Analysis by Valery Grin · · updated October 3, 2026
SHAN ZU SZ-2017-001: 1000/6000 whetstone with bamboo base
Double-sided water stone to keep carving knives and Japanese kitchen knives sharp
From€24
Reference price on Amazon (June 2026) · subject to change
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- Weight
- 0.998 kg
- Material
- White corundum (stone) and bamboo (base)
Quick answer
Yes, if you want to start sharpening at home or your carving knives have gone dull. It is a double-sided water stone (1000 and 6000) with a bamboo base, silicone pad and angle guide, rated 4.5 on over 20,000 Amazon reviews. Marketplace brand, untested by us, and only 18 cm long: longer blades are sharpened in sections.
White corundum, 1000 and 6000 grit, bamboo base and angle guide in a single kit. It is not kamado kit, but the knife you carve with after the cook needs an edge.
The SHAN ZU SZ-2017-001 is a double-sided water whetstone: white corundum, 1000 grit on one face and 6000 on the other, in a block 18 cm long by 6 wide and about 2.8 high. The listing sells it as a complete kit: the stone, a silicone pad, a bamboo base that holds it, an angle guide and an instruction manual. The details table gives a weight of 998 grams, without saying whether that is the stone alone or the whole kit.
Why a whetstone on a kamado site: because a kamado cook ends at the chopping board. A smoked turkey like the one in our [Christmas recipe](/recetas/pavo-ahumado-navidad), a brisket or a pork presa comes off after hours of fire and is carved in seconds, and a dull knife makes you press, which is exactly what tears the bark and the grain. For that part of the job the catalogue has carving and Japanese knives, such as the [Miyabi 5000FCD sujihiki](/accesorios/miyabi-5000fcd-sujihiki-24), and this stone is the cheap way of keeping their edge. In the [essential kamado accessories guide](/guias/accesorios-imprescindibles-kamado) it counts as a kitchen extra, not a part of the kamado.
Use, according to the listing, is simple: water only, no sharpening oils, and it cleans up with water. The stone sits on the silicone pad inside the bamboo base, which is meant to stop it slipping while you work. The 1000 side is the coarse one, for when the knife no longer cuts; the 6000 side is the fine one, for finishing and polishing the edge. The angle guide and the manual come in the box; which angle to use depends on your knife, so follow the blade maker's guidance rather than a cooking website. The listing says it suits kitchen knives, scissors, hunting and pocket knives and straight razors, but not serrated or ceramic blades.
The drawbacks, read from the listing itself. First: the stone is 18 cm and a 24 cm carving blade is longer, so you sharpen in sections, even though the listing calls it "perfect for the largest kitchen knives". Second: the text gives 2.7 cm in height and the details table 2.8, a small discrepancy that suggests a listing not checked with great care. Third: it does not say whether the stone needs soaking before use, does not state how long it lasts and does not include a flattening stone. And the brand is a marketplace one: the listing declares only China as country of origin, with no website or history. The 4.5 rating over 20,111 reviews is Amazon data, not ours: we have not tested it.
Verdict: a closed, inexpensive kit for what it contains, with one coarse grit and one fine finishing grit, and a reasonable bet for a beginner. If your knives cost real money, read the manual before the first pass.
A complete, inexpensive water-stone kit with two useful grits. Brand with no verifiable history and no test of ours: the score comes from the listing, not from the sharpening bench.
Editorial rating from spec sheet, measurements and kamado fit · not a hands-on test
Pros
- Double-sided 1000/6000 white corundum: one coarse grit and one fine finishing grit
- Closed kit: bamboo base, silicone pad, angle guide and manual
- Water only, no sharpening oils: the listing says it is used and cleaned with water
- 4.5 average across 20,111 Amazon.es reviews: buyers' data, not ours
Cons
- Only 18 cm long: a 24 cm carving blade does not fit whole and is sharpened in sections
- Listing does not say if it needs soaking or how long it lasts; no flattening stone
- Marketplace brand with no verifiable history; the listing only states China as origin
Who it's for
For anyone with kitchen or carving knives who wants to start sharpening at home with water, using one closed kit instead of loose stones.
Not for
For owners of serrated or ceramic knives (the listing excludes them) or anyone after a branded stone with a verifiable history and a middle grit.
Specifications
- Weight
- 0.998 kg
- Material
- White corundum (stone) and bamboo (base)
- Includes
- , , , ,
As an Amazon Associate, mikamado.es earns from qualifying purchases. At no extra cost to you.
Goes well with
Miyabi 5000FCD – 24 cm Japanese Sujihiki (Slicing Knife)
This is the 24 cm Japanese carving knife in the catalogue, the type of blade that does the most work when the joint comes off the kamado. Its blade is longer than the 18 cm stone, so it is sharpened in sections. Check its listing to see whether the maker recommends a type of stone before you put it on this one.
€210
Arcos Honing Steel 230 mm
The steel is the maintenance partner: used between sharpenings, it delays the moment you reach for the stone, which is what restores the edge once the knife no longer cuts. They do not replace each other. Check that your knife suits a steel before buying one, because not every blade steel welcomes it.
€12
Tojiro DP F-802 – 15 cm Japanese Petty (Utility Knife) in VG-10
A 15 cm petty knife fits whole on an 18 cm stone, so it is the easiest case for starting to practise without sharpening in sections. It is VG-10, according to the catalogue, and not cheap, so read the stone's manual before you run its edge across it.
€145
FAQ
Which knives can I sharpen with this stone?
According to the listing: kitchen knives, scissors, hunting and pocket knives, straight razors, woodcarving tools and gardening tools. Serrated blades, such as a bread knife, and ceramic knives are excluded. It suits the carving and Japanese knives in our catalogue, but check each knife's own listing to see whether its maker asks for a particular type of stone or angle before you begin.
Does it need oil, or soaking first?
The listing says it needs only water, that you do not have to buy sharpening oils and that it cleans up with water. What it does not make clear is whether the stone should be soaked for a while before use, so follow the instruction manual that comes in the box. It is the sort of detail to check before the first session, not halfway through an expensive knife.
Is it any good for a long carving knife?
It works, but in sections. The stone is 18 cm long and 6 wide, and a 24 cm carving knife, like the Miyabi sujihiki in the catalogue, is longer than it. The listing calls it perfect for the largest kitchen knives, which is a little optimistic. With a knife of about 15 cm, like the Tojiro petty, the whole blade fits on the stone.
Do I also need a honing steel if I have the stone?
They are two different tools. The stone removes metal and restores the edge when the knife no longer cuts; the steel is used between sharpenings to maintain it. If you already own the Arcos Chaira from the catalogue, the stone does not replace it, nor the other way round. If unsure, start with the stone and add a steel only if your knife's maker says it suits the blade.