It takes a little YouTube searching and practice to use these stones properly. One would assume that you either know how to use them or are learning to use them. However, once I get the hang of it, you can get sharp, sharp knives even with just two grit levels. I was able to play a video where the guy was holding a piece of paper and he just ran a knife over the paper and cut off part of it cleanly. If you are new to this business, it takes 10-20 minutes if not more to sharpen a knife. I would even say that sharpening knives is quite fun as it makes you feel like a master. Don't hate a product if you don't get it right the first time! Requires some practice.