The Suehiro 1k/3ks I've used have always been blue on one side (1k) and off-white on the other (3k). Adding confusion to this that the Cerax line on the German sites are sometimes shown as blue for 1k, identical in color to the traditional Suehiro synth, and sometimes brick red like a King. And for American and Asian markets, the 1k Cerax is sometimes shown as white. My experience with the Suehiros has only been with the traditional blue/off-white combos. To me, they do not seem softer than King stones and it is easier to remove standing swarf from their surfaces. One cannot add a lot of pressure to them when honing, but it's not like I've ever dug into one while honing.