Tosho's #1 sharpening tip: keep your stones flat. Not enough sharpeners flatten their stones often enough, resulting in many inconsistencies and poor edges. As a budding sharpener, investing in a good lapping plate early ensures that you are improving your sharpening technique, rather than troubleshooting around dished/untrue sharpening surfaces.

And we do not recommend those inexpensive pink or black flattening stones to do this for those who are wondering. They are inexpensive for a very good reason. Instead, we recommend diamond lapping plates that are a bit more expensive but offer far better longevity, precision, and speed. 

ATOMA Lapping Diamond Plate is not a stone, but a diamond abrasive sheet fixed on a flat nickel/aluminum plate. The diamond abrasive used on ATOMA means that you can use this plate on almost all types of stones (except for diamond stones). The handle attachment allows you to have a much better grip during usage than the ones without. 

#140 is best for speedy flattening, and for stones below #2000, and #400 is recommended for achieving fine stone surfaces and for stones above #2000.

We highly recommend this plate to any sharpener who is looking to get consistent results and is willing to invest in a tool that will not only last for years, but also contribute to improving his/her skill.

For those who are interested in a smaller(& less expensive) version of the same product, please check this link out.

Brand: Atoma アトマ
Product Type: Diamond Plate
Grit: #140
Size: 95 x 75 x 210mm