Review on Enhance Your Edge with Kuromaku Ceramic Whetstone - Medium Grit for Superior Sharpening by John Jones

This is my current favorite 1000 grit stone. This tends to make them softer and not stay flat. Most water stones require soaking in water for a while before they work properly. Traditional American oil stones and Arkansas stones do not require soaking, and they do not expose a fresh layer of abrasive - the abrasive remains on the surface and eventually dulls and clogs easily, and the stone works slowly but effectively. stays flat. These Shapton Stones are the best of both worlds. They never seem to fade, so the top surface should peel away, revealing a fresh new layer. But they stay flat. I don't know how it works, but it really is. Shapton stones are ready to use - all you have to do is splash some water on them. No soaking and no waiting (In fact, soaking is bad for these stones). They come in a large ventilated plastic case to protect the stones from mold and have a small lip at the top to hold the stone while sharpening. These stones are the Japanese market version called "Ha no Kuromaku". The same stones are sold at a higher price by most US retailers as the Shapton Professional line. As far as I can tell, both versions are the same. They are good value for money and I would expect one of these stones to provide the average chef or carpenter with frequent use for several years. For the same money you can get a much larger King Waterstone but it will wear out quicker so I think Shaptons are similar in terms of how much use you can get per dollar.