Why would you care if they are ceramic or not? . They sharpen great, are
easy to get flat and don't dish like waterstones. The most important
distinction between them and waterstones is that you don't soak Shapton
stones. You use water to float away the debris. They should be used clean
rather than with a slurry like a water stone.

Bernie

"Joe Bleau" wrote in message
...
I've heard of these Shapton stones and I do not believe they are true
ceramic stones (fused through extremely high heat) but are really a
type of Japanese water stone which use a different procedure for
binding the abrasives than normal Japanese stones. I am not saying
this with certainty and I could be wrong but I don't think so.
Ceramic stones undergo intense heat and it's the heating that distorts
them and makes it next impossible to create perfect flatness. I'm
sure there are people who understand this a lot better than I do and I
hope one of them will stumble across the thread and clear things up.

Joe

Well, if you should find a ceramic stone finer than 1800 please let us
know.

Joe

http://www.shaptonstones.com/stones/...nal-Series.php

120, 220, 320, 1000, 1500, 2000, 5000, 8000, 15000, 30000

I'd never use anything finer than 8000, but there is always the option.

Here is my experience with them.
http://masamiki.com/mono/tools/sharpening.htm

-j