Links to everything discussed in the description.🙂 UPDATED⬇ Shapton 1000⬇ amzn.to/3T7dYSY Shapton 2000⬇ amzn.to/3sVKpJz Shapton 5000⬇ amzn.to/3R8Uo6i Theses are affiliated links. As an amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases As an associate I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Everything purchased in this video was purchased with my own money.
How are these stones made? What is the binder (if any) that they use to hold the grit together? What makes these stones so good compared to other low cost China made sharpening stones?
I made the mistake of buying a full set of Kuromaka stones about 8 or 9 years ago. They are the best thing since sliced bread. Only problem I have, I only use 300, 1000 and 5000. I do get dishing on the 300 after a while. I'd like to suggest you turn your stones and use the opposite side, keeping your label clear.
Yo ... just a tip about photography or video of reflective objects ... DON'T USE AUTOFOCUS!! :) In MF, you'll have ZERO problems getting whatever you want in focus with the right Depth of Field
Can you please do a video about how you choose which micron stropping compound // emulsion ? Do you prefer leather strops or that fiber cloth thing from jende + emulsion ..? thanks dude.
I self-taught myself to sharpen a few years ago using many of your videos as an aid. I am now in my second year of college, working my @$$ off to pay my way through it. I actually ended up bringing down my sharpening stones after winter break because word that I am good at sharpening blades got out. I was just using my Work Sharp Field sharpener with just the two stones, ceramic rod, and leather strop to help some friends before then. When got my proper sharpening stones down here, I started making money sharpening knives and broad head. I am going to school for Natural Resources Law Enforcement by the way.
These are great stones, particularly considering the price. I was not aware of the 2,000. I have the 320 wirepuller for profiling machetes, axes, and really dull knives. I also have the 600, 1,000, 5,000, 8,000 and 12,000. Rarely do I use anything above the 5,000 except for some very high-end kitchen knives...original German Hinkle's. I actually prefer a slightly toothy edge on my frequently used cheaper kitchen knives. I will be grabbing a 2,000 as that should bring a kitchen knife to where you really want it. BTW, I always preserve the printed side of the stone for occasional flattening of the other stones. It is amazing the text has held up to this use. If and when it wears off I will mark that side with a sharpy. For those wondering about the wear of the stones...it is negligible. You will eventually get some slight dishing on the 1,000 so, hit it a little bit every 5-6 heavy uses with the backside of another stone. I hit the 1,000 with the back of the 600 then with the 5,000. To check flatness I use the zig zag pencil marking then go through flattening. Very seldom does it require more than a few passes.
@@jeffhicks8428 You are correct. My bad. When I posted that I said to myself, get off your ass go get them and make sure. It is indeed the blue case one I have marked 320. I rarely use it. I have used it on hatchets, axes and machetes as well as an Old Hickory kitchen butcher knife rescued. I also I use it to flatten my other stones.
Man, there’s such a deep authenticity to this work/this video. Not sure if you’re working to try to blow up your channel or just put great things out, but, sincerely, thank you for doing this work
@@rickwhitson2804I would think that hunting knives and kitchen knives are the same thing. Based on videos about this stone I have seen if it worth it you just have to know how to use it so you don’t ruin your knives or the stone
I am a big fan of the Shapton Kuromaku stones. I use them for my woodworking tools. Going on 6 years with them (1500, 5000, 8000, 12000) Nowhere near wearing them out yet, although I do flatten them much more than what I would if they were used for knife sharpening. The 1500 has seen the most wear, and it's used maybe 15% of it's life in those 6 years. Each flattening only takes off a few thousandths of an inch. You have described them perfectly.
Im looking I to these Stones for sharpening my plane blades. Can you tell me how well they stay flat compared to softer wetstones? Im having to flattening my wetstones before every use for my plane blades an really want to make my life a little easier.
@@karelenhenkie666 Sorry it took this long to answer, as I just saw your question. They are very hard stones, and lets say your softer stones need fattening every time, these will allow you to do 3 or 4 sharpenings before flattening is required. It's actually a hard question to answer since there are so many variables. Bottom line, there are very few stones that take longer to dish than these. The Naniwa Chosera line of stones are generally more expensive and are the only ones I've used that last longer between flattenings. There are people who swear by the Shapton glass stones and they are actually harder than the Kuromaku stones, but I'm not a fan of the glass stones. I find them too hard, if that makes any sense. Could be a failing on my part. The Kuromaku and the Naniwa Chosera stones are among the best out there IMHO. (the newer Naniwa stones they call the professional line are the new version of the Choseras and are more expensive.)
I have to thank you, these stones are so good and the feedback makes them almost intuitive to use. I bought the 1000 grit and was so blown away I had to order the rest of the set. These actually work on my Japanese super blue steel leather knives.
ofc they work on super blue. it's a low alloy steel that's very easy to sharpen. super blue has like half the edge retention of a basic stainless steel like VG10. And yea these stones great for all of those things, any low alloy steels, any kitchen knife stainless, etc.. Don't waste your time above the lower grits on any vanadium alloy steels though. The 220 and 320 in this line are Silicon Carbide and will cut vanadium steels without issue. Beyond that, I'd use something else unless you actually want a "carbide rich edge."
i might be late but i have a question. is this stone beginner friendly? the stones i have at home are so bad and i just found this vid. would you recommend this to a beginner?
@@cxshxnly7gotta learn on something, might as well be a good stone that you can’t mess up, can easily afford and you will use for years and years to come,
@@cxshxnly7Yeah. This guy's made videos on the generic stones Beginners often get, and they're no better than using a brick. These are his recommendation, other than getting a 3-400 grit diamond plate first for profiling.
I bought one, Alex. I’m VERY happy!! Everything I own is now 1000 grit sharp! Thank you So Much. Now trying to maintain a constant bevel hold - that’s another story.
Your enthusiasm for the Shapton and sharpening in general is such a delight; thank-you for all the videos over the years. Such rapt devotion to these new stones gives a student of yours, like myself, pause. There have been a few "best ever stones," last stones you'll ever need etc. As always there are plus and minuses I'm sure, but my head spins as we go from DMT fine to Sypderco medium to now the Shapton...in another month, should I brace for the Naniwa Chosera video? Not cheap but surely a man in your line of work deserves the best! :) Did appreciate you looping back with a contrasting comment on the DMT...very much appreciated. This viewer has a delicate case of sharpening stone FOMO and values your experience based opinion! Keep'em coming. ;)
Its very difficult because theres a lot of good stones out there. None of said stones are bad but each have advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs. Thanks for the comment 👍
This video prompted me to dig through my old water stone collection, only to find I had two very old hand made Japanese stones one at 6000 and a 10,000 grit. I can only imagine an old Japanese master Samurai sword maker finds one day he's missing a couple of his favourites water stones! Absolutely exquisite stones for honing my favourite cut throat razor to a mirror finish hair-whittling perfection. 👍 Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience. ⭐ On a more sombre note: Sadly 'everyday' skills like knife sharpening are not being passed down by parents and I believe these essential DIY skills are what separates a survivor from someone who will ultimately perish when 'consumers' are left to fend for themselves. And that inevitable day is sadly just over the horizon, if humanity doesn't get it's act together soon. 🤔
A tip for viewing objects under microscope/macro lenses: Use back lighting. When the surface is reflecting and the background is dark, it will blow out your image. By using a little backlight, you reduce the contrast, and it will be easier for the camera to get a picture that doesnt blow out the lighter parts of the image.
yeah but even more important ..? And a simple point many many (esp youtubers) forget..? MANUAL FOCUS! lol. And of course, a 'fast' lens (large depth of field) that's just enough for the depth.
I’m just getting into knives, and, based on the comments you displayed, I have a feeling I’m pretty lucky to receive these recommendations at this point in time. Thank you!
Totally agree…….I have the 1000 grit and 1500 grit and love both of them. The 1500 grit is probably my all-time favorite stone of any I’ve ever used including my naniwa’s.
After years of trying and failing to sharpen knives on stones i finally managed to get a good edge using you advice about not moving hands/wrists. Ive ordered the 1000 stone and im looking forward to trying it with my new found skill . Thank you
I bought the 1000 grit to start learning how to free-hand sharpen. It's a bit of a challenge to hold the correct angle. I'm trying to lock my wrist as you mentioned in earlier videos. It's a skill I really would like to learn. I have used the Lansky kit for 30-plus years. I appreciate your videos! I also started my first knife-making project out of 1080 steel. You make it look easy, it is NOT!!
Rather than trying to hold your wrist at a fixed angle, you might develop a feel for when the bevel is flat against the stone. It's just as accurate and, IMO, more natural. Our limbs are designed to move in circles and consistent straight line motion doesn't come that easy.
Protip - bend Your knees and keep back straight, the blade should waist high. In this position it's very ease to lock the wrist, since movement is off-center.
Well done video! I confess I never put my kitchen knives on a stone. In fact it's rare I need to actually sharpen them, and I do a lot of food prep. I hone after every use with 1200gr & 8000gr ceramic rods, The only times I actually need to 'sharpen' is after some kind kitchen helper tosses them into the sink, hits a glass, ceramic plate or steel pot. I then use a diamond 600gr steel to re-shape & get rid of nicks. A fine-cut steel for my steak knives to straighten the wire as I like a slight bit of tooth on the edge especially for BBQ meat. HOWEVER, in my shop, planes, bench chisels, carving knives & chisels, drawknives & carving axes/adze, I'm very fussy. My best stones are Bester/Imanishi. 2000, 4000, 8000. For very small carving chisels, veiners, gouges & parting tools, I use smaller, hard ceramics to avoid gouging the stones. I also use diamond stones if I'm flattening or re-shaping a dropped tool, plus diamond films, and two hard maple strops, one using black emery, the other green ultra fine, roughly 0.5 microns. I like the hard maple as my edges don't round-over as is possible using leather. I feel it gives me more control over & precision with the edge & material. My large DMT diamond bench stones include all grit-sizes, but honestly, even the 8000 doesn't get to planing/carving-sharp like the hard ceramic 8000 or Imanishi 8000 do. I've been thinking about adding a couple Shaptons, and Spyderco hard, large ceramics, then look at the grand total, then look at my large collection of stones, plates, films, shake my head and keep delaying.
😂 I did see my name come up in the first minute of this vid! I’ve recently purchased the 2000 shapton and just fell in love with it! Your 100% correct you can go 1k-5k but that middle 2k stone is literally takes the edge to another level! Thanks for explaining everything so it doesn’t look like I’m the only mad person on this planet when I explain to my customers why it’s needed 👍
its cuz the 1k stone in this line is more like a 600 or 800 at best. Great stone for getting the job done. The 2k stone is considered by many to be the best stone in this entire line. It's fantastic.
@@jeffhicks8428 it’s actually extremely close to the 500 shapton glass!! But for the price! And actual performance of the 1k shapton pro! It’s a stone I do take with me to many restaurants and salon sharpenings especially now with the 2k it’s definitely a perfect combo
Hey man. I have a huge collection of Japanese whetstones. i love these stones. I'd suggest you add the 320. it's an INCREDIBLE stone for what it is, which is SIC. So much smoother and nicer than most SIC stones. These stones are known for being extremely hard, wearing very slow and still cutting well. They're great for all that, fantastic for edges. The one area they lack is doing large bevels. That's where other stones like the chosera shine for a sng. or the glass series from shapton which is designed to be more like the chosera. that means it's just slightly less hard, wears slightly faster, still very hard and slow, but... they give off noticably more slurry and do a much better job on big ol bevels and whatnot. They are noticably more friable. The shapton pros are just known for being the hardest and slowest wearing on the block. the 320 which is sic is ofc more friable. The 2k is one of my favorites. The 120 is an amazing ultra course grinding stone. The 320 is fantastic. 1k is more like 600 or 800 and it's great. the 5k is very glassy and good for deburring. The 12k is another amazing stone. I like it much more than the 5k but it obviously doesn't have the same strength, as in I've reshapened dull razors on nothing but that 5k and it moves steel, the 12k wouldn't do all that. Much higher polish tho. Anyhow cheers. if you want to venture out. The 400 chosera is maybe the all time greatest stone. you can get a 15 mm version off amazon for like $40. Also a big fan of the naniwa super stones for polishing, finishing, large bevels and doing delicate work like razors.
Great work. This is a huge value for the aspiring pro. I've been cooking professionally for 35+ years and I had to learn all this the hard way. I usually stick with the King 1000 grit. It's huge, lasts forever and gets the job done. Plus, I share it with other knuckleheads... BTW an episode on care and maintenance of whetstones would be great. It's best to store them dry... I just found your channel and I'll see if you discussed this already.
i watched, giggled madly, and was reminded of the book Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett: there's a part where Death is sharpening a scythe blade: "First on a grindstone, then on an oilstone, then on a steel. It was too blunt. Miss Flitworth supplied, from her rag bag, satin, then silk, finest white silk, never worn (from her wedding dress). It was still blunt. Then it was sharpened on cobweb. Then on the breeze at dawn. Finally, on the light of the new day." From watching your video's i've managed to get to being able to use paper towels and (once) toilet tissue for paper cutting test but haven't managed the hair whittling yet. just gotta practice... and buy better knives with good steel.
The Shapton pro 2000 is the only stone I personally need. I have come to realize why people rave about it on forums. I have other stones but this one serves all my needs as I never let my knives get dull. A Japanese blue steel #2 carbon knife on a Shapton 2000 is a match made in heaven. I have read that the Glass series stones are better for high end stainless but I have yet to test that out. Customers' cheap knives get what they deserve: the belt sander.
There are 1000, 1500 and 2000 Shapton stones. I’m wondering if 1500 grit stone will be the most universal if you get only one stone in that grit range?
@@proudbacteria1373 I find that with a decent 400 (I have a Naniwa Pro green) I can go straight to the 2000. For damaged or very dull knives I use Norton Green 120 sandpaper (on wood with double sided tape) or the belt sander. I have a 5000 Suehiro Rika but don't use it much as the 2000 gets an edge that is plenty good enough for kitchen work and it's such a flexible stone that with a very light touch I can get a 3000 edge from it. The strop is just as important as the stone and I use the yellow Flexcut compound for extra abrasion.
Don't know if you will see this. But since you really like these. Maybe give the shapton glass a try also. They seem like they might be even more up your alley, since they should dish even less. And are potentially even more accurately graded in their abrassive size. From what i remember the price isnt much higher, though the stones are thinner. Though it makes up for it with the slower wear.
Agreed, fantastic stones, but i disagree about skipping grits. For the general user, even daily, who is not mirror polishing, running stones in order is unnecessary. A kuromaku 320 / 1000 /5000 is all most will need. Throw in a green compound strop at the end, and you can shave whatever body part you wish, if you dont cut it off trying. This is my daily kit for sharpening, and it works incredible. And yes , i use the 320 regularly, i enjoy refurbishing knives that have been giving up on. It makes a huge difference having a true rough stone for fast cutting. Everything, i completely agree with. Awesome video and great information put out !!!
I struggle with this because on one jand you can skip and get better results than the previous stone. However, on the other hand you can not remove 1000 grit scratches with the 5000 grit. So I usually recommend buying grits in order so as you are always adding better results. Not filling in. If that makes sense.
I started using the Shaptons a few months ago and have been extremely satisfied with them. I use the 5000 in combination with a shale (soft) stone that I collect from the hills here in Belgium for a high-gloss finish.
everyone else tell on forum you need diamond stones for cpm s110v. Those shapton diamond stones are 3 times as expensive as this set you recommended. at first i felt bad because i deceided to also buy the manix 2 in s110v. than i kinda regret that i bought this 1000 2000 5000 set you recommended. Now today i see you sharpen the 110v same knife as i have on these stones. I feel good about my purchase again. Thanks alot for this video! now i need to learn how to sharpen a expensive hard steel like this.
Love these stones. 1k, 2k and 5k have incredible feedback and each one gives you a great edge that you can use. For my kitchen knives I use 1k mostly (sometimes I go up to the 2k) and then a 7/5 micron strop. The 8k is ok-ish. 12k is an amazing polishing stone if you're looking for an extremely refined and polished edge. Imo for the price these are by far the best bang for your buck. They last forever and measure up to chosera in quality (chosera 10k is butter though) but are much cheaper. Cool to see my comment make it into your video.
Aren’t Chosera stones similar to Shapton in price range? I compared 800 grit Chosera which costs 66 dollars and it’s comparable to Shapton 1000 grit which costs 55. I just compared stones in that 1000 grit range. Maybe there is discrepancy in other grit areas. Also there are different series.
@@proudbacteria1373 they didn't used to be. Shapton pro 1k used to be $40. For some reason their prices went up but not so much on Chosera. Before it was quite a bit difference in price for similar grit stones, so it made sense to get Shapton to save money. Now it's which ever you prefer or can find.
Well i just bought 320, 1000 and 5000 based on many recommendations and your videos... I had some cheap pull through sharpeners which seemed to screw up my knifes. I have quite some nicks in the blade and its more like sawing than cutting. I hope i can learn to sharpen my knives so they will last and I finally have fun cutting again
I love these stones. I have those 3. But I would recommend adding the blue 320. And if you want to geek out a bit try the black Arkansas stone - its a dream finishing stone. I use it almost like a strop.
So I bought a 3 set of these and I might end up returning them, I haven't used them yet. Right now I have a cheap no name coarse and medium stone and a spyderco fine stone that is slight bow in it. For me that's not an issue because the bow is only like 0.5 or 1 mm from side to side but it does rock a bit. I've never done a mirror polish in my life but I can get a hair popping, paper towel slicing (though toothy) edge. The Shapton stones are flatter than the spyderco but the 5000 grit feels more course than my spyderco fine stone. But the meat of my comment is that the directions for these stones have were in Japanese which lead me to visit their site and discovering these stones have a lot of restrictions. They state not to use detergents to clean as they say that can soften the stones and change it's performance. Same deal with soaking the stones for more than 30 mins in water. They also say the best way to unclog the stones are to using their lapping disc/dressing stone or to flatten the stone with their flattening products, again no detergents or the like. They also say not to attempt to dry the stones, to leave them outdoors, or to use hot water as these can all crack their stones. Also no dishwashing probably because that involves both hot water and detergent. Also I think they might not be sintered like a spyderco ceramic but instead a bonded ceramic hence the weakness to soaps. Long story short, I'm sure these are extra conservative precautions but they are a hell of a lot more restrictive than a spyderco ceramic stone so I might grab those instead while they're still in stock. Your channel is actually what put me on to spyderco ceramics in the first place so if you see this I'd like to know your opinion, do these perform better than spyderco ceramics and have you experience any loss in performance (you mentioned you do use soapy water which according to the makers is a no no)? And how does the durability compare to spyderco's?
Theyre up to $57 now ,as of 1/1/24 ….am a novice at sharpening and have honestly sucked at it for decades but am trying to get to get better and am stocking up on gear …recently got a strop for the first time and a dmt double sided fine/ extra fine diamond plate… the plate is a quandary to me. Most “ how to vids” say not to put much pressure ,so i dont …but cant seem to get any type of real bur (now that i know im suppose to get one lol)….so i use an old cheap heavy grit double sided like a 120/240 (think its like a iron oxide or some other cheap compound of some sort?) and get a small bur line ….when i remove the bur ,finish up with dmt and strop the knife seems to get smoother yes but also seems to dull some ….I don’t know if its my knifes aren’t the $200 blades youre using here (have couple different older buck locking blades ,and leatherman utility blade, mora kniv, oh and a old Japanese straight sheath knife ive had simce the 80’s(that ive had machinists try to edge for me and i get sharper than they did ,though not near what id like )and another buck straight sheath blade . My buck locking blades i can get to half decent edges but they dint seem to hold it past a few cuts ,i assume because of my technique 🤷🏼♂️…hence why im here researching lol…. I don’t know if im ready to buy more stones but your associate link only had like a couple reviews on amazon ,all 5 stars but I don’t know …i hate possibly throwing money away as tempting as this is ….off to read some comments here and decide 🤷🏼♂️😬….oh and you put a link for a “bad” stone ….? It looked ok but ill take your word for it ,odd you put a link for it ..? But as shitty as it is it had a clip on angle guide ,are those (clip on guides)any good in general? Imwomder if im not keeping my angle correct or something ….?
I go from the 1000 straight to the 8000 and never saw an issue with doing that. It takes the scratches out, removes the burr and leaves a mirror polish. That might take one or two strokes more than with another stone in between but it´s good enough for me.
Oh god. The world's worst stone link took me straight to the one I bought when I wanted to get started. I bought more and the 8000 grit is coarser than the 6000 grit. I will return what I can and I will take your advice on these three. In Sweden we have a phrase called "learning money" or rather "learning cost". I spent money and I learned my lesson...
I bought the Shapton 1000 as a one-stone system based on your recommendation, and I love it! I'd like to move to a two stone system for an even sharper edge on my general purpose carbon steel / stain-less kitchen knives, which I use mostly for veg prep. I'm not interested in a three stone system. I thought that 1000 would pair up nicely with a 3000 or 4000. But Shapton only offer the 1000, 2000 or 5000, unless I finish on a Shapton Glass or Rock Star 3/4000, which use a different grit size system, which I can't work out. What should I do?
Just the video instruction I was looking for. Thank you! Of course, Amazon cost for the three stones total $200, as of today. I'm definitely getting the 1000 today.
Great videos. I just got into sharpening, you have been my resource. I bought the full lineup of Shapton Kuromakus up to 12k. Now every knife in my house can shave hair. On to mastering straight razors, swords and tools. Thoroughly enjoying this new found hobby
My Set just arrived and the first edge is done. They are amazing in particular if you consider the price. I don't know how much I have spent on sharpening stuff but these could replace most of it.
Yeah, that 1k is an absolute classic. Suggestion: comparison of major stone maker's "X"k stones. Makers like Chosera, King, Naniwa, Shapton, Suehiro. Comparing specific grits and what they are made of and how accurate the "X" grit really is. Another thought: soakers versus splashers; what's beyond the obvious difference.
I use Shapton stones to hone my straight razors. The quality and the ease of use of these stones is unbelievable ! And funny thing is that Shapton 12K didn't had good reviews online and people was not happy with the stone. I've got it and try it on my razors and LOVED IT !!! So much that I bought a second one for spare ! I had Naniwa Gouken 12K and that stone have limitations. I can't hone more than 15 passes cos after ruin my razor edges. It has a plasticky feeling and the razor does not glide smoothly. With the Shapton 12K I can even over hone the razor and still not ruin the edge plus it leaves a mirror polish on the edge. As for the scratches you see on your edges that has to do with the light angle. If you light your edge on your scope directly above no matter what hone you've done you will always see scratches.If you throw the light in an angle you will see the mirror finish in your scope.
I’ve never use a Shapton pro 1000 but I have a Shapton pro 12,000 and it’s held up really well. I’ve sharpened everything up to zdp-189 and it was able to withstand that
I gotta say, I had to order a couple, the 1000 and 2000, after watching this video and I agree. These are the nicest stones I’ve ever owned. I really like them.😃👍🏻
Shapton is great. I'm very happy with my Shapton glass stones both for woodworking handtools and Global kitchen knives. I still have a few others to change to Shaptons, not because to old ones isn't good but because Shapton just feels better. I would like to see an honest comparison between Shapton and Naniwa another brand that also seems to make very good stones.
I read a review by someone else on how good those stones are. This person also suggested a lapping plate to keep the stones flat. If you are using the stones for plane irons, would you lap them and how often? After each use?
I've got the 1000 and 2000, used them for years and I daresay I will pass them on to my sons. They give a scary sharp edge and I haven't bothered to get any others. I have a Norton 4000/8000 combo that I bust out every now and again.
I just ordered grits 320 through 5000 after watching this video. I've been searching for replacements for my cheaper stones that dished out, and I chose these over DMTs since I don't really like the feel of diamond stones.
I start with the Sharpal diamond dual sided stone (320 - 1200) and once I do 10 passes on each side of the knife and then on each side of the stone) I move onto the Shapton 2,000 Grit Kuromaku, then I go to the Shapton Kuromaku 5,000 grit. Once I finish with those, I move over to my leather strop with the 4 micron wicked edge diamond emulsion spray. It's AMAZING.
have you tested suehiro cerax 1000? According to many specialists, it is the best stone of this gradation and, most importantly, it is cheap and has a leveling stone
I am with you on these stones, for the price and solidness of them, they are superior to anything else I have used. I did spluge on the a dia-flat to flatten them whenever it is needed however. Other than that they are exceptional to anything else.
Thanks for the heads up on this stone. Mine just arrived and so far I think you were right about them. Some softer light might help your photos. Either a classic light tent or, believe it or not, some LED lights through plastic storage containers.
My primary stones have been this line of Shapton's in the 1k, 2k, 5k, 8k, and 12k offerings. Depending on what I am working with, I also have Shapton Glass 500, 1000, 3000, 8000, 16000, and 30000 models. These and their glass stones are super freaking amazing! Imagine these on steroids, with even better feedback and "flatness", and that is the Shapton glass variants. a little pricier, but they have their place! Excellent stones for anyone!
@@Jymyte My pleasure! To help a little further, the Glass Stones are guaranteed flat OOTB, as that is the design behind them. They also do not dish quickly, and maintain their flatness much longer. The Kuromaku stones though ALSO come flat OOTB, and I have only had 1 that was super, and I mean SUPER slightly "less than flat" but nowhere close enough to matter when finishing and edge. I can tell you that the feedback on my Kuromaku 8k vs. the Shapton glass 8k is minimal. I would say the feedback is a little more "rough" on the Kuromaku, but not in some crazy bad way, if that makes sense? The glass stones just feel like, well, glass! Pun intended, but of course they aren't called Glass because of that, though... lol If you want to know anything more about them I would be more than happy to answer. I have been using them quite some time now as well as the Kuromaku and use them at least 3 times a week. I just added the 220 Glass variant to the mix , and used it to put a brand new edge on a knife I forged (just to see how easily I could). It was a 1095 knife I forged, and RH was 61.. The Shapton Glass 220 put an edge on it in under 3 minutes. I don't normally do it that way, but wanted to test and see how quickly and efficiently it could do it.
I discovered your channel the other day. I subscribed. Im really enjoying the videos. 👍 I currently have Norton wetstones in 220,1000,4000 grit. Your making me want more stones 😄
I've used these for several years now. I've found them to be excellent for high-carbon steel knives but less so on stainless blades. They still work on stainless but take more work than with other bench stones I have. Cheers.
I bought this set of stones and received them yesterday. Is it normal that the 1000 stone can bubble like a soaking stone? It cut nicely nevertheless without seeing any significant stone wear (practically I saw only the cut metal in the water), so I am satisfied. With the 5000 I am also able to reach reasonably shiny bevels, so the 8000 and 12000 is for maximalists, not to mention the 30000 stone. It should not surprise me though as I can make nice shiny bevels with the 4000 Tojiro stone as well, which should be made by Naniwa according to the appearance and the distinctive warning on its side. (do not soak more than an hour because it will cause damage. Guess who soaked it for more than an hour when I wasn't able to decode Japanese? :D )
I ordered these recently after your first video, since I also had the cheap crappy ones that would dish out after very little time. These stones are amazing! I got the 8K and 12K ones too for my straight razor and that also worked really well. I'm sure that I'll need to flatten them eventually, any recommendation for a surface lapping stone of some sort? I have one that I got a while ago but even that one seems to be low quality as it's visibly starting to get dished out, so would be nice to find something that will work and will last.
I love the Shapton Pro 1000 and 5000 for most sharpening, although I have used various media including diamonds. I use the 5000 to hone and refine the 1000 grit. I agree, the wine colored stone is definitely a polishing stone. I have some forged project knives, what would you suggest for a profiling coarse stone, thinking Shapton 220 or Shapton Glass 220 !?!
I got the shapton 200 diamond as a flattening stone/ profiling others knives for sharpening I got the shapton glas 1000 and 6000. I had mine for about 4 years now and i love them but after seeing this im thinking about getting the 2000 too
Hello! I'm not a huge knife enthusiast, but I am in the market for a sharpening stone to use to sharpen my kitchen knives, and perhaps one to get my parents for Christmas. Is there a single stone you would consider 'good enough' for sharpening kitchen knives, and if so I would love to see some recommendations.
Im a chef just buying my first nice knife and want to start using whetstones, would I need to get up to an 8000 grit or would the 5000 do. Im getting a Japanese blue stainless clad knife
My 1000 has dished actually. I picked up a cheap diamond stone to flatten it but I’m not convinced it’s even worth doing it. Lately after I use it I give it some passes with the diamond to take the edges back down but it’s not super effective tbh.
Hi, I would like to use a stone to sharpen my kitchen and hunting knives. Do I need something intermediate between say a sharpening stick and this 1000 grit stone?
My first Kuromaku, the Shapton Kuromaku 1000 that I order after watching the last video, is arriving today. Really looking forward to it and I suspect I will spend quite some time with it and all my knives. Going from the cheap chinese slurry-stones that I been learning to sharpen on I have high hopes for this one.
It would be great to have a video about how to care of these stones :-) I saw some laping disc from Shapton, but not sure if that's enough? Also is it a way to flatten the stone? Seems like it is not that big of area with the disc, I planned to use the sanding paper as in your older video. But it would be nice to see complete guide from reliable source (you! 😁) focused on these stones. Thanks for taking me out of the market for expensive sharpening systems!
I just have two EDC knives. SRK-C for killing and a CRKT Dextro for utility. I got a nice japanese ceramic whetstone with 1000/6000 grit and a quality strop. It's more than enough for maintaining an edge. If I need to redefine an edge I use a crappy 400 grit aluminium oxide whetstone, almost never had to use it.
Should be able to sharpen a straight razor really well right? Do you believe you need the much higher grit stones(15k, 30k) for a straight razor used for shaving?
Great video. I'm new to knives, and own mostly folders in s45vn and SPY27 from Spyderco. Would you say these stones would work similarly well for those two steels? Or would diamond stones be the only practical option?
Links to everything discussed in the description.🙂 UPDATED⬇
Shapton 1000⬇
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Shapton 2000⬇
amzn.to/3sVKpJz
Shapton 5000⬇
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Theses are affiliated links.
As an amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases
As an associate I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Everything purchased in this video was purchased with my own money.
How are these stones made? What is the binder (if any) that they use to hold the grit together?
What makes these stones so good compared to other low cost China made sharpening stones?
I made the mistake of buying a full set of Kuromaka stones about 8 or 9 years ago. They are the best thing since sliced bread. Only problem I have, I only use 300, 1000 and 5000. I do get dishing on the 300 after a while. I'd like to suggest you turn your stones and use the opposite side, keeping your label clear.
You know you could have just killed the edge on the side of the sharpening stone like DrMatt357 does 😆Way more clean.
Yo ... just a tip about photography or video of reflective objects ...
DON'T USE AUTOFOCUS!! :) In MF, you'll have ZERO problems
getting whatever you want in focus with the right Depth of Field
Can you please do a video about how you choose which micron stropping compound // emulsion ?
Do you prefer leather strops or that fiber cloth thing from jende + emulsion ..? thanks dude.
I self-taught myself to sharpen a few years ago using many of your videos as an aid. I am now in my second year of college, working my @$$ off to pay my way through it. I actually ended up bringing down my sharpening stones after winter break because word that I am good at sharpening blades got out. I was just using my Work Sharp Field sharpener with just the two stones, ceramic rod, and leather strop to help some friends before then. When got my proper sharpening stones down here, I started making money sharpening knives and broad head. I am going to school for Natural Resources Law Enforcement by the way.
These are great stones, particularly considering the price. I was not aware of the 2,000. I have the 320 wirepuller for profiling machetes, axes, and really dull knives. I also have the 600, 1,000, 5,000, 8,000 and 12,000. Rarely do I use anything above the 5,000 except for some very high-end kitchen knives...original German Hinkle's. I actually prefer a slightly toothy edge on my frequently used cheaper kitchen knives. I will be grabbing a 2,000 as that should bring a kitchen knife to where you really want it. BTW, I always preserve the printed side of the stone for occasional flattening of the other stones. It is amazing the text has held up to this use. If and when it wears off I will mark that side with a sharpy. For those wondering about the wear of the stones...it is negligible. You will eventually get some slight dishing on the 1,000 so, hit it a little bit every 5-6 heavy uses with the backside of another stone. I hit the 1,000 with the back of the 600 then with the 5,000. To check flatness I use the zig zag pencil marking then go through flattening. Very seldom does it require more than a few passes.
there is no 600. Shapton doesn't make anything in 600 grit. They have a 320 pro and 1k pro and they have a 500 glass and 1k glass.
@@jeffhicks8428 You are correct. My bad. When I posted that I said to myself, get off your ass go get them and make sure. It is indeed the blue case one I have marked 320. I rarely use it. I have used it on hatchets, axes and machetes as well as an Old Hickory kitchen butcher knife rescued. I also I use it to flatten my other stones.
Man, there’s such a deep authenticity to this work/this video.
Not sure if you’re working to try to blow up your channel or just put great things out, but, sincerely, thank you for doing this work
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words 👊
I just bought the 1000 and im blown away. Perfect for kitchen knifes. 10/10 would recommend
What about hunting knives
@@rickwhitson2804get it. The 1000 grit is good enough for any hunting knife. Get a strop with compound and that's all you need.
@@rickwhitson2804I would think that hunting knives and kitchen knives are the same thing. Based on videos about this stone I have seen if it worth it you just have to know how to use it so you don’t ruin your knives or the stone
I am a big fan of the Shapton Kuromaku stones. I use them for my woodworking tools. Going on 6 years with them (1500, 5000, 8000, 12000) Nowhere near wearing them out yet, although I do flatten them much more than what I would if they were used for knife sharpening. The 1500 has seen the most wear, and it's used maybe 15% of it's life in those 6 years. Each flattening only takes off a few thousandths of an inch. You have described them perfectly.
Yes wood working tools definitely require more flattening since they have to be perfect. Thanks for the feedback👍
Im looking I to these Stones for sharpening my plane blades. Can you tell me how well they stay flat compared to softer wetstones? Im having to flattening my wetstones before every use for my plane blades an really want to make my life a little easier.
Good info 😎👊💥
@@karelenhenkie666 Sorry it took this long to answer, as I just saw your question. They are very hard stones, and lets say your softer stones need fattening every time, these will allow you to do 3 or 4 sharpenings before flattening is required. It's actually a hard question to answer since there are so many variables. Bottom line, there are very few stones that take longer to dish than these. The Naniwa Chosera line of stones are generally more expensive and are the only ones I've used that last longer between flattenings.
There are people who swear by the Shapton glass stones and they are actually harder than the Kuromaku stones, but I'm not a fan of the glass stones. I find them too hard, if that makes any sense. Could be a failing on my part. The Kuromaku and the Naniwa Chosera stones are among the best out there IMHO. (the newer Naniwa stones they call the professional line are the new version of the Choseras and are more expensive.)
I have to thank you, these stones are so good and the feedback makes them almost intuitive to use. I bought the 1000 grit and was so blown away I had to order the rest of the set. These actually work on my Japanese super blue steel leather knives.
ofc they work on super blue. it's a low alloy steel that's very easy to sharpen. super blue has like half the edge retention of a basic stainless steel like VG10. And yea these stones great for all of those things, any low alloy steels, any kitchen knife stainless, etc.. Don't waste your time above the lower grits on any vanadium alloy steels though. The 220 and 320 in this line are Silicon Carbide and will cut vanadium steels without issue. Beyond that, I'd use something else unless you actually want a "carbide rich edge."
i might be late but i have a question. is this stone beginner friendly? the stones i have at home are so bad and i just found this vid. would you recommend this to a beginner?
@@cxshxnly7gotta learn on something, might as well be a good stone that you can’t mess up, can easily afford and you will use for years and years to come,
@@cxshxnly7Yeah. This guy's made videos on the generic stones Beginners often get, and they're no better than using a brick. These are his recommendation, other than getting a 3-400 grit diamond plate first for profiling.
I bought one, Alex. I’m VERY happy!! Everything I own is now 1000 grit sharp! Thank you So Much. Now trying to maintain a constant bevel hold - that’s another story.
Your enthusiasm for the Shapton and sharpening in general is such a delight; thank-you for all the videos over the years. Such rapt devotion to these new stones gives a student of yours, like myself, pause. There have been a few "best ever stones," last stones you'll ever need etc. As always there are plus and minuses I'm sure, but my head spins as we go from DMT fine to Sypderco medium to now the Shapton...in another month, should I brace for the Naniwa Chosera video? Not cheap but surely a man in your line of work deserves the best! :) Did appreciate you looping back with a contrasting comment on the DMT...very much appreciated. This viewer has a delicate case of sharpening stone FOMO and values your experience based opinion! Keep'em coming. ;)
Its very difficult because theres a lot of good stones out there. None of said stones are bad but each have advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs. Thanks for the comment 👍
This video prompted me to dig through my old water stone collection, only to find I had two very old hand made Japanese stones one at 6000 and a 10,000 grit. I can only imagine an old Japanese master Samurai sword maker finds one day he's missing a couple of his favourites water stones! Absolutely exquisite stones for honing my favourite cut throat razor to a mirror finish hair-whittling perfection. 👍
Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience. ⭐
On a more sombre note: Sadly 'everyday' skills like knife sharpening are not being passed down by parents and I believe these essential DIY skills are what separates a survivor from someone who will ultimately perish when 'consumers' are left to fend for themselves. And that inevitable day is sadly just over the horizon, if humanity doesn't get it's act together soon. 🤔
A tip for viewing objects under microscope/macro lenses: Use back lighting. When the surface is reflecting and the background is dark, it will blow out your image. By using a little backlight, you reduce the contrast, and it will be easier for the camera to get a picture that doesnt blow out the lighter parts of the image.
@@findonknifesharpening you're welcome mate👍
yeah but even more important ..? And a simple point many many (esp youtubers) forget..?
MANUAL FOCUS! lol. And of course, a 'fast' lens (large depth of field) that's just enough for the depth.
@@trumanhw Using AF for this would be a nightmare😂
@@corpusmori4657 I would rather move the knife in focus or use a macro slider for microadjustments.
Alex, there is lots of knife and sharpening content on here. YOU are my go-to guy. Thanks.
I’m just getting into knives, and, based on the comments you displayed, I have a feeling I’m pretty lucky to receive these recommendations at this point in time. Thank you!
I have just that set and I do love them.. Rarely go above #2k for kitchen knives. Also have their #120 which I love.
Totally agree…….I have the 1000 grit and 1500 grit and love both of them. The 1500 grit is probably my all-time favorite stone of any I’ve ever used including my naniwa’s.
After years of trying and failing to sharpen knives on stones i finally managed to get a good edge using you advice about not moving hands/wrists. Ive ordered the 1000 stone and im looking forward to trying it with my new found skill . Thank you
That is awesome! Glad You are getting good results👍
@OUTDOORS55 being ambidextrous helps . I do 4 passes with the knife in one hand then swap hand for the other side
I bought the 1000 grit to start learning how to free-hand sharpen. It's a bit of a challenge to hold the correct angle. I'm trying to lock my wrist as you mentioned in earlier videos. It's a skill I really would like to learn. I have used the Lansky kit for 30-plus years. I appreciate your videos! I also started my first knife-making project out of 1080 steel. You make it look easy, it is NOT!!
Rather than trying to hold your wrist at a fixed angle, you might develop a feel for when the bevel is flat against the stone. It's just as accurate and, IMO, more natural. Our limbs are designed to move in circles and consistent straight line motion doesn't come that easy.
Protip - bend Your knees and keep back straight, the blade should waist high. In this position it's very ease to lock the wrist, since movement is off-center.
Well done video! I confess I never put my kitchen knives on a stone. In fact it's rare I need to actually sharpen them, and I do a lot of food prep. I hone after every use with 1200gr & 8000gr ceramic rods, The only times I actually need to 'sharpen' is after some kind kitchen helper tosses them into the sink, hits a glass, ceramic plate or steel pot. I then use a diamond 600gr steel to re-shape & get rid of nicks. A fine-cut steel for my steak knives to straighten the wire as I like a slight bit of tooth on the edge especially for BBQ meat.
HOWEVER, in my shop, planes, bench chisels, carving knives & chisels, drawknives & carving axes/adze, I'm very fussy. My best stones are Bester/Imanishi. 2000, 4000, 8000. For very small carving chisels, veiners, gouges & parting tools, I use smaller, hard ceramics to avoid gouging the stones. I also use diamond stones if I'm flattening or re-shaping a dropped tool, plus diamond films, and two hard maple strops, one using black emery, the other green ultra fine, roughly 0.5 microns. I like the hard maple as my edges don't round-over as is possible using leather. I feel it gives me more control over & precision with the edge & material.
My large DMT diamond bench stones include all grit-sizes, but honestly, even the 8000 doesn't get to planing/carving-sharp like the hard ceramic 8000 or Imanishi 8000 do.
I've been thinking about adding a couple Shaptons, and Spyderco hard, large ceramics, then look at the grand total, then look at my large collection of stones, plates, films, shake my head and keep delaying.
😂 I did see my name come up in the first minute of this vid! I’ve recently purchased the 2000 shapton and just fell in love with it! Your 100% correct you can go 1k-5k but that middle 2k stone is literally takes the edge to another level! Thanks for explaining everything so it doesn’t look like I’m the only mad person on this planet when I explain to my customers why it’s needed 👍
its cuz the 1k stone in this line is more like a 600 or 800 at best. Great stone for getting the job done. The 2k stone is considered by many to be the best stone in this entire line. It's fantastic.
@@jeffhicks8428 it’s actually extremely close to the 500 shapton glass!! But for the price! And actual performance of the 1k shapton pro! It’s a stone I do take with me to many restaurants and salon sharpenings especially now with the 2k it’s definitely a perfect combo
@@Suttonsharpens yes, the 500 glass is considered to be the equivalent stone to the pro line as the 1k.
Hey man. I have a huge collection of Japanese whetstones. i love these stones. I'd suggest you add the 320. it's an INCREDIBLE stone for what it is, which is SIC. So much smoother and nicer than most SIC stones. These stones are known for being extremely hard, wearing very slow and still cutting well. They're great for all that, fantastic for edges. The one area they lack is doing large bevels. That's where other stones like the chosera shine for a sng. or the glass series from shapton which is designed to be more like the chosera. that means it's just slightly less hard, wears slightly faster, still very hard and slow, but... they give off noticably more slurry and do a much better job on big ol bevels and whatnot. They are noticably more friable. The shapton pros are just known for being the hardest and slowest wearing on the block. the 320 which is sic is ofc more friable.
The 2k is one of my favorites. The 120 is an amazing ultra course grinding stone. The 320 is fantastic. 1k is more like 600 or 800 and it's great. the 5k is very glassy and good for deburring. The 12k is another amazing stone. I like it much more than the 5k but it obviously doesn't have the same strength, as in I've reshapened dull razors on nothing but that 5k and it moves steel, the 12k wouldn't do all that. Much higher polish tho. Anyhow cheers.
if you want to venture out. The 400 chosera is maybe the all time greatest stone. you can get a 15 mm version off amazon for like $40. Also a big fan of the naniwa super stones for polishing, finishing, large bevels and doing delicate work like razors.
Great work.
This is a huge value for the aspiring pro.
I've been cooking professionally for 35+ years and I had to learn all this the hard way.
I usually stick with the King 1000 grit. It's huge, lasts forever and gets the job done. Plus, I share it with other knuckleheads...
BTW an episode on care and maintenance of whetstones would be great. It's best to store them dry...
I just found your channel and I'll see if you discussed this already.
i watched, giggled madly, and was reminded of the book Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett: there's a part where Death is sharpening a scythe blade: "First on a grindstone, then on an oilstone, then on a steel. It was too blunt. Miss Flitworth supplied, from her rag bag, satin, then silk, finest white silk, never worn (from her wedding dress). It was still blunt. Then it was sharpened on cobweb. Then on the breeze at dawn. Finally, on the light of the new day."
From watching your video's i've managed to get to being able to use paper towels and (once) toilet tissue for paper cutting test but haven't managed the hair whittling yet. just gotta practice... and buy better knives with good steel.
I also love that chapter, one of my favourite in the whole series…
The Shapton pro 2000 is the only stone I personally need. I have come to realize why people rave about it on forums. I have other stones but this one serves all my needs as I never let my knives get dull. A Japanese blue steel #2 carbon knife on a Shapton 2000 is a match made in heaven. I have read that the Glass series stones are better for high end stainless but I have yet to test that out. Customers' cheap knives get what they deserve: the belt sander.
There are 1000, 1500 and 2000 Shapton stones. I’m wondering if 1500 grit stone will be the most universal if you get only one stone in that grit range?
@@proudbacteria1373 I find that with a decent 400 (I have a Naniwa Pro green) I can go straight to the 2000. For damaged or very dull knives I use Norton Green 120 sandpaper (on wood with double sided tape) or the belt sander. I have a 5000 Suehiro Rika but don't use it much as the 2000 gets an edge that is plenty good enough for kitchen work and it's such a flexible stone that with a very light touch I can get a 3000 edge from it. The strop is just as important as the stone and I use the yellow Flexcut compound for extra abrasion.
Don't know if you will see this.
But since you really like these. Maybe give the shapton glass a try also. They seem like they might be even more up your alley, since they should dish even less. And are potentially even more accurately graded in their abrassive size.
From what i remember the price isnt much higher, though the stones are thinner. Though it makes up for it with the slower wear.
Agreed, fantastic stones, but i disagree about skipping grits. For the general user, even daily, who is not mirror polishing, running stones in order is unnecessary. A kuromaku 320 / 1000 /5000 is all most will need. Throw in a green compound strop at the end, and you can shave whatever body part you wish, if you dont cut it off trying. This is my daily kit for sharpening, and it works incredible. And yes , i use the 320 regularly, i enjoy refurbishing knives that have been giving up on. It makes a huge difference having a true rough stone for fast cutting. Everything, i completely agree with. Awesome video and great information put out !!!
I struggle with this because on one jand you can skip and get better results than the previous stone. However, on the other hand you can not remove 1000 grit scratches with the 5000 grit. So I usually recommend buying grits in order so as you are always adding better results. Not filling in. If that makes sense.
I started using the Shaptons a few months ago and have been extremely satisfied with them. I use the 5000 in combination with a shale (soft) stone that I collect from the hills here in Belgium for a high-gloss finish.
How would you compare these stones to the spyderco ceramic stones series? Really nice vidéo.
Going thru the comments I was thinking the same thing, how does it compare?
The HR and G7 series are fast and you have to rinse them frequently if you remove a lot of metal. I love the feedback on them!
everyone else tell on forum you need diamond stones for cpm s110v. Those shapton diamond stones are 3 times as expensive as this set you recommended. at first i felt bad because i deceided to also buy the manix 2 in s110v. than i kinda regret that i bought this 1000 2000 5000 set you recommended. Now today i see you sharpen the 110v same knife as i have on these stones. I feel good about my purchase again. Thanks alot for this video! now i need to learn how to sharpen a expensive hard steel like this.
Love these stones. 1k, 2k and 5k have incredible feedback and each one gives you a great edge that you can use. For my kitchen knives I use 1k mostly (sometimes I go up to the 2k) and then a 7/5 micron strop. The 8k is ok-ish. 12k is an amazing polishing stone if you're looking for an extremely refined and polished edge. Imo for the price these are by far the best bang for your buck. They last forever and measure up to chosera in quality (chosera 10k is butter though) but are much cheaper. Cool to see my comment make it into your video.
Aren’t Chosera stones similar to Shapton in price range? I compared 800 grit Chosera which costs 66 dollars and it’s comparable to Shapton 1000 grit which costs 55. I just compared stones in that 1000 grit range. Maybe there is discrepancy in other grit areas. Also there are different series.
@@proudbacteria1373 they didn't used to be. Shapton pro 1k used to be $40. For some reason their prices went up but not so much on Chosera. Before it was quite a bit difference in price for similar grit stones, so it made sense to get Shapton to save money. Now it's which ever you prefer or can find.
I'm convinced. As soon as I wear out my current stones, I'm going to buy a set of these.
I just ordered these, per your recommendation. I’m excited!
Shapton Kuromaku and Naniwa Chosera, they're the best! The Shapton stones come at really great prices too.
Well i just bought 320, 1000 and 5000 based on many recommendations and your videos...
I had some cheap pull through sharpeners which seemed to screw up my knifes. I have quite some nicks in the blade and its more like sawing than cutting.
I hope i can learn to sharpen my knives so they will last and I finally have fun cutting again
I love these stones. I have those 3. But I would recommend adding the blue 320. And if you want to geek out a bit try the black Arkansas stone - its a dream finishing stone. I use it almost like a strop.
So I bought a 3 set of these and I might end up returning them, I haven't used them yet. Right now I have a cheap no name coarse and medium stone and a spyderco fine stone that is slight bow in it. For me that's not an issue because the bow is only like 0.5 or 1 mm from side to side but it does rock a bit. I've never done a mirror polish in my life but I can get a hair popping, paper towel slicing (though toothy) edge. The Shapton stones are flatter than the spyderco but the 5000 grit feels more course than my spyderco fine stone.
But the meat of my comment is that the directions for these stones have were in Japanese which lead me to visit their site and discovering these stones have a lot of restrictions. They state not to use detergents to clean as they say that can soften the stones and change it's performance. Same deal with soaking the stones for more than 30 mins in water. They also say the best way to unclog the stones are to using their lapping disc/dressing stone or to flatten the stone with their flattening products, again no detergents or the like. They also say not to attempt to dry the stones, to leave them outdoors, or to use hot water as these can all crack their stones. Also no dishwashing probably because that involves both hot water and detergent. Also I think they might not be sintered like a spyderco ceramic but instead a bonded ceramic hence the weakness to soaps.
Long story short, I'm sure these are extra conservative precautions but they are a hell of a lot more restrictive than a spyderco ceramic stone so I might grab those instead while they're still in stock. Your channel is actually what put me on to spyderco ceramics in the first place so if you see this I'd like to know your opinion, do these perform better than spyderco ceramics and have you experience any loss in performance (you mentioned you do use soapy water which according to the makers is a no no)? And how does the durability compare to spyderco's?
Theyre up to $57 now ,as of 1/1/24 ….am a novice at sharpening and have honestly sucked at it for decades but am trying to get to get better and am stocking up on gear …recently got a strop for the first time and a dmt double sided fine/ extra fine diamond plate… the plate is a quandary to me. Most “ how to vids” say not to put much pressure ,so i dont …but cant seem to get any type of real bur (now that i know im suppose to get one lol)….so i use an old cheap heavy grit double sided like a 120/240 (think its like a iron oxide or some other cheap compound of some sort?) and get a small bur line ….when i remove the bur ,finish up with dmt and strop the knife seems to get smoother yes but also seems to dull some ….I don’t know if its my knifes aren’t the $200 blades youre using here (have couple different older buck locking blades ,and leatherman utility blade, mora kniv, oh and a old Japanese straight sheath knife ive had simce the 80’s(that ive had machinists try to edge for me and i get sharper than they did ,though not near what id like )and another buck straight sheath blade . My buck locking blades i can get to half decent edges but they dint seem to hold it past a few cuts ,i assume because of my technique 🤷🏼♂️…hence why im here researching lol…. I don’t know if im ready to buy more stones but your associate link only had like a couple reviews on amazon ,all 5 stars but I don’t know …i hate possibly throwing money away as tempting as this is ….off to read some comments here and decide 🤷🏼♂️😬….oh and you put a link for a “bad” stone ….? It looked ok but ill take your word for it ,odd you put a link for it ..? But as shitty as it is it had a clip on angle guide ,are those (clip on guides)any good in general? Imwomder if im not keeping my angle correct or something ….?
I go from the 1000 straight to the 8000 and never saw an issue with doing that. It takes the scratches out, removes the burr and leaves a mirror polish. That might take one or two strokes more than with another stone in between but it´s good enough for me.
Oh god. The world's worst stone link took me straight to the one I bought when I wanted to get started.
I bought more and the 8000 grit is coarser than the 6000 grit.
I will return what I can and I will take your advice on these three.
In Sweden we have a phrase called "learning money" or rather "learning cost". I spent money and I learned my lesson...
I bought the Shapton 1000 as a one-stone system based on your recommendation, and I love it! I'd like to move to a two stone system for an even sharper edge on my general purpose carbon steel / stain-less kitchen knives, which I use mostly for veg prep. I'm not interested in a three stone system. I thought that 1000 would pair up nicely with a 3000 or 4000. But Shapton only offer the 1000, 2000 or 5000, unless I finish on a Shapton Glass or Rock Star 3/4000, which use a different grit size system, which I can't work out. What should I do?
Just the video instruction I was looking for. Thank you! Of course, Amazon cost for the three stones total $200, as of today. I'm definitely getting the 1000 today.
Great videos. I just got into sharpening, you have been my resource. I bought the full lineup of Shapton Kuromakus up to 12k. Now every knife in my house can shave hair. On to mastering straight razors, swords and tools. Thoroughly enjoying this new found hobby
Awesome to hear! Sounds like you're hooked 👍
My Set just arrived and the first edge is done. They are amazing in particular if you consider the price. I don't know how much I have spent on sharpening stuff but these could replace most of it.
Nice work! I want those stones but have good stuff. Thinking about getting them just for fun
Woooooah--- that mirror edge! See ya next Prime day stone!
It’s lucky to can find you, explanation it’s easy to understand and yes really helpful!!
First rate review ! Will definitely be looking into those . Love sharpening freehand ! Thanks !
You should try suehiro cerax 1000...
I try quite a bit of 1000 grit stone... Cerax is the best for 1000 grit
Yeah, that 1k is an absolute classic. Suggestion: comparison of major stone maker's "X"k stones. Makers like Chosera, King, Naniwa, Shapton, Suehiro. Comparing specific grits and what they are made of and how accurate the "X" grit really is. Another thought: soakers versus splashers; what's beyond the obvious difference.
Id love to do all of those. Honestly the things holding me back is spending the money buying them all. 😂
Chosera is a stone made by Naniwa
I use Shapton stones to hone my straight razors. The quality and the ease of use of these stones is unbelievable !
And funny thing is that Shapton 12K didn't had good reviews online and people was not happy with the stone.
I've got it and try it on my razors and LOVED IT !!! So much that I bought a second one for spare !
I had Naniwa Gouken 12K and that stone have limitations. I can't hone more than 15 passes cos after ruin my razor edges. It has a plasticky feeling and the razor does not glide smoothly.
With the Shapton 12K I can even over hone the razor and still not ruin the edge plus it leaves a mirror polish on the edge.
As for the scratches you see on your edges that has to do with the light angle. If you light your edge on your scope directly above no matter what hone you've done you will always see scratches.If you throw the light in an angle you will see the mirror finish in your scope.
I’ve never use a Shapton pro 1000 but I have a Shapton pro 12,000 and it’s held up really well. I’ve sharpened everything up to zdp-189 and it was able to withstand that
I gotta say, I had to order a couple, the 1000 and 2000, after watching this video and I agree. These are the nicest stones I’ve ever owned. I really like them.😃👍🏻
Glad you like them!
I have 3 of them, but i always spent 30 mins minimum for each knife, look like i have to retraining my sharpen skill, tks for sharing
Love Spyderco knives. The only other folder/fixed knife brand that I carry is..., nvmd, just Spyderco...
The Shapton Kuromaku 1000 arrived yesterday. Tried it, loved it. 😊
Got the 1000 when you posted your first video about it and I am super pleased. Thank you for tip! Went ahead and snagged these two also.
Shapton is great. I'm very happy with my Shapton glass stones both for woodworking handtools and Global kitchen knives. I still have a few others to change to Shaptons, not because to old ones isn't good but because Shapton just feels better.
I would like to see an honest comparison between Shapton and Naniwa another brand that also seems to make very good stones.
I read a review by someone else on how good those stones are. This person also suggested a lapping plate to keep the stones flat. If you are using the stones for plane irons, would you lap them and how often? After each use?
I've got the 1000 and 2000, used them for years and I daresay I will pass them on to my sons. They give a scary sharp edge and I haven't bothered to get any others. I have a Norton 4000/8000 combo that I bust out every now and again.
@@dt-sc1000 than if you feel like getting a 2k later than go for it.
Thank you for sharing this information. Most helpful. I enjoy all your videos and appreciate you making them.
A good setup King 300, Shapton 1000, Cerax 3000, and Sigma Select II 6000 grit.
Very cool assortment of sharpening stones. I like it
I just ordered grits 320 through 5000 after watching this video. I've been searching for replacements for my cheaper stones that dished out, and I chose these over DMTs since I don't really like the feel of diamond stones.
Youll be happier with these. I still love the dmt diamond but they are all work no play. These made sharpening fun again 🙂
Had to go back on this and thank you again! 🎉 I’m going from collecting knives to shapton stones
I start with the Sharpal diamond dual sided stone (320 - 1200) and once I do 10 passes on each side of the knife and then on each side of the stone) I move onto the Shapton 2,000 Grit Kuromaku, then I go to the Shapton Kuromaku 5,000 grit. Once I finish with those, I move over to my leather strop with the 4 micron wicked edge diamond emulsion spray. It's AMAZING.
have you tested suehiro cerax 1000? According to many specialists, it is the best stone of this gradation and, most importantly, it is cheap and has a leveling stone
nice, that mirror edge looked outstanding
I am with you on these stones, for the price and solidness of them, they are superior to anything else I have used. I did spluge on the a dia-flat to flatten them whenever it is needed however. Other than that they are exceptional to anything else.
1k is,great for a knife thats being brought back, recommendations about something courser for heavier work?
I like diamond for heavier work. They just work so well removing steel.
Hey, I'm going to try the set
I was thinking about the dmt recommend by you
And today, you appeared with another recommendation
Thanks for the heads up on this stone. Mine just arrived and so far I think you were right about them.
Some softer light might help your photos. Either a classic light tent or, believe it or not, some LED lights through plastic storage containers.
My primary stones have been this line of Shapton's in the 1k, 2k, 5k, 8k, and 12k offerings. Depending on what I am working with, I also have Shapton Glass 500, 1000, 3000, 8000, 16000, and 30000 models. These and their glass stones are super freaking amazing! Imagine these on steroids, with even better feedback and "flatness", and that is the Shapton glass variants. a little pricier, but they have their place! Excellent stones for anyone!
I was wondering how the kuromaku compare to the glass ones. Thanks for the input!
@@Jymyte My pleasure! To help a little further, the Glass Stones are guaranteed flat OOTB, as that is the design behind them. They also do not dish quickly, and maintain their flatness much longer. The Kuromaku stones though ALSO come flat OOTB, and I have only had 1 that was super, and I mean SUPER slightly "less than flat" but nowhere close enough to matter when finishing and edge. I can tell you that the feedback on my Kuromaku 8k vs. the Shapton glass 8k is minimal. I would say the feedback is a little more "rough" on the Kuromaku, but not in some crazy bad way, if that makes sense? The glass stones just feel like, well, glass! Pun intended, but of course they aren't called Glass because of that, though... lol If you want to know anything more about them I would be more than happy to answer. I have been using them quite some time now as well as the Kuromaku and use them at least 3 times a week. I just added the 220 Glass variant to the mix , and used it to put a brand new edge on a knife I forged (just to see how easily I could). It was a 1095 knife I forged, and RH was 61.. The Shapton Glass 220 put an edge on it in under 3 minutes. I don't normally do it that way, but wanted to test and see how quickly and efficiently it could do it.
Thanks for the heads up. Been meaning to pick up a better set of stones than the ones i cut my teeth on a few years ago.
I discovered your channel the other day. I subscribed. Im really enjoying the videos. 👍
I currently have Norton wetstones in 220,1000,4000 grit. Your making me want more stones 😄
I've used these for several years now. I've found them to be excellent for high-carbon steel knives but less so on stainless blades. They still work on stainless but take more work than with other bench stones I have. Cheers.
I couldn't tell in the video, do you get these wet? I'm really interested in these. Thank you for the video!
Cheers, man! I'm still very happy with these too.
I bought this set of stones and received them yesterday. Is it normal that the 1000 stone can bubble like a soaking stone? It cut nicely nevertheless without seeing any significant stone wear (practically I saw only the cut metal in the water), so I am satisfied.
With the 5000 I am also able to reach reasonably shiny bevels, so the 8000 and 12000 is for maximalists, not to mention the 30000 stone.
It should not surprise me though as I can make nice shiny bevels with the 4000 Tojiro stone as well, which should be made by Naniwa according to the appearance and the distinctive warning on its side. (do not soak more than an hour because it will cause damage. Guess who soaked it for more than an hour when I wasn't able to decode Japanese? :D )
Shapton, shapton glass, naniwa chosera, naniwa resin bonded diamond stones ♥️
I ordered these recently after your first video, since I also had the cheap crappy ones that would dish out after very little time. These stones are amazing! I got the 8K and 12K ones too for my straight razor and that also worked really well. I'm sure that I'll need to flatten them eventually, any recommendation for a surface lapping stone of some sort? I have one that I got a while ago but even that one seems to be low quality as it's visibly starting to get dished out, so would be nice to find something that will work and will last.
I love the Shapton Pro 1000 and 5000 for most sharpening, although I have used various media including diamonds. I use the 5000 to hone and refine the 1000 grit. I agree, the wine colored stone is definitely a polishing stone. I have some forged project knives, what would you suggest for a profiling coarse stone, thinking Shapton 220 or Shapton Glass 220 !?!
The shapton glass 220 is much better than the shapton pro 220
Thank you for this video. Excellent information!
Shapton 2k is my favorite stone. It cuts fast for a fine stone.
Bought Kuromaku 1000 as my first whetstone, will probably buy finer ones later. Is Kuromaku 320 good for dull knives, as preparation for 1000?
I got the shapton 200 diamond as a flattening stone/ profiling others knives for sharpening I got the shapton glas 1000 and 6000. I had mine for about 4 years now and i love them but after seeing this im thinking about getting the 2000 too
The 2k is 🥰
I love your videos! Can i ask what your favorite way to flatten these stones?
Hello! I'm not a huge knife enthusiast, but I am in the market for a sharpening stone to use to sharpen my kitchen knives, and perhaps one to get my parents for Christmas. Is there a single stone you would consider 'good enough' for sharpening kitchen knives, and if so I would love to see some recommendations.
Im a chef just buying my first nice knife and want to start using whetstones, would I need to get up to an 8000 grit or would the 5000 do. Im getting a Japanese blue stainless clad knife
How do they compare to the Spyderco ceramic stones?
My 1000 has dished actually. I picked up a cheap diamond stone to flatten it but I’m not convinced it’s even worth doing it. Lately after I use it I give it some passes with the diamond to take the edges back down but it’s not super effective tbh.
Hi, I would like to use a stone to sharpen my kitchen and hunting knives. Do I need something intermediate between say a sharpening stick and this 1000 grit stone?
My first Kuromaku, the Shapton Kuromaku 1000 that I order after watching the last video, is arriving today. Really looking forward to it and I suspect I will spend quite some time with it and all my knives. Going from the cheap chinese slurry-stones that I been learning to sharpen on I have high hopes for this one.
Great stones, really good price! When my Missarka from Zische will wear out I might consider trying them.
It would be great to have a video about how to care of these stones :-) I saw some laping disc from Shapton, but not sure if that's enough? Also is it a way to flatten the stone? Seems like it is not that big of area with the disc, I planned to use the sanding paper as in your older video. But it would be nice to see complete guide from reliable source (you! 😁) focused on these stones. Thanks for taking me out of the market for expensive sharpening systems!
Shapton recommends using one stone to flatten the other, like use the 1000 to flatten/clean the 5000 by rubbing slightly ...
I ordered all three today.
So, now I own these.... most excellent
Awesome! I love them. Most of my family and friends have them as well 👍
@OUTDOORS55 those stones with the strop I got from you.... it's easy to keep knives razor sharp.
Outstanding video I have the same stones plus a 8000 for really polished edges
There is an 8000 there
I just have two EDC knives. SRK-C for killing and a CRKT Dextro for utility. I got a nice japanese ceramic whetstone with 1000/6000 grit and a quality strop. It's more than enough for maintaining an edge. If I need to redefine an edge I use a crappy 400 grit aluminium oxide whetstone, almost never had to use it.
Should be able to sharpen a straight razor really well right? Do you believe you need the much higher grit stones(15k, 30k) for a straight razor used for shaving?
I like to finish on the 1000 grit shapton glass. I dont feel like my knife is as sharp on anything finer
Great video. I'm new to knives, and own mostly folders in s45vn and SPY27 from Spyderco. Would you say these stones would work similarly well for those two steels? Or would diamond stones be the only practical option?