JP Whetstone Price Index

Sharpening setup simulator

Answer three questions; get a grit progression, technique notes, and a complete kit priced to your door. Every recommendation cites the Japanese primary source it comes from — makers and Sakai knife shops, not internet folklore.

  1. 1. Set the edge on a medium stone

    ~#1000 (800–1500)

    Ichimonji's advice: the ~#1000 medium stone is the standard for all sharpening and restores a working edge on its own. Sharpen until you feel a burr along the entire edge (Kai's official completion criterion).

    • (in kit)King Deluxe #1000 (Large, DX-1000)$13.87 · 1300 g
    • Shapton Kuromaku #1000 (Orange)$16.65 · 940 g
    • Shapton Kuromaku #1500 (Blue)$22.90 · 590 g

    Sources: 堺一文字光秀 — 砥石の番手 · 貝印 — 包丁の研ぎ方（両刃）

  2. 2. Refine on a finishing stone

    #2000–#6000

    Ichimonji classifies #2000+ as finishing territory. A #3000–#6000 edge is where kitchen knives gain lasting keenness without becoming over-polished for food release.

    • (in kit)Suehiro Rika #5000 (5000-DN)$23.22 · 670 g
    • Shapton Kuromaku #5000 (Wine)$44.52 · 870 g

    Sources: 堺一文字光秀 — 砥石の番手

Maintenance (part of the kit)

Flattening plate (non-negotiable)

coarse diamond, e.g. #140

Stones dish in the middle and a dished stone rounds the edge you're sharpening. Check with a pencil grid; flatten until the lines vanish. Shapton's manual explicitly advises against sandpaper flattening — use a proper plate or correction stone.

(in kit)Atoma Economy Diamond Plate #140 (body)$44.08 · 550 g

Sources: シャプトン — FAQ · 研匠光三郎 — 面直し

Nagura for your finishing stone

NGR-50 class (#5000)

Suehiro pairs its NGR-50 (#5000) nagura with #3000–#8000 stones: it raises the abrasive slurry that speeds polishing and dresses a glazed surface. Don't rinse the slurry off — it contains the abrasive.

(in kit)Suehiro Nagura #5000 (NGR-50)$6.04 · 150 g

Sources: スエヒロ — 人造名倉シリーズ

Technique notes for your setup

Hold ~15° per side

Kai's official double-bevel guide: about 15 degrees per side for a household gyuto/santoku. Their analog gauge: slide your pinky under the spine — to the nail for thicker fingers, to the first joint for thinner — and you're at roughly 15°.

Source: 貝印 — 包丁の研ぎ方（両刃）

Stainless prefers softer, high-abrasive stones

Ichimonji's stone-matching principle: stainless sharpens more easily on softer stones with higher abrasive power. This is why 'the best #1000' depends on your knife, not the stone alone. Clad knives like Tojiro DP expose only a thin hard core at the edge; the soft cladding follows the same stainless logic.

Source: 堺一文字光秀 — お手入れコラム

Complete kit, delivered to United States

Items (4)$87.21

Shipping as one parcel — 2970 g via DHL$61.70

Total landed$148.92

Compare all products on the price index

Kit totals use the cheapest catalog match per stage and estimate shipping on the combined packed weight — a single-parcel estimate, not a quote. Reference prices; check the live Amazon.co.jp listing before buying.