With some of the finest kitchen knives in the world, only the finest sharpeners will do to ensure you keep them at their full potential. High-quality Japanese water stones are the best way to put a new edge on the high carbon stainless steel of Shun knives—keep your blades in pristine condition with this double-sided whetstone. For precision sharpening, this whetstone has two different grits. The fine 1000 grit side puts a keen, finished edge on the blade and begins a mirror polish, while the side with an even finer 6000 grit completes the mirror polish, resulting in razor-sharp perfection. To correctly use this classic Japanese combination whetstone, soak the stone thoroughly (approximately an hour) before use. To sharpen, use light to moderate pressure in alternating strokes across the surface of the stone. A mud-like paste will accumulate on the whetstone during sharpening, add some more water but leave the paste—it is helping to sharpen and polish the blade! Start with the coarser grit and progress to finer ones for that perfect edge. After use, clean the whetstone under running water and air dry.