Tosho's #1 sharpening tip: keep your stones flat. Not enough sharpeners flatten their stones often enough, resulting in many inconsistencies and poor edges. As a budding sharpener, investing in a good lapping plate early ensures that you are improving your sharpening technique, rather than troubleshooting around dished/untrue sharpening surfaces. And we do not recommend those inexpensive pink or black flattening stones to do this for those who are wondering. They are inexpensive for a very good reason. Instead, we recommend diamond lapping plates that are a bit more expensive but offer far better longevity, precision, and speed. ATOMA Lapping Diamond Plate is not a stone, but a diamond abrasive sheet fixed on a flat nickel/aluminum plate. The diamond abrasive used on ATOMA means that you can use this plate on almost all types of stones (except for diamond stones). #140 is best for speedy flattening, and for stones below #2000, and #400 is recommended for achieving fine stone surfaces and for stones above #2000. We highly recommend this plate to any sharpener who is looking to get consistent results and is willing to invest in a tool that will not only last for years, but also contribute to improving his/her skill. For those who are interested in a smaller(& less expensive) version of the same product, please check this link out. Brand: Atoma アトマProduct Type: Diamond PlateGrit: #400Size: 10 x 75 x 210mm Brand: Atoma アトマ
