Shapton Kuromaku Stones (the Only Ones to Buy)

This is not a Shapton love letter.

About 21 years ago, I was introduced to Shapton sharpening stones. Harrelson Stanley, the owner of JapaneseTools.com, brought the Japanese president of Shapton to the Popular Woodworking office in Cincinnati, Ohio. They had a suitcase filled with Shaptons, which were not yet available in the U.S. Would we like to try them?

I spent about 45 minutes workin…