally scarred or carved away. Or worn away for that matter - the top has printing on it and it took several tool sharpenings for me to substantially wear through it. The case is functional as a base, and has foam on the bottom with some vent holes to help protect the stone from prolonged moisture. I find it very effective at refining edges.

The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that the instructions provide were in Japanese and there was no English instructions. I didn't know whether I needed to soak it in water or just spray it with water? Bottom line, it worked very well for me. It is aggressive and fast on A2 steel blades and leaves a mirror finished surface and a very keen edge.

With all the "new" ways to sharpen your knives, chisles, straight razor etc. It can be overwhelming just trying to figure out what stone to purchase and what coarseness/ finesse, oil/ water, soak/splash n go, ceramic/ diamond/ glass, natural/ man made etc etc etc. And if you're new to sharpening or getting back into it, please go do some research. There's allot out there. I have bought "budget" stones and now "middle of the road" stones. You may be asking yourself as i was, "why?" why spend that extra $ when you can get the same grit stone from whoever for a quarter of the price. Well from my experience cheap stones (under 20$) you get what you pay for. most cheap stones wear down extremely fast, are rarely the grit that is advertised, takes for ever to "cut" and usually are smaller in width and or thickness. You can run the whetstone gambit all you want. But in the end you'll wind up here or maybe at choosera or king. But you will wind up here. So save yourself the extra $ now. Don't be like me and waste money on unprofessional cheap gimmicks. This product comes with a self-contained case. this is a splash and go stone. arrived undamaged and on time. My only complaint/ suggestion is possibly instructions in multiple languages.. especially if new to sharpening!! and that's why this isn't a 5 star