The Kitayama whetstone has a grit rating of 8,000 but some stores claim that it is 12,000. The reason for this confusion is that the stone "seems" like a higher grit. We use the actual rating on the stone. The Kitayama whetstone should be soaked in water for about 15 minutes before use. Kitayama stones contain Magnesium salts that will dissolve in water so it is recommended that you do not leave the stone in water for long periods of time.
The stone cuts well. It also comes with a small nagura. and stand.
This stone doesn’t need to be soaked before use,it works great as a splash and go. Don’t use the nagura to build a slurry,it’s there for cleaning up the stone,rinse the slurry off. This stone cuts amazingly fast for such a fine grit. It gives a mirror polish finer than most 10k stones. It’s a steal at twice the price. Now that I have used it,I can’t believe I lived without it for so long. This is the nicest finishing stone I have ever used. It’s got a great feel,nice and smooth,not too hard,not too soft. Perfection
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By: Aniceto Moreno Jr
Waco,TX
This is my first whet stone that I have purchased and it is everything I hoped it would be. I normally do not soak the stone prior to use rather splash it with water. However,it works great either way. Mirror finish on the blade and envious co-workers abound. Great purchase.
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By: Bryan
Plano,Texas
I use this as my finishing stone after a Suehiro Rika 5000 grit water stone. It polishes up the edge very nicely with relatively little time. Would strongly recommend this as a finishing stone! You should flatten the stone after every use because the metal particles from the blade do accumulate on the surface of the stone.
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By: Paul
Guelph,On
This is an excellent stone.Use after a good 6000 stone and(Do not soak)just splash and keep wet by wiping with fresh water frequently,it will give you a very quick mirror polish as good as or better than any 10-12000 grit stone.It is a pure bonus that it is large and inexpensive
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By: M. Pettersson
Santa Monica,CA
I just bought my second one,it’s a brilliant finishing stone that if treated right could give that dark deep mirror finish. Also it has great feeback and is a pure pleasure to work on.
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By: Aaron
Akron,OH
I’ve wanted to use this stone for a good while but always kept putting it off. Do I regret it. Wonderful stone for the price,easily worth twice the amount. Hard stone yet fast cutting,low water consumption (just splash and go). But I should note that while yes this stone will work as a 8k it will shine if used after 8 or 10K stones. The finish will be much better if you use it this way. Simply an awesome stone.
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By: Barnet Rawitch
Newport Beach,CA
Outstanding stone purchased from outstanding online store.
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By: Ronny
Aurora,IL
One of the best 8000 grit water stones for your money.
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By: greg haines
stockbridge,ga
this is a great stone,just a rub with the slurry stone and a spritz with water and you’re ready to go. Great feedback,excellent polished bevel. Does a wonderful job on my straight razors and all my knives. Also excellent value at this price.
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