BJDesign King Whetstone Set, 1000/6000 Grit, Made in Japan, 4 Pieces | Knife angle holder, wiping cloth, stable plastic base, for kitchen knife sharpening, beginner-friendly, scissors, chisels

I needed this for sharpening my grooming supplies-perfect size-

I've enjoyed using this stone for upkeep and regular sharpening. I reach for a coarser stone if I need to repair chips or edge damage, because the 1,000 would take too much time. The base is pretty decent and good enough for me. I like that the edges are beveled to limit the chance of chipping the stone.

The stone works great. It seems to be quality material.

A couple of weeks ago I was cleaning some crappies I caught ice fishing. I was really having trouble. I wasn’t cleaning the fish, I was mutilating them. By the time I was done the area looked like a crime scene. I surmised that my fillet knife might need sharpening. When we bought our cabin on the lake 29 years ago there was a two sided sharpening stone in a box, in the garage, that I used for sharpening knifes. The box didn’t say anything about grit content of the stones so I viewed some youtube videos on the subject to find out. The youtube folks were using 800, 1000 and even 6000 grit stones for sharpening their knifes. I took to Google to see if I could determine the grit content of this mysterious, unlabeled, probably purchased at a hardware store, sharping stone that was handed down to us from the previous cabin owners, and found it was probably 400 grit on the course side and 800 on the fine side. I ordered the 1000/6000 grit whetstone and I’m slowly but surely restoring the sharpness of our knifes. Slowly, because I’m still learning sharpening technique and I was probably damaging the blades with the 400 grit stone.

This 1000/6000 grit combination waterstone made in Japan by KING is fantastic, high quality and absolutely perfect for the kitchen!! I have used the KING brand waterstones in my shop for sharpening chisels, woodworking tools and knives in various grits ranging from 1000-8000, and love them!Unlike regular whetstones that use oil, these whetstones use water, and as the water evaporates or soaks into the stone so you just add a few more drops of water to the stone with your fingers and keep sharpening. With oil whetstones it's necessary to keep wiping off the oil as metal particles being removed from your knife or tool embed into the stone's pores, but I find when using a waterstone that really doesn't happen (or at least not near as bad), and actually the build up of a slurry on waterstones is beneficial to sharpening process!What I really like about this kit though is, unlike my other waterstones this is a combination stone with grits perfect for kitchen knives! And, it also includes a base (which are usually sold separately), and even includes a Knife Angle Holder so if you don't sharpen your knives that often, you'll still be able to get the best, and repeatable, angle for the sharpest knives in your rack or drawer!I have a couple other Japanese waterstone bases, but I really like this one. It's durable, doesn't skid, and all-around tops off this kit nicely. The base, with the combination waterstone, cloth and knife angle holder make for a compact kit that is easy to keep in the kitchen and pull out whenever you have a knife or two that needs sharpening. Now I don't have to make a special trip out to the shop to get my box of waterstones and bases to bring back to the kitchen when it comes time to sharpen the kitchen cleavers and knives!TIP: When using your waterstone, soak it in a couple inches of water in your sink or a pan for a few minutes (until it quits bubbling). The stones are porous and need this water to be kept wet and build a slurry for the best sharpening. As well, when your sharpening is complete, wash off the stone and let it dry thoroughly if you plan on keeping it in any kind of airtight container, or it will likely mildew. I just wrap the stone in the wiping cloth, set that on the base and keep them together on a shelf in a kitchen cabinet and that works great.Thank you BJDesign Store for offering a perfect kit for the kitchen to keep our knives and cleavers sharp and performing as they should!!

OK, I'm something of a sharpening nerd, mostly when it comes to woodworking but also for kitchen knives.I hate to see good kitchen knives treated with "sharpening" machines or (ugh) "steels". There is a much better way...This was interesting to me because it has two very useful grits for general use in a single laminated stone. I tend to avoid hauling out my set of waterstones from the workshop to the kitchen, and as a consequence knives are often less sharp than I would like. So a more compact solution that could just stay in a kitchen drawer was appealing.The King branded stones are good quality. The holder is very nice for use on a countertop, it doesn't slip at all. The size is large enough to allow easy sharpening of large knives without being cumbersome. The 1000 grit is going to be for initial sharpening of knives that have gotten very dull, for general sharpening to keep a good edge the 6000 is a good grit to work with. I go much higher, to 8 or 10,000 grit for chisels and fine woodworking tools, but that may be overkill for general use.I don't understand the "guide" included. Since knives vary so much in width, I don't see how it can be helpful. I just go by eye and feel. But I am probably missing something- instructions are lacking, but if you are new to waterstones there are many instructions online.My only criticism is that it would have been nice for the grit to be printed onto the sides of the stones. It's pretty obvious which is finer by feel, but having a reference for those of us with multiple stones would be helpful.

This is my first experience using Japanese waterstones for my woodworking tools. These two stones help me flatten the back of my blades before I use an ultrafine stone to polish them. The base works well to hold the stones from moving, and so far, I am satisfied with my purchase.