The 1x4 Jende 1K Grey stone acts very much like a Japanese natural stone that cleans the surface of the bevel to a matte finish while leaving a very respectable work-sharp edge. This stone works best when following lower grit waterstones rather than belts or diamond plates. It can do light maintenance but is more of a pre finisher/polisher.

This stone is 1" x 4" in size mounted to an aluminum blank with a total thickness of 5-6mm and used with water only. It works best when soaked in water for a minute or two before use. Let air dry and store dry when not in use.

Abrasive Material: Aluminum Oxide

Ideal place in a sharpening progression:

• Starting grit for light repair and maintenance of an already sharpened but dull edge.
• After lower grit synthetic or natural sharpening stones (120, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800 grit)
• Foundation for branching into natural stone progressions (JNats, Arkansas stones, BBW and Coticules, etc.)
• Before progressing to a higher grit medium grit stone or basic polishing stone (1,500 - 6K grit)

This stone can also be used in a mix and match progression of other synthetic and natural sharpening stones, as well with other brands such as Shapton, Sigma, Suehiro, Imanishi, Spyderco, King, etc.

This is a waterstone, and is not to be used with oil, but can be used in conjunction with oil stones (such as Norton India and other carborundum and Arkansas stones) if the blade is wiped clean before and after switching stone types.   

The Jende 1K Grey sharpening stone is a mid-range sharpening stone that works on almost all types of knives, scissors, tools and chisels, including those made with abrasion resistant steels. While the 1x4 size is meant for use with the KME Sharpener, it is also a great size for a slip stone, field stone or a pocket stone for knife repairs and sharpening on the go, or to remove unwanted burrs. 

On More Traditional Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel Edges Jende 1K Gray works on steels between RC 52 and RC 65 on the Rockwell C Hardness scale. The stone will generate a muddy paste that leaves a flat gray matte finish on the softer end of the spectrum of steels like X50CrMoV15, AUS6, 440B, and most steels used by many kitchen knife makers like Henckels, Wüsthof, Gunter Wilhelm, F Dick, Victorinox, etc.

On the higher end of the hardness spectrum of traditional steel edges made with steels like 1095, 52100, 440C, Aogami White, Shirogami Blue, O1, W1, etc., the Jende 1K Gray really evens out the surface of these steels, leaving a beautiful matte finish and very functional working sharp edge. This traditional style stone is ideal for these harder carbon steels.

On Carbide Forming Steel and More Abrasion Resistant Steel Edges such as VG-10, D2, M2, S35V, S90V, etc. Jende 1K Grey stone acts similarly to higher hardness carbon and stainless steels, prepping the surface to a matte finish with a work sharp edge. 

Hacks and Tips:

• This stone quickly creates paste that is used to abrade the steel to sharpen as well as to prep for a matte finish. Keep the paste alive by adding several drops of water at a time.
• Be sure to keep the surface wet with drops of water when sharpening to avoid the black swarf from turning into too thick a paste.
• This stone will require frequent lapping to keep it flat and even over time. Lap this stone with a coarse or extra coarse diamond plate, silicon carbide (SiC) powder, or low grit wet dry sand paper (60-120 grit) to keep it consistently flat and clean.

Comparable Stones: Suehiro 1K Cerax