Nagura Stone for Sharpening Honing Stones, Grit 1000

The nagura stone is used to generate a slurry on the sharpening stone you are going to use. This slurry makes your knife stick completely to the sharpening stone, reducing the time needed to make passes over the edge. It also creates a sharper, more precise edge compared to sharpening without the nagura stone.But how does it work?You might wonder. It works in the same way that your non-slip work boots work: through friction with the ground.Similarly, the nagura stone generates a slurry when rubbed against the sharpening stone. This increases friction or contact between the knife’s edge and the sharpening stone.Many people criticize its price, but it’s worth noting that customs fees and shipping time from Japan to the United States are part of the cost. It’s small, I know, but, hey, you’d need to sharpen knives or cutting blades all day, for 2-3 months, to wear it out completely.The 1000-grit nagura stone can be used with sharpening stones ranging from 800 to 2000-grit

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Firstly, be aware that this is not a flattening stone. Nagura stones are used to help build up slurry on the actual sharpening stone, which is why you want to match the grits of your nagura to the water stones you are using to sharpen. If you need to flatten out a dished water stone there are separate products for that.If properly used, water stones will get knives sharper, and more durably sharper, than any other type of sharpener, such as diamond or oil stones. In other words, not only is the edge of a knife keener when properly sharpened on water stones, it will stay sharper longer. This is due to the random mixture of the cutting material suspension in the media, and without going into a lengthy explanation, suffice to say this effect only works when a stone has at least a little, and ideally a lot, of slurry on it. Otherwise it will quickly clog with swarf--tiny metal particles removed from the blade, and when that happens it eliminates the feature of the water stones that allow them to produce the sharpest, most durable edges.I'm very comfortable sharpeing with diamond stones, but I'm in the process of learning on, and converting to, water stones; and I don't know if it's the relatively cheap stones I'm using right now, or if this is true of all types, but at grits under about 3000 it takes a very long time to build up slurry. So I decided to invest in a 1000 grit nagura--the lowest grit I regularly use--and it has helped with the slurry. Maybe not as much as I would have liked, but even a little is better than none. My only complaint with this stone is that it is too hard: like my actual 1000 grit sharpening stone, it just doesn't want to break down into slurry without a lot of vigorous rubbing. That isn't entirely negative because it means the nagura stone will last a long time (the attached pics are after about two months of use, and there is no visible wear), but I would have preferred a slightly softer stone that more easily created slurry. That is the reason I rated it four rather than five stars. Never the less, it's a useful tool, and recommended if, like me, your 1000 grit stone doesn't raise enough slurry as you sharpen.

A bit pricey but a needed tool for those who love our whetstone.