Whetstone - Knife Sharpening Stone - Knife Sharpener Stone - Best 400 1000 Grit Wet Stones Kit - Premium Waterstone Set - Non-Slip Bamboo Base

I'm not actually sure how much I can compare this to other whetstones as this is my third whetstone, but my first whetstone that's more of an average grade. I'm stepping up from the Dollar Tree whetstone combo (has weird hard bits in it but would make a cheap fix stone) and a Harbor Freight dual-sided whetstone (not bad but low lifespan). So I would say those together were like a #20 on the tiny fix, #40 for DT, and #80/#120 for HF. The Sentima #400/#1000 is what I started with but I'll eventually get more of a collection going, and I have a #3000/#8000 arriving in the mail to go with this stone so I can get a real good edge on my blades. There are so many whetstones to chose from on Amazon and I don't know much different this would be from others that look the same.There is definitely a better quality to this than my previous stones and it feels like it would last longer while providing a better sharpening. The silicon gripper and bamboo holder with a rubber bottom work very well. It may slide a little depending on which angle you're grinding from and how much force you apply, so try to work from the top a bit more. Some of the sides on the #400 look as though they don't soak water in, but this didn't affect my grind. I'm not sure how clean I'm supposed to get it after use, so I have a few stains even with a hose on jet spray to clean it off, but I think this might be normal. When the whetstone is used up or if it breaks, the base and grip can be used still for other whetstones, or used as a tray for whatever.I'm new to sharpening knives, not completely, but I think this purchase has marked more a real beginning for me to get into knife sharpening. This whetstone works for me and it's very affordable. So I think this is good entry-level whetstone. But keep grit size in mind. You'd really want to buy at least one coarser and one finer. Buy a piece of leather or a stropping kit. I have no idea how stropping works but it just does and you'll need this with your whetstones, or try newspaper as that is said to work too but not as good. I was using my boots and belt before but a nice wide piece is better and flatter.I did not try oil on the stone and I don't think I will, so I can't comment on the use of oil.

The whetstone appears to be well made. I use the stone to hone a straight razor and it is perfect for setting the bevel on the razor. It cuts into the steel very quickly and evenly which is exactly what I wanted when I bought the stone. I have used it to hone 4 razors so far and it seems to be holding up very well. I would recommend that you also buy a flattening stone to keep this stone in good shape because all stones erode with regular use. The only down side is this stone must be soaked for 10 - 15 minutes before use but that is the nature of these whetstones and I do not hold that against the product. I will also be using this stone to sharpen my knives and will update my review after I use it for that. Over all it seems to be a good product and I would recommend it to a friend

I live the cost of the item the stone works great just takes a while to Knap the knife. Setting an edge takes practice but the coarseness is not as effective as a more expensive stone.

Got my kitchen knives really sharp and gives them a nice edge. Others have said that they would like a more fine finishing grit but I think these have done a fantastic job on my tired knives that I hadn't sharpened in a while. It's a nice set up and I think that most people should be very happy with the quality of the product.

Good quality stone.

didn't order so i don't know

The base works well with all same sized whetstones. However, the rubber base still slips around on a wet countertop. I end up pushing the base against something to keep it in place. The 400/1000 combination works great to quickly remove material then smooth out the rough edge created by the 400 whetstone. However, another stone between 1000 and 6000 is needed, as well as a 6000 or similar level whetstone to create the true razor sharp edge you're looking for. I previously sharpened to only a 2000 level and the blades were sharp but not sharp enough to cut paper easily. The 6000 gave me the desired sharpness.

We had considered buying a new knife set. What we had was nothing fancy and not really worth taking anywhere to get professionally sharpened. I decided to give this sharpening stone a try before spending considerably more money on a new set. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The knives all passed the paper cutting test with ease, and might have been sharper than they were out of the box. Were they professional-grade sharp? Probably not, but I am not a professional and they were more than sharp enough for our needs. You truly forget how much easier your cooking experiences can be until your knives are sharp again. I've now used it for kitchen knives, pocket knives, and skinning knives with great results. I would say this was well worth the money.