Naniwa Super-Stone Pierre à aiguiser japonaise, grain 220

I have purchased all my Sakai Takayuki Traditional Knives from PaulsFinest, Qty 1 Nakiri, Qty 1 Usuba. Both of these knives can with patience be sharpened to that of a razor. This makes any vegetable slicing and chopping so easy, if fact you can slice the end off your thumb and before you feel it you have half finished the slicing task you started. I sliced the skin clean off the end of my thumb without touching the flesh underneath. That is my definition of sharp.However I do strongly suggest you match your knife purchase with Naniwa Professional whet stones. I have the following grits, 220 for the basic starting or repair on damaged blades. 400 grit for the heavy duty basic sharpening, followed by 1000 grit to remove all the burrs then for polishing the blade edge I have a 5000 and a 12000 grit Naniwa Professional Stones. and for those like me I also suggest a Blade Angle Guide to help you maintain a consistent Blade Edge Angle. a Naniwa stone holder, The best place to sharpen you knives is over your sink so a sink bridge is a wise investment.
I suggest a of this as if you hide a your sharpening gear in an unused bedroom to in the basement, the next thing you will notice is the next time you slice off the end of your thumb it will be with a dull knife and you will take more than just a layer of skin. Make room for your sharpening tools and stones in the kitchen. Make sure it is easy to find not hidden under a long forgotten cook book. I suggest this as the best way to use fine Japanese Knives is to use highly sharpened and polished Japanese knives made by a real craftsman who made each and every knife to be use every day to prepare your meals with love and tenderness for the people you love.