Tanaka Toishi Michibiki Whetstone #1000 (WA/ Harder)

Tanaka Toishi is a small shop in Kyoto with a long standing history in (natural)whetstones dating back several decades. They are next to one of the most well established natural stone supplier and a company that produce synthetic stones. Tanaka Toishi synthetic stones are some of our most high end man-made stones with the WA & CG lines being my personal favourites.

Premium ceramic whetstones with white aluminium oxide abrasives. A large soaking stones with high cutting power and minimal wear. There’s a hard and soft version of the 1k; the softer version is standard, cuts a little faster but wear more quickly.

Please try to utilise as much of the surface of the stone to minimise dishing. In all cases whetstones need to be kept flat to insure consistent results. This can be done with flattening plates or stones. Find them on the ‘sharpening accessory’ page.
To flatten properly, use a pencil to draw a grit on the surface of the stone. Once all pencil marks are lapped of the stone is flat. Chamfer the edges and corners of the stone for extra safety.

Always clean and dry the stones properly before storing. Metal leftover can rust overtime. It is very beneficial to flatten post sharpening to leave a clean surface.
Do not drop whetstone as they can chip or even break. Leaving a stone submerged in water for extended periods can make it more fragile.