Shapton is one of the most reputable and highly-recommended whetstone makers in the world, and that's a testament to their quality. The Shapton Kuromaku series (often called "Shapton Pro" in the west) are versatile, professional-quality whetstones that are also suitable for beginners. This whetstone is suitable for sharpening knives, shears, chisels, hatchets, planer blades and more. The Shapton Kuromaku 2000 grit stone provides a similar sharpness to a 1500 or 1000 grit stone, but with a much finer polish. This is a good stone if you want a sharp blade with a nice polish, but don't want to go through the usual two-step process of sharpening on a medium grit and then polishing on a fine grit stone. Instructions: Soak the stone for 5 minutes before the first use. Soak for 30 seconds before subsequent uses (optional). Sharpen your knife on the stone, occasionally sprinkling water to keep the stone wet. Wash and dry your knife. Gently rinse your whetstone under clean water and air-dry completely before storing.