King Japanese waterstone from Matsunaga Stone, 2000 grit. A fine stone for honing and refining the edge after a medium stone. Soak the stone in water before use. Dimensions 205 × 50 × 25 mm.
King Japanese waterstone from Matsunaga Stone, 2000 grit. A fine stone for honing and refining the edge after a medium stone. Soak the stone in water before use. Dimensions 205 × 50 × 25 mm.
There are several good ways to sharpen chisels and plane irons: water stones, diamond stones, oil stones and sharpening machines such as Tormek. All give sharp edges, but they differ in speed, maintenance and price.
A honing guide makes it easier to keep the same angle every time. The most important thing is to find a method you enjoy and use often. The guide helps you choose.
Which water stone you need depends on how dull your edges are and how fine a finish you want. A common setup is a coarse stone around 1000 grit to shape the edge and a fine stone around 5000–8000 grit to polish it. For chipped edges you need a coarser stone too.
Water stones wear unevenly and need flattening regularly. The guide explains grits, brands and flattening.