These are one of the more popular lines from Suehiro, it's a decent starter stone which is quite easy to use at first. There are stones that cut faster and are not as soft, but this is still better than many other stones on the market at this price.
- Suehiro New Cerax CR-4800
- Grit: 1000 (Medium) and 6000 (Fine-Finishing)
- Whetstone Size: 183 x 63 x 13mm
- Weight: 950g
- Cleaning Stone Included
- Professional Sharpening Stone / Whetstone
- Made in Japan
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.