The Kori 8" 8000 Grit Resinoid Whetstone helps you achieve a surgically sharp edge on your tools. For the finest, most polished edge, nothing works better than a Japanese Water Stone. 8000 grit is the finishing stone that brings your final cutting edge up and completely removes scratches from the surface.  The abrasive slurry produced while sharpening helps to polish and refine the blade. To use this waterstone no need to soak since it's a resin based stone. Just splashing or spraying small amounts of water on the stone while using to keep it wet and create an abrasive slurry.