Review on Suehiro Silicon Sharpening Aluminum Mounting by Greg Anderson

Why? Made from very hard abrasive; silicon carbide. Most other stones are aluminum oxide or ceramic, which is great for most blade alloys, but silicon carbide is much harder and therefore better suited to super steels. This G8 stone is still very suitable for simpler alloys and softer heat treated blades. ALSO, and this is important, the pores of metal shavings are easier to clean than my Shapton glass stones. I use natural Nagura stone to clean this stone but you can use a rust remover stone which is used to remove tarnish from carbon steel kitchen knives. The stone is only good for polishing very sharp blades, keep that in mind, but it won't work. excellent work on it. You can't ask for more from a stone of this fineness (grain size 8000); you cannot take a dull knife and sharpen it with an eight thousandth stone; It requires a much rougher stone, at least 1000 or more, going up to 220 depending on how blunt the cutting tool is. But for those who love well polished cutting edges, this is the best stone I have ever come across. I've used it there with 8000 Norton Yellow Stone or 8000 Shapton Pro Stone, but the abrasive particles in this G8 are an increase in the cutting ability of tougher steel alloys.