Splash-and-go, polished to 12000

The Naniwa Advance line is the brand's true splash-and-go stone, with the widest grit range in the catalog and the finest polish, all the way to 12000. Wet it and start, with minimal mess and a glossy, refined edge. Here is the full Advance line, and how it compares with the Standard and Chosera Pro stones.

The three lines

At a glance

Standard

The classic Japanese water stone experience: soak the stone, build a slurry, and enjoy the traditional feel. A dependable mid-range workhorse.

Build. An open, traditional matrix that releases abrasive and builds a working slurry. The coarse grits are silicon carbide based, and a 220 pink alumina variant wears more slowly.

Preparation. Soak roughly 10 to 15 minutes. The coarse 220 is thirsty and may need re-wetting during a session.

Feel. Muddy, communicative feedback with balanced cutting speed. Softer than Advance and Chosera Pro, so it dishes faster and needs flattening more often.

Grits. Seven grits from 220 to 8000, plus the harder Snow White 8000 and a dedicated 1000 for hard steels.

Best for. Sharpeners who enjoy the soaking ritual, everyday kitchen and tool work, and carbon or softer stainless steels.

Advance

Naniwa's true splash-and-go stone, with the widest grit range in the catalog and the finest polish. Convenience and a mirror edge.

Build. Resin-bonded aluminum oxide. It feels soft under the blade yet wears very slowly. The surface can load on some steels, so refresh it from time to time.

Preparation. No soaking. Splash water on and start. Very little slurry and minimal mess.

Feel. Smooth and refined rather than gritty, strongest in the fine and finishing grits, leaving a glossy polish loved by straight-razor honers.

Grits. Ten grits from 220 to 12000, the only Naniwa line that reaches 12000. Available as S1 (thinner) and S2 (twice as thick), plus combination stones in 400/2000, 1000/3000, 2000/5000, and 3000/8000.

Best for. Splash-and-go convenience, fine polishing, straight razors, and low-maintenance sharpening.

Chosera Pro

The flagship, widely considered one of the best water stones in the world. The best feel, the fastest cutting, and crisp professional edges.

Build. Aluminum oxide in a magnesia bond, marketed as super ceramic. Dense and hard with outstanding feedback, and it resists loading, so it produces remarkably crisp, uniform bevels.

Preparation. Near splash and go: wet and splash a few times over a minute. Do not soak more than a few seconds, and never store it wet. Lap lightly to break in a new stone.

Feel. Arguably the best feedback of any Naniwa stone, and the fastest cutting in the range. It leaves a clean, consistent scratch pattern rather than a glossy mirror.

Grits. Eight grits from 400 to 10000. Full-size stones are a substantial 20 mm thick. Universal across steels and widely used on guided systems.

Best for. Serious home sharpeners and professionals, harder and higher-alloy steels, and crisp working edges that bite.

Finishing with a leather strop

The step that comes after the stones. A few light passes on leather remove the last microscopic burr and smooth the very apex of the edge, so it cuts more cleanly. Stropping refines an edge rather than grinding it.

The Naniwa strop. Smooth calfskin on a magnolia wood base. A thin cushion layer gives a slight, springy give that lets the leather follow the bevel, helpful on slightly convex edges. A non-slip pad keeps it steady, and it shares the 210 x 70 mm footprint of the full-size stones, so it fits the same holders.

How to use it. Lay it flat, hold the blade at your finishing angle, and draw it along the leather with the edge trailing, using light pressure. Edge-trailing strokes are essential, since leading with the edge would cut the leather. Use it bare, or charged with honing compound for more polishing action.

Why add one. A low-cost, blade-friendly way to finish a fresh edge and refresh it between sharpenings. It pairs naturally with the fine grits, for example after the Advance 12000 or the Chosera Pro 10000.

How to choose

By preparation. Love the soaking ritual and muddy feedback? Choose Standard. Want to wet a stone and start at once? Choose Advance for true splash and go, or Chosera Pro for near splash and go with far better feedback.

By goal. For everyday kitchen maintenance on a budget, Standard is the value workhorse. For the finest polish and razor work, Advance reaches 12000. For the best overall experience and crisp professional edges, Chosera Pro is the flagship.

By edge character. The resin Advance stones lean toward a glossy, highly polished edge that some find too slick for working knives. The Chosera Pro gives a cleaner, crisper edge with more bite, favored for kitchen and EDC use. Standard sits in between with a classic finish.

By steel. Softer stainless and carbon steels are happy on any line. For very hard or high-alloy steels, the Chosera Pro and the Standard 1000 for hard steels are the strongest choices, with Chosera Pro the standout.

Care and maintenance

Keep stones flat. All water stones dish with use. Flatten with a flattening stone or lapping plate. The softer Standard stones need it most often; Advance and Chosera Pro less so. A new Chosera Pro benefits from a light initial lapping.

Water and slurry. Standard absorbs water and builds a helpful slurry. Advance and Chosera Pro make less slurry and rely on a wet surface, so keep them topped up with a splash or spray.

Storage. Store all stones dry. This matters most for the magnesia-bonded Chosera Pro, which should never be stored in water. Keep stones away from direct heat.

Build a progression. A typical set spans a coarse stone for repair, a medium stone around 1000 for everyday sharpening, and one or more fine stones from 3000 up for polish. You can mix lines, for example a Chosera Pro for the working grits and an Advance 12000 for the final polish.

Naniwa refreshed its packaging and line names. The stones themselves are unchanged, only the names are new.

• Standard was previously the Traditional line.
• Advance was previously Super (S1 / S2).
• Chosera Pro was previously Professional, and originally Chosera.