This India stone has a course and a fine grit side perfect for sharpening most folding knives, fixed blades, and kitchen knives. The length is 8 inches, and it is easier to use a stone about as long as your longest knife. Most folding, sporting and kitchen knives are around 8" or less, so this stone will work well for that as well as many fixed blades with a few exceptions like serrated edges. India stones are a hard stone that do require oil (not included).
The india stone is finer and will give a finer edge than a "crystolon" or silicon carbide stone but does take longer to get an edge on it. Using a fine steel afterward and can get a razor edge that will shave my arm. As with most things it takes practice, and a 10 to 15 degree angle. If you are scratching the side of the knife you are to flat, raise it a little and imagine you are cutting in between the bark on a small branch. That should help or imagine the surface on an old cube of butter slicing off the bad part. You must use oil with stone or it will clog up the surface and not work.