Knife Sharpener

How to Sharpen Your Knife with a Whetstone

Whetstones are sharpening stones generally made from water-based minerals like silicon carbide or aluminum oxide. They sharpen by removing microscopic amounts of metal from both sides of the blade at once, which makes them ideal for maintaining an already sharp edge.

The most common types of whetstones are oil stones and water stones, but there are also diamond stones that can be used with either oil or water, as well as ceramic stones which aren't typically used for home use but tend to be found in professional kitchens.

If you have never used a whetstone before, you may wonder how to use one correctly. Here's what you need to know:

Step 1: Preparing Your Whetstone

You will need to soak your whetstone in water for about one hour before using it for sharpening purposes. This softens up the stone so it won't scratch your knife when you run it over your blade. It also makes it easier to get a good grip on the stone while sharpening your knife.

Step 2: Clean the Knife

Clean off any dirt from the blade before starting work on it. Dirt can get into the grooves of your blade and prevent it from being smooth enough for you to sharpen properly. Take a wet rag and wipe all dirt off your knife before starting work on it.

Step 3: Sharpening the Knife

After soaking your stone, place it on top of something stable (such as a table), and then place your knife on top of the wet stone. Now hold both ends of the handle while pressing down firmly with one hand (this is called "pulling back"). Now slide your other hand from the top towards the bottom of the blade, using just a little bit of pressure. Repeat this process about 10 times, then move on to another section of your knife until you've gone through all areas once.

Now that you have sharpened one side of your blade, flip it over so you can sharpen the other side. This time, pull back from the tip to where you previously sharpened; this may take some time depending on how dull your knife was before sharpening. Once again, repeat this motion about 10 times for each part of your knife before moving on to another section and repeating this process.