Naniwa Super Stone 12,000 Grit Japanese Whetstone Sharpening Stone, NO Stand, 21cm x 7cm surface, 2cm thick.
This ultra-fine stone is used for giving a knife a final polished edge. There are manufacturers which claim higher grits, but few can yield a mirror polish edge like these Naniwa Super Stones can. Recommended for final finish of fine Japanese stainless or carbon steel knives. Not necessarily recommended or needed for most German knives (though you could try with a fine slicer I suppose, I wouldn't really recommend this kind of edge for a German santoku or chef's knife since they generally hold up better with a slightly rougher and thicker final edge).
These are excellent stones, very reliable, forgiving, and not fragile. A GREAT choice for the beginner or casual home user who just wants good long-lasting stones that work great on a variety of knives. I use these Super Stone series at home and they're great.
If you're wondering what the difference is between these and the Naniwa Professional series, these are a step down from the top of the line "Professional Stones" (which used to be called "Chosera", now re-braned "Professional" for the North American market) which use a different bonding method for a somewhat nicer feel and faster cut, but at the expense of higher prices and more fragility. But if you do a LOT of sharpening, yes, you're sure to appreciate the benefits of the Pro series.
NOTE: This is a full 2cm thick stone. It has been brought to our attention that other vendors are importing the cheaper 1cm thick version and then not always specifying the thickness on their web sites. Those stones are cheaper, and being half as thick will be more prone to breaking and will not last nearly as long as these normal full-thickness stones! We do NOT and have never imported or sold those cheaper 1cm thick versions of these stones.
Warranty: One-year warranty against manufacturing defects.