Three items that between them keep every blade in the catalogue working: the 1000/6000 water stone for actual sharpening, the flattening plate that keeps the stone true, and the 1200-grit ceramic rod for honing between sessions.

The flattening plate is the piece people skip and the one that decides whether a stone helps or harms. Every stone dishes in the middle with use, and a hollow stone rounds an edge no matter how good the technique. Use it every third or fourth session. Bought separately these come to about $118.

Buying a set is a bet that you want all of it. If two of these pieces are things you already own in a form you like, buy the rest individually — the discount here is real but it is not large enough to justify replacing something that works. Every piece in every set is also sold on its own page.