About

Pacific Waterstone is a small shop providing premium Japanese natural and synthetic waterstones to knife makers, woodworkers, and razor enthusiasts. Operating on the Pacific coast in the town of Santa Maria, California, we are passionate about connecting sharpening enthusiasts to exciting, rare and beautiful Japanese water stones.  We want to help you find your new favorite stone.

Ken Schwartz Estate

Our current inventory of Japanese natural and synthetic whetstones comes from the estate of Ken Schwartz, a well-known figure in the sharpening community and the former U.S. representative for Tanaka Toishi of Kyoto. We acquired this collection through a lien-sale purchase and have worked to document its history as thoroughly as possible — including matching stones directly to Ken's own photos and posts. You can read the full story, including what we know and don't know, on our Provenance page.

Shipping & Handling

We process and ship most orders the same day from Santa Maria, California. Because waterstones require careful handling, every item is wrapped in thick protective bubble wrap and packed tightly with heavy-duty paper inside a durable shipping box to prevent shifting. We take every precaution to ensure your order arrives at your doorstep safe, secure, and ready for the bench.