King KDS Whetstone 1000/6000 Grit Double-Sided: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-18

Summary

The King KDS is a 207 x 66 x 36 mm Japanese combination waterstone, a #1000 sharpening face bonded to a #6000 polishing face, sold as an inexpensive first stone for kitchen knives. Keeping it running costs almost nothing beyond water and a periodic flattening plate. At the prices found it is a strong buy for carbon and ordinary stainless knives under about $50, but it is slow on VG-10-class steel and nearly ineffective on CPM154/S30V.

Common problems and fixes

Slow or ineffective on hard steels — the #1000 side is slow on Shun Classic (VG-10) and “almost completely ineffective” on S30V, taking 30 minutes just to remove factory scratches; a forum owner advises a 300-500 grit stone for those steels. Fix: keep the KDS for carbon and ordinary kitchen knives, and add a coarser stone for hard stainless. [12]
The two bonded layers can separate — a Reddit thread titled “King KDS 1000/6000 separation!” reports the halves coming apart at the glue line, and the owner sawed the stone apart to keep using the halves. Prevalence is unknown. There is no practical repair. [11]
Soft stone dishes over time — the stone is relatively soft and dishes at a moderate rate, so it needs periodic flattening; one owner leveled a badly waved #1000 side with a diamond plate. Fix: flatten on a diamond or lapping plate. [4][12]
Soaking advice conflicts between retailers — most say a full 10-20 minute soak, while one US retailer warns to soak only the #1000 side and never the #6000 side because soaking it can split the stone. Fix: soak the #1000 side thoroughly for 10-15 minutes, keep the #6000 side out of prolonged soaking, and never leave the stone sitting in water. [2][5][6][7][21]
#6000-side quality is a matter of opinion — a retailer calls it “buttery smooth,” while one owner says “the 6000 just has this creamy feel to it.” Fix: none; treat it as owner-experience variance. [8][14]
Ships without a base or holder — the stone-only listing includes no non-slip base; a holder is recommended for stability and sold separately. Fix: budget for a non-slip holder. [6][17]

Parts and consumables

Non-slip holder — recommended for stability and sold separately for about $10-37 depending on the retailer; not included with the stone-only listing. [6]
Optional nagura stone — for slurry on the #6000 side; some kits bundle a holder and an 8000-grit nagura. [21]

Yearly running cost

Not enough data. Water is the only consumable and no manufacturer warranty terms were found; upkeep is a non-slip holder at about $10-37, a periodic flattening or diamond plate, and an optional nagura stone. No per-year figure or replacement interval was found. [6][21]

When it is a good buy

Reference prices from specialist retailers found in 2026: Burrfection (US) $47.00 (sold out), Chubo Knives (US) $69.00 on sale, Seisuke Knife (Portland, OR) $76.00 (sold out), and MeiSyou Knives (Japan) 7,000 JPY, about $47. [14][6][7][23]

Under $50 is a strong first-stone value; $51-65 is fair to good for carbon-steel and typical kitchen knives; $66-80 is fair, where the same money approaches ceramic single-grit stones such as Shapton or Naniwa; above $80 the drawbacks outweigh the brand premium. [8][12]

Named alternatives: for hard stainless, a 300-500 grit stone such as Shapton Glass 500, Beston 500 or Chosera 400 is the standard fix; for a step up in cutting power, forum members point to Arashiyama stones. [12]