Shapton Ha No Kuromaku #1000 (Orange)

Another classic, and one that's interesting beyond the kitchen table: the Shapton Kuromaku gets used by woodworkers for chisels and plane irons just as much as by knife sharpeners. If you're already thinking ahead to our planned second book on sharpening woodworking tools, this is a stone that follows you there.

Splash-and-go like the Naniwa, but thinner (only 15mm), yet extremely hard and dense, which means it dishes (wears in the middle) noticeably slower than softer stones.

Good for: a mid-range sharpening step for kitchen knives just as much as for woodworking tools, a solid all-rounder for both worlds.

Pros:

• Ready instantly, no soaking
• Very hard, holds its shape for a long time
• Plastic case doubles as a stand

Cons:

• Thin profile (15mm) feels less substantial in hand than thicker stones
• Still needs flattening eventually despite the hardness, just less often

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