Flattening Stone #180

Whetstones wear down during use and their surface gradually becomes concave, especially in the center. An uneven stone makes sharpening more difficult because the sharpening angle changes along the surface of the stone. For this reason, regular flattening is an essential part of proper sharpening maintenance.

The #180 flattening stone quickly restores the surface of your whetstone to flat. Before you begin flattening, rinse off any loose metal particles and dirt from the surface of the whetstone. Metal residue can otherwise clog the flattening stone and reduce its efficiency.

Draw a grid on the whetstone surface using a pencil (vertical and horizontal lines). Flatten the surface using the flattening stone with water until the grid has completely disappeared. Once all lines are gone, the surface of the stone is flat again.

This flattening stone works well for leveling most water stones. With very hard ceramic stones the process may be slightly slower, but it will still work effectively. When flattening is done regularly, the process is quick and keeps your whetstone flat and sharpening controlled.

Read more about flattening stones in our blog: How to Level a Sharpening Stone

Grit: #180
Length: 180 mm
Width: 60 mm
Thickness: 23 mm

NOTE!

When using the flattening stone for the first time, check that there are no sharp casting edges left from manufacturing. These may scratch your whetstone. If such edges are present, first use the flattening stone against a hard surface (e.g. brick or concrete) or carefully remove the sharp edge by scraping.