Best Lee Valley King Utility Combination Water Stone

King water stones were among the first Japanese stones introduced to the West. They are aluminum oxide abrasive in a resin bond. In our testing, they were effective in O1 steel but noticeably slower in tough alloys such as A2. The particles fracture and dull after a short period, performing like progressively finer grits, which allows you to move from a medium grit straight to a finishing stone. They are economically priced, require only a quick soaking before use, and are a good choice for honing softer tool steels or when cost is a concern.

This excellent general-purpose water stone has a 250x/1000x combination.

The 250x is coarse enough for blade shaping and the 1000x finishes the edge well enough for general carpentry.

Measures 8″ × 2″ × 1″.

Made in Japan.