Best Prices For Shapton Sharpening Stones

[Eric Commarato]

This post may have been better suited for Neanderthal Haven, but here goes. I was looking into getting a set of Shapton professional stones for the shop. I was going to get 3 grits, the 220, 1000, and 5000 for starters. These stones are a bit pricey. Japan Woodworker seems to have a pretty good deal on them. Buy 3 and get 10% off. And if you buy over 200 bucks in stuff from them, they will ship it free. Does anyone know where to get a better deal on these stones? I love Japan Woodworker, and though they probably have the best deal going, I still have to think about my pocketbook.

[Wilbur Pan]

You probably won't find a better deal on Shapton Professional stones. However, I would skip getting the 220 and get an 8000 instead. If you are looking to use the 220 to get rid of nicks or reshaping, I've found that the lower grit Shaptons wear pretty quickly compared to the higher grit Shaptons. The increased wear rate leads to easier dishing of the stone, and leaving a convex surface on your tool. Because of this, I tend to go with coarse sandpaper on a flat surface (glass, granite, or kitchen table) for these purposes. Besides, removing a nick or reshaping a blade usually is a one time process.

[Eric Commarato]

Thanks, Wilbur,

I agree, after I visited the Shapton site, they recommeded getting the 1000,5000, and 8000 for general woodworking use.