Shapton Ceramic HR Glass Stones are the finest man-made ceramic water stones….period! This is based largely on two properties - the speed at which the Shapton stones cut and the edge they create. Shapton stones are designed to be harder, faster cutting, and denser than any other ceramic water stone on the market. Because they remove material quickly, the time required to hold a tool angle on the stone is reduced, making free hand sharpening much easier. Equally important to cutting speed is the consistency of the finished edge. The sharpest cutting edge is created by the finite intersection of two highly polished, flat surfaces and I think Shapton stones create the best polished surfaces.

• Each stone is comprised of a 5mm thick glass backing plate fused to a 5mm thick stone and measures 2-3/4” wide x 8-1/4” long.

• I recommend purchasing, and using, the Shapton heavy stone holder. As it provides a secure platform making it easier to flatten and use your stone.

• For polishing tool edges I use my Trend diamond stone (fine side) to create a secondary bevel then follow that up with my Shapton 16,000 grit stone to create a polished tertiary bevel, free of scratches, with a mirror finish and a razor sharp edge.

• For flattening the backs of my chisels I follow up my Trend diamond stone with a Shapton 6000 grit stone then a Shapton 16,000 grit stone.  Together these leave a flat, mirrored surface.

• For folks who are willing to spend some more money and time to gain an extra 2-5% of edge sharpness follow-up your Shapton 16,000 grit stone with the Shapton 30,000 grit stone.   

Product Details

• Overview.  The Shapton GlassStone HR Series of Ceramic Waterstones is Shapton's most advanced series of stones for sharpening hard steels and modern steel alloys. They are one of the highest quality stones available at any price. Manufactured to the strictest tolerances, the Shapton GlassStone is a high quality ceramic waterstone that uses uniform ceramic abrasives to provide a consistent and fast cut. The stones are backed with glass (hence the name GlassStone) to provide an exceptionally flat base. The Shapton GlassStones measure 8 1/4" long and 2 3/4" wide x 3/8" thick (210mm x 70mm x 10.5mm). Made in Japan.

• Fast Cutting and Longer Wearing. Waterstones are known for fast cutting which speeds up sharpening. Shapton GlassStones are very fast cutting, yet they wear much less than traditional waterstones. By wearing slower, they will require less flattening and you will remove less abrasive material when flattening.

• Glass Backing. Each stone is backed with 5 millimeters of glass which provides a firm, flat base to adhere the ceramic waterstone abrasives. In addition, the glass backing provides you with a greater utilization of the stone because you can wear it down to the very end. In any other waterstone, as they wear thin, the stone will break and cannot be used.

• Abrasive Particles. The abrasive particles in the Shapton stones are very consistently graded for optimal performance. In some grits, the particles are within .01 micron of one another. In other words, each particle is the same size. This uniform size allows the stone to sharpen faster and create a better finish. If a stone is inconsistently graded some particles are larger (thus providing a coarser edge) while some are smaller (slowing down the sharpening process). In usage we've found Shapton Stones to be very consistent and true to the specified grits.

• Size.  Shapton GlassStones measures 210mm x 70mm x 10.5mm. This is approximately 8-1/4" x 2-3/4" x 3/8". Each GlassStone is 10.5mm in total thickness with 5mm ceramic sharpening matrix and 5mm glass backing plate. This size is a good size for sharpening most tools and knives.

• What is a GlassStone? The stone itself is not made of glass. The ceramic sharpening matrix is actually white. The glass is only on the bottom of the stone to serve as a base. The grit and micron equivalents are marked on the underside of the stone and visible through the glass side for easy identification.

• No Soaking Required. Unlike traditional waterstones, Shapton waterstones do not require soaking. It is literally a “splash and go” stone. Since the binder doesn't absorb water, there is no need to soak the stones. We recommend a squirt bottle to keep the surface wet.

• HR Series. The HR Series of GlassStones is a versatile stone for most sharpening applications. The HR Series is ideal for many harder steels, stainless steels as well as harder steel alloys.

• Made in Japan.