Shapton M15?

[Mike Soaper]

Does anyone have any insights into the Shapton M15's? As I understand it they are splash and go.

Are/were they a reasonable splash and go?

How do they compare to the Shapton Pros/ Kuromakus?

edit: I'm asking because I'm seeing a 1k@$26, 5K@$35, a 12000K@$49.


thanks,
Mike

[Andrew Hughes]

I thought the 15 is a pro stone. 15 mm thickness
I use Shapton pro stones for Lie Neilson plane blades and Japanese chisels.
Shaptons make the best stones for the price
Good Luck

[David Zor]

If they are the same as stone as the Shapton Pro's, then yes you can spray them and start sharpening without soaking. At least that's how I use mine with no issues. Also, those are the same grits I have in the Shapton Pro stones and I have no complaints and when/if I wear through them I will be buying the same stones as replacements. I see no need to try anything different.

I have old plane irons and chisels, new plane irons and chisels in O1, A2 and PMv11 and some new blacksmith made tools that are likely 4140 or similar. I don't have any weird super steel tools (save the couple of PMv11 tools) so I can't comment on sharpening that stuff.

[Mike Soaper]

Thanks for the insights Andrew and David

From what I've came across on the internet the M15's are glued to, what seems to be a quartersawn, wooden base, one M15 user who had also used the "Pro" stones said they both performed similarly but in future would probably prefer the "Pro" because it had a plastic case. There were a few other comments thinking they were the same stone, some thought marketed differently for those in Japan verses the rest of the world. However, I read at some point there was once a problem with some Shaptons crazing/cracking? in the southwest US due to very dry conditions so Shapton made some changes, maybe those crazing were M15's and the reformulated stones are the current pros, don't know.

One poster thought that the M15's had less abrasives than the Pro's, another said the M5's had less than the M15's.

I didn't see M5's, M15's, M24's? mentioned on Shaptons website.