First, if you don't have a sharpening block, keep moving; it won't work for you. The stone had a 3/16 inch raised edge around the edge on both sides. This casts doubt on the truth of the entire surface. I found that out quickly, which is a good thing, because the rest of the interface was horribly wrong. Even after processing, this stone wears out very quickly. Do not recommend this stone unless you have other options. I just wanted a very rough stone to remove the material and quickly fix the shavings. Not sure if it works any faster than my 300/1000 Indian Stone.