Shapton Kuromaku Professional Whetstone, 1000 Grit, #K0702
210mm x 70mm, 15mm thick.
This semi-fine stone is used for prepping a final edge. This will smooth out the initially rough edge left by by a coarse stone and will allow you to prep the edge for final finish with a very fine stone such as the 5000 grit. It's still pretty fine though, so don't expect to really do a lot of work on a seriously dull edge with a 1000 grit stone!
These Kuromaku/Professional series stones are fast cutting and long-lasting, offering nice sharpening feedback while still being very hard so they resist dishing nicely. Note that these are splash-and-go, so do not soak these stones.
This stone is also available with additional savings as part of a 3-stone set that will allow you to properly sharpen just about any knife. You might also consider a good stone holder and flattening stone (all stones will wear with use and will need to be flattened).
If you're wondering how difficult freehand sharpening is, or if you feel overwhelmed by all the information online, we had our friend Peter Nowlan from Halifax make this little video to help you get started. Sharpening can be a fun and rewarding skill!
This stone comes in a convenient plastic case that also doubles as a lightweight stone holder, though the affordable Naniwa universal/adjustable stone holder also works great for these stones and will certainly be much more stable and secure.
If you're here looking for your first sharpening stone, be sure to also consider the excellent Shapton Glass Stones, they are very hard and so don't dish (wear) too easily, are very smooth to work with, and are excellent for knives and woodworking tools alike.
Made in Japan.
Be sure to check out the Shapton FAQ.