Skip to content

King Combination Waterstone, 1000/6000 Grit

By King · Knife Sharpening · Kitchen & Cooking · More from King

  • #1000/#6000 grit combination
  • 207 x 66 x 36 mm
  • Synthetic stone, soaking type
  • Made in Japan
  • Weight approx. 1000 g

Lowest price seen
$36.99
from $36.99 at Woodcraft · Checked Oct 12, 2026

Stores are listed in a fixed order, never by price or commission. Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A cheap two-grit Japanese soaking stone, #1000 on one face and #6000 on the other, for sharpening and polishing on a budget. Check your knives first: it is slow on hard steels like VG-10 and S30V, sellers disagree on how long to soak it, and some units arrive with a convex 1000 face.

Strengths

  • Cheap and beginner-friendly, repeatedly called a good first waterstone.
  • Two grits in one block cover both sharpening and polishing.
  • Cuts easy carbon steels such as Tojiro white #2 decently quickly.
  • Softer than ceramic stones, which a retailer calls more forgiving and better for an even finish.
  • The #6000 side leaves a reasonable polish, and one retailer says a fine stone can help carbon steel resist rust.
  • Made in Japan by Matsunaga Stone Co.

Weaknesses

  • Slow on hard, abrasion-resistant steels; one owner found it nearly useless on S30V.
  • The two bonded layers can separate.
  • Some units arrive with a slightly convex #1000 face that needs flattening.
  • The #1000 side dishes with use and needs a separate flattening plate.
  • Sellers disagree on soak time, and one warns that soaking the #6000 side can crack or split the stone.
  • No instrumented test and no warranty channel were found.

Verified specifications

Grit#1000 and #6000, one grit per side.
Typesynthetic soaking waterstone.
Constructiona King Deluxe #1000 bonded to a King S1 #6000; the #1000 side is a little thicker.
Dimensionsabout 207 x 66 x 36 mm (roughly 8 x 2.6 x 1.4 in); some retailers list 34 mm thickness.
Weightabout 1 kg.
Steelone retailer rates it for knives up to about HRC 62.
OriginJapan, made by Matsunaga Stone Co. of Matsunaga, Osaka.
Grit rolesthe #1000 sets the edge; the #6000 finishes and polishes.
Forma bare double-sided stone, with no base on the KDS.
Full research notes and sources

Cutting speed on hard steel

The stone’s reputation is split by steel type. An owner found the #1000 side slow on Shun Classic VG-10 knives and almost completely ineffective on an S30V Kershaw Blur, taking about 30 minutes just to remove factory scratches; the retailer’s own admin agreed the King sharpens easy steels well, handles VG-10 slowly and is over-matched by CPM154 and S30V. A retailer rates it for knives up to about HRC 62. If your knives are simple carbon or low-alloy steel, it is fine; if you run hard stainless or need fast metal removal, budget for a coarser, faster stone as well.

Soaking, flattening and upkeep

This is where combination stones get awkward. Korin says to soak the #1000 side for about two minutes and only splash the #6000 side, warning that soaking a fine finishing stone can crack it and that soaking both sides of a double-sided stone can split it. The Blade Runner says the KDS should soak 15 to 20 minutes, and MTC says to soak until the bubbles stop. Because the failure mode those warnings describe is real, the conservative approach is a short soak on the medium side and a splash on the fine one. Flatten the stone regularly; a dished #1000 side is normal wear. Air-dry it fully before storage, since a damp stone in its box can mold, and keep it away from direct heat and freezing.

Is it worth it?

Retailer references put the KDS at AU$85 at Knives and Stones and AU$79.99 at The Blade Runner (2026), with one European retailer listing a smaller 185 x 63 x 20 mm combination stone at €55 rather than the KDS, and a Netherlands shop at $19.75 with the currency and date unconfirmed (2026). For the price the value case is simple: two usable grits and a forgiving stone to learn on, with minimal running costs beyond a flattening plate later. The reasons to look elsewhere are hard stainless and any need for fast reprofiling, where this stone is the wrong tool. There is no measured data on cut rate, grit consistency or flatness for this stone, so treat every performance claim here as owner- and retailer-reported.

Which model this is

This page covers the King 1000/6000 combination waterstone, whose published size and about 1 kg weight match the King KDS Deluxe (also sold as the KDS 1000/6000). The US listing is ASIN B01N6I37HZ.

Do not confuse it with other King 1000/6000 products: the KW-65 and HT-65 are thinner combination stones that ship with a plastic base, and King listings also include the K-45 and other models. The grit label is shared, but the size, thickness and base differ.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Compare with

Related products