Imanishi whetstones are extremely popular with enthusiast and professional sharpeners. This model is one of the best priced 1k stones we've used for the performance level, not quite as good as Nano Hone or SNE etc but really good for the cost.
- Imanishi Japanese Whetstone
- Arashiyama 1000
- Whetstone Size: 215 x 75 x 26mm
- Whetstone Weight: 803g
- Professional Sharpening Stone / Whetstone
Japanese Sharpening Stones (Whetstones)
The consensus for sharpening Japanese kitchen knives, as well as Japanese woodworking tools, is the use of a whetstone. Dry grinding can affect temper (effectively ruining your knife or tool) and diamond plates are often too aggressive (removing too much material).
All Japanese whetstones will require flattening after use, no matter what type of stone, or the style of your sharpening, all whetstones will begin to dish over time. We recommend a ceramic flattening stone, or diamond plate for this task. For more info, check out Selecting a Japanese Whetstone.