SHAPTON Ha No Kuromaku Ceramic Whetstone (E-set) Medium Grit (#1000) + Fine Grit (#5000, #8000)

I'm an amateur at the sharpening game but these produced unreal results. If the blades are already profiled with the bevel you want, the 1000 grit gets them to a nice burr and sharpens them. The 5000 and 8000 take them to a mirror finish. Straight razor sharpness results. I always finish with a diamond grit leather strop and I'm very pleased. Next project is leveling, but that's a different subject.

Absolutely fantastic stones. I have the 1k, 2k, 5k, 8k, and 12k and I love every one of them. They are very fast cutting, extremely slow wearing, and super dish resistant. I use these for the knives, and majority of the time with straight razors that I restore/hone/sell as a side business, so they see a lot of use and they don’t show any wear, especially the finer stones like the 5k, 8k and 12k. I believe they are still the same thickness (15mm) as when they arrived despite being used 100s of times. The 1k may at most has lost 1/2 a mm in thickness. The finer stones basically never need to be lapped, and the 1k only needs it every 30 or so razors if not more, an when I lap it it’s just barely out of flat. The coarser grit stones don’t load up or clog at all. The 12k does load a bit, but it doesn’t stop cutting. And all you have to do is rub your finger over the loaded spots and it suspends into the water.For the value you just can’t beat these. Even if they were double in price they would probably still be worth it. I have a lot of other brands of stones as well, naniwa, suehiro, king etc and these are by far my favorite.I just got the 2k for Christmas and it’s quickly becoming my favorite. It removes metal basically as fast as the 1k, yet leaves a much finer edge. I use it as my finishing stone for kitchen knives. It sets the steel up nicely for the 5k, and I get to spend less time on the 5k coming from the 2k instead of the 1k. My next purchase will be the 1.5k..I’m considering buying a second set to use strictly for knives and tools and just for backup. My only complaints are that they don’t have a 3k, and also that the kuromaku 12k is 1.28 micron compared to the American shapton pro is a 15k at .98 micron. I wish this versions 12k was under 1 micron, but the different is negligible.

Long lasting, consistent, easy to use and maintain, excellent result. Get a flattening stone to maintain these stones as you sharpen.

The media could not be loaded. This set is amazing. Just amazing. I have been sharpening knives for 20 years and these are easily the best stones I have ever had. The 1k/5k/8k grit combo is great. I will be buying a 2k as well, just so I can spend less time on the 5k. The stones are perfectly flat, true to grit rating, extremely slow to wear, and they cut quickly. The higher grit stones do not have the best feedback, but not bad either.... if you have ever used Arkansas stones at all they're about like that..... so yeah, not bad at all, just not that "typical Japanese whetstone feel". If I ever wear these out (which if it happens at all will be over a decade from now)I will purchase the exact same stones to replace them. Sharpened up to 8k and lightly stropped on the 8k stone to finish, all my knife edges have a perfect mirror finish and shave with ease.

I love these stones. 1000 and 6000 work very well for the type of kitchen knife sharpening that I do. However, I don't feel the 8000 is truly necessary. It would be more beneficial to individually buy either only 1000 and 6000 or both of those along with a more coarse stone.

Been used a while. It’s really good stone . But little bit expensive

I finally bit the bullet because the price, the deal, on Amazon was too good to pass up. And a couple of days ago got around to using them. I took the "irons" from all 4 of my hand planes. The irons were already in good shape, didn't need any grinding. With a slightly modified "Atlin honing guide", I had honed the inserts, stropped on a letter strop and I could shave with all of them. Popped them back into their plane bodies and, Man, they cut so smoothly and I was getting the finest, little shavings. Can't wait to build a Paul Sellers' plate to hold them. Next all my chisels. This is a great and quick way to restore the sharpest edge and for an amateur woodworker a superb tool to own and use for a good long time!

It was recommended to me by an experienced timber framer. I like these stones a lot.