Naniwa S2 Super Stone

Return of the Super Stone Name

The Naniwa Super Stone gained fame as a hard-wearing, splash-and-go stone that created an unbeatable polished edge on steel. Sharpeners fell in love with them for being so user friendly and such a good value.

At one point, the Super Stone line was divided in two with a thick and a thin version, and the name was changed to the Sharpening Stone for the thicker stone and the Specialty Sharpening Stone for the thinner. The renamed stones remained unbeatable quality, and they continued to gain in popularity due to their great value and excellent results. The original name had stuck though, and sharpeners continued to call them the Super Stone or sometimes the New Super Stone.

Now the name Super Stone is officially back. The Naniwa S2 Super Stone continues the tradition of quality. It is exactly the same stone as the one called the Naniwa Sharpening Stone, only the name and packaging has changed to reflect what discerning sharpeners have been calling it all along.

S2 Super Stone is 20mm Thick

The Naniwa Super Stones come in two varieties, the S1 and the S2. They are exactly the same except for thickness. The S2 Super Stones are 20mm thick. The S1 Super Stones are half that at 10mm thick.

Both the S1 and S2 Super Stones are 210mm long and 70mm wide (about 8-1/4" x 2-3/4").

Resin Bonded

Naniwa S2 Super Stones are made with a resin bond. This resin bonding gives the Super Stones their unique attributes:

• Splash and Go
  Resin bonded Super Stones don't require soaking in water prior to use. Splash some water on the top of the stone, and it is ready to go.
• Less Flattening
  Resin bonded Super Stones are harder wearing than many other water stones. S2 Super Stones won't dish or cup as quickly and will need less flattening less often.
• Higher Concentration of Abrasive
  Resin bonded Super Stones have a high concentration of abrasive particles which contributes to speedy sharpening.

Available in 10 Grits

Customize your sharpening tool kit with just the right combination of stones:

• 220 Extra Coarse Grit - Tan
  Recommended for establishing a new bevel angle or for extremely dull or damaged blades.
• 400 Coarse Grit - Green
  A great coarse stone for edges that are not damaged or allowed to get extremely dull between sharpenings.
• 800 Medium Coarse Grit - Peach - NEW!
  A stone for when you need something a bit coarser than 1000, but don't want to remove too much.
• 1000 Medium Grit - Blue
  An excellent follow up to a 220 or 400 stone or as a starting stone for not very dull edges. Very popular choice as a workhorse stone.
• 2000 Fine Grit - Yellow
  Primarily used as an intermediate stone before finer grits, or as a finish grit for a toothy edge on knives.
• 3000 Extra Fine Grit - Red
  A good final stone for a slightly toothy edge on knives or a nice progression between the 1000 and 8000 stones.
• 5000 Very Fine Grit - Light Blue
  A popular final grit for knives that also works very well in progression between the 1000 and the 10,000 or 12,000 stones.
• 8000 Extremely Fine Grit - Light Yellow
  A popular final stone for woodworking tools or for smooth cutting knives.
• 10,000 Extremely Fine Grit - Light Green
  Slightly finer than the 8000, a wonderful final stage for very smooth cutting knives and tools.
• 12,000 Mirror Polish Grit - White
  For a truly superb edge, a grit so fine your edge will shine like a mirror. Very popular with straight razor sharpeners.

Made in Japan.

Q. Do I need to purchase every single grit?

A. No, having every grit is not necessary for proper sharpening. We stock every grit so you can customize your purchase to your needs. We often suggest starting your decision at your finest grit and then skip grits until you get to your coarsest grit. You can do a good job with 3 stones, but 4 is the most common for a complete set. We have come up with a few examples that will fit most budgets and will work very well together.

Q. I've heard that these stones sharpen quickly. Does that mean I should skip the coarser stones?

A. It is a very common mistake to purchase the finer stones and not purchase the coarser stone (the wisdom being that you can just spend more time on the finer stone). A 220 stone will sharpen many times (more than 10 times) quicker than a finer stone. Given the lower price of the coarser stone we consider them a good investment. You will have a better sharpening experience if you have a coarse grit stone in your sharpening arsenal.

Q. Do Naniwa Super Stones require flattening?

A. All water stones require flattening. The bonding material of the stone will wear, providing fresh abrasive material. This is why water stones sharpen so quickly. This is also why they need to be flattened periodically. We recommend the Naniwa Flattening Stone or a DMT Lapping Plate.

Q. How can I tell my stones apart? There are no markings on the top.

A. Naniwa no longer puts markings on the tops of these stones. Once you use the stones, the markings (which never had the grit number anyway) were rubbed away. The grits of each stone have been and still are located on the sides of each stone.