SHARPAL 162N Double-sided Diamond Sharpening Stone Whetstone Knife Sharpener |Coarse 325 / Extra Fine 1200 Grit | Storage Case with NonSlip Base & Angle Guide (8 in. x 3 in.)

I got this because I watched a YouTube video of a guy who is a bit too into knife sharpening talking about this product, describing it as possibly the best for beginners. Learning curve for locking your wrist and being consistent with the sharpening angle isn't too steep. The diamond stone looks very well built and uniform. Case doubles as a nonslip stand. Angle helper pyramid with a magnet is perfect.Coupled with Sharpal's double sided leather strop, I'm able get unexpectedly good results given how inexperienced I am. This ended up being an unexpected high bang for buck purchase.

I waited to write this review until I had a chance to sharpen up a few knives with this stone. After sharpening several knives, I'm happy to report the sharpener works well and is holding up just fine. The grits are great for putting on a new edge and getting your blade ready for the strop. It's a great size for all my knives and carving axes. The case is a bonus and makes the entire package a great value. I know some have said the diamonds don't bite or get worn off after several sharpening, but that's not my experience at all. I was able to bring up a nice burr fairly quickly, refine the edge and get it ready for stropping. After a quick strop, every knife and carving axe I've sharpened with this stone was able to shave hair off my arm. Would I buy it again? Yep, in a heartbeat.

This sharpening stone is effective, easy to use and (relatively) cost-effective. The 300 grit side is useful for quickly profiling an edge and bringing it to apex/burr. Careful use of the 1000 grit side can effectively remove the burr without requiring the use of a stropping operation. I highly recommend the 8" length instead of the smaller 6" length for both guided sharpening systems and hand sharpening as well. You'll appreciate the additional length as it provides more surface area and allows for longer sharpening strokes leading to improved consistency and performance.

This is my very first "sharpening system" that I have purchased primarily for sharpening my woodworking tools. I always wanted to go straight to diamond whetstones due to their low maintenance and longevity compared to traditional oil or water stones, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that initial expense. Then comes along this Sharpal system (I bought the 3"x8" variety). The price was so good, I was a bit leary about the quality or whether or not it would last. Not having much experience sharpening hand woodworking tools, I wasn't even sure if the basic two-grit system (325 and 1200 for this set) would work (including a leather strop, which I purchased separately).Sharpal's description of their product checked all the right boxes: monocrystaline diamonds, electroplated bonding, super flat plate, storage and holding case. With the 3 year warranty and the great price, I decided I had nothing to lose, so I took the plunge.I used it for the first time yesterday (along with an off-brand "Eclipse" style honing guide that I also recently purchased). I had a #4 plane iron and a set of 4 chisels that needed sharpening. The iron is used (~100 years old) and just needed a basic touch-up, but the chisels were brand new and had never been set up or sharpened (except by the factory). In all cases, the Sharpal system performed fantastically well. All of my worries about only having a coarse and extra fine grit (and stroping) step in my sharpening process were laid to rest. These two grits along with the strop were all I needed to get hair-shaving-, magazine-paper-slicing-sharp edges on my tools.Sharpal says to sharpen dry, but I decided to use some Windex for this first go-around (based on what I've learned from the web). It worked just fine. I will likely try to sharpen dry, like Sharpal recommends, next time around. One thing I noticed is that, when I was all done, it took a bit of effort to clear out all of the metal dust, even though I was using the Windex to keep metal from building up. I have to wonder, then, if the Windex made much difference. In any case, when I was finished, I rinsed the plate under the sink and scrubbed it with my fingers (I didn't have a nylon brush handy). It came clean at the expense of my finger prints. :)The base/case works very well. It protects the plate while stored, has a handy cutout to hold the "angle finder" pyramid and holds the plate perfectly still while sharpening due to its foam rubber bottom.Back to that angle finder pyramid. This was a pleasant little bonus. I have a few high end Japanese kitchen knives that I have traditionally sharpened with a Lansky sharpening system (the one with the the blade clamp and the skinny whetstones that go on the end of a metal rod). I decided to try sharpening my chef's knife with the Sharpal whetstone. This particular knife has a 20° angle, so that's the side I used on the pyramid. It was surprisingly easy to do this. I think I only made 10 passes on each side of the blade with the coarse grit, then the fine, then my stropping leather. That blade was easily the sharpest it has ever been. So, as a bonus, I now have a better, simpler way to sharpen my knives!I can't really comment on longevity yet since I've only had it for a few days, but so far, it looks like something that will last WAY beyond its 3 year warranty.If you're like me and you've been waiting on the fence to make the investment into diamond whetstones, no need to wait any longer. This is the set you want.

Diamond stone is 300 grit on one side and 1200 on the other. The 300 grit is coarse and useful for removing nicks and changing the bevel angle. For sharpening while maintaining the existing bevel angle, the 1200 grit stone works beautifully. It comes with a handy bevel angle guide. When using the stone, the shape of the plastic box makes it necessary to remove the long lid hinge pin in order to remove the lid (which is a hassle) or take the stone out of the box altogether which requires placing it on a non-slip surface. That aside, it's a useful tool to keep a fine edge on all your blades.