A knife is a Chef’s most important tool. Unfortunately for most amateurs however, it’s the tool most neglected. A sharp knife is not only safer to use, but it’s also easier to use and if you are serious about honing your skills in the kitchen, you should start with honing the edges of your knives.
In this introduction we will go over Whetstone Sharpening, one of the most traditional ways to sharpen knives. The task is rewarding and although it may seem daunting at first, it’s actually relatively easy. So let’s start at the beginning.
What is a Whetstone?
A Whetstone is the same thing as a sharpening stone. The term “Whet” even means to sharpen. This is a dated term but is still commonly used today. Sharpening stones are used to sharpen basically anything with an edge, chisels, axes, knives, etc. They can either be found organically in nature or manufactured in factories.
For this guide we will be looking at/using a subcategory of sharpening stones called, water stones. As the name insinuates, water stones are sharpening stones that are meant to be used with water as a lubricant. Some require soaking the stone in water and other’s are known as “splash and go.”
A wildly accepted belief is that the best water stones come from Japan, which makes sense when you consider the focus and high standards of Japanese knife making.
What’s the deal with Japanese water stones?
Japanese water stones these days can be synthetic or still found naturally in stone quarries in Japan. These stones are notoriously porous and clay-like so they require a soaking to swell up the pores. Because of the softness of these stones, one is easily able to generate a slurry (which is a mixture of the partials from the knife and the stone). This “slurry” acts as an extra abrasive that helps to get a sharp edge faster.
When using natural stones, it is important to note that every one is different. Some may require longer soaking so to be safe, a general rule of thumb is to allow the stone to rest submerged under water for at least 30 mins.
What do the numbers mean on sharpening stones?
Japanese water stones come in different grit levels usually between 100-30,000. The higher the numbers the finer the grit. Advanced knife sharpeners will use different grits to accomplish different goals for sharpening the knives.
The fundamental goal of using these stones is to remove particles from the knife to create a uniform straight edge from tip to to the heel. To preserve the integrity of the knife, it’s also important to strip away the least amount of metal as needed. So more coarse gritted stones are used to strip about more metal and perhaps used to fix large chips or breaks on the knife. While super fine grit stones are used more for polishing.
What should be my first whetstone?
For your first stone, I would suggest getting the following, 1000/6000 grit whetstone. For only $30ish, the barrier to entry is small and if you get really into knife sharpening, you can always upgrade stones in the future and invest in things like a flattening stone. Also, King is a reputable brand and the stone should last you a long time is you care for it properly (don’t bang the hell out of it in your kitchen drawer).