Kitayama #8000

Beyond Sharpness — Toward the Right Finish for the Blade

A knife can be sharp without its edge being fully refined.

Even after the edge has been established on medium and fine stones, fine sharpening marks from the previous stages can remain.

Kitayama #8000 is a Japanese-made super finishing whetstone designed to further refine an already properly formed edge, bringing it to a finer and more precise level of finish.

Made with ultra-fine abrasive containing high-purity alumina, it is designed for fine sharpening and refinement rather than major material removal.

It is not about rebuilding the blade.

It is about how you choose to refine the edge once it has been properly formed.

That is where the Kitayama #8000 comes into its own.

Taking the Edge to a Finer Level

After establishing the edge with medium and fine stones, the Kitayama #8000 allows the sharpening process to move into a finer level of refinement.

Its fine abrasive helps reduce the sharpening marks left by previous stones and creates a more refined edge. It is particularly well suited to Yanagiba and other traditional Japanese knives, as well as knives where a fine, precise cutting edge is desired.

Depending on the knife, steel, intended use, and desired finish, the Kitayama #8000 may be used as the finishing stone, or as a step before progressing to higher-grit synthetic stones or Japanese natural finishing stones.

This makes the Kitayama #8000 a versatile super finishing stone that can be incorporated into different sharpening progressions according to the edge the sharpener is trying to achieve.

Ultra-Fine High-Purity Alumina Abrasive

The Kitayama #8000 uses an ultra-fine abrasive containing high-purity alumina.

These fine abrasive particles further refine an already established edge while reducing the sharpening marks remaining from previous stages.

Beyond kitchen knives, it can also be used for finishing other precision cutting tools such as scissors, planes, and chisels.

Depending on the sharpening technique, it can also be used to further refine surface polishing marks on the blade itself.

Recommended For

Kitayama #8000 is suitable for both carbon and stainless steels and is particularly useful for those seeking a finer, more refined edge.

Recommended applications include:

• Yanagiba and other traditional Japanese single-bevel knives
• Gyuto, Santoku, and Petty knives
• Carbon steel and stainless steel kitchen knives
• Further refinement after medium and fine stones
• Professional chefs seeking a more precisely finished edge
• Sharpeners looking to move beyond basic sharpening
• A progression toward higher-grit synthetic stones or Japanese natural finishing stones
• Fine edge refinement and precision sharpening work

For those looking beyond simply making a knife sharp, the Kitayama #8000 offers a way to pursue a finish that better suits the blade and its intended purpose.

How to Use

Avoid prolonged soaking or storing the Kitayama #8000 submerged in water.

Apply water to the stone surface before sharpening and add more as necessary during use to keep the surface appropriately wet.

After use, rinse away sharpening residue and swarf, remove excess moisture, and allow the stone to dry naturally in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight before storage.

Maintaining a flat sharpening surface is especially important with fine finishing stones.

As the surface begins to dish, precise contact between the blade and stone becomes increasingly difficult. Flatten the stone when necessary to maintain an accurate sharpening surface.

Specifications

Product: Kitayama #8000 Super Finishing Whetstone
Manufacturer: Otani Toishi Co., Ltd.
Brand: Kitayama
Type: Synthetic Super Finishing Whetstone
Grit: #8000
Abrasive: Ultra-Fine Abrasive with High-Purity Alumina
Bond: Resinoid
Dimensions: Approx. 205 × 75 × 25 mm
Weight: Approx. 830 g — individual variation may occur
Country of Origin: Japan