Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

A sharpening knife, or more accurately a whetstone, is often included in good knife sets, but rarely is there an instruction manual for it. However, with proper and frequent use, a whetstone will keep your knives sharp for a long time.

Steps

1. 1 Remember that a whetstone will not make a dull knife sharp. A sharpening stone is a maintenance tool used to keep an already sharp blade from dulling. If your knives are dull, serrated, or you see serifs on the leading edge, take your sharpening knife to a professional.
2. 2 Hold the whetstone firmly in your hand or press it against a worktop. For safety reasons, the preferred method is to place the tip of the sharpening stone on a cutting board while holding it upright.
3. 3 Place the bottom (tip) of the knife against the whetstone as if you are about to bump into it.
   • Position the knife (ideally) at a 22 degree angle. This angle is considered standard, although you can set it at a lower angle for a sharper edge, or higher for a blunt edge.
4. 4 Lower the knife along the sharpening stone smoothly, as if you were slicing a stick. Move the knife up and down, stopping the tip of the knife at the bottom of the sharpening knife. Maintain the same angle as you work and move your hand gradually so that the knife sharpens evenly from the base of the blade to the tip.
5. 5 Flip the knife over and repeat the process, honing the other side.
6. 6 Repeat 3-6 times on each side. Check the pungency and repeat if necessary. The quality, firmness and pre-existing sharpness will determine the final number of necessary movements.
7. 7 Wipe the blade with a clean towel or paper towel. It is important to avoid the presence of metal filings that may remain after sharpening.

Tips

• Wash the knives shortly after use and dry them immediately.Sour or salty foods can damage the blade, especially on vulnerable, very thin edges. Wash by hand, even if your knives are dishwasher safe, to avoid hitting other metal utensils and damaging the blade.
• Store knives so that the blade does not hit other metal objects (other knives, for example). Knife blocks are perfect for this.
• Make sure your whetstone is long enough. The 12 "(30 cm) knife cannot be sharpened with an 8" (20 cm) sharpening knife.
• Use only a metal whetstone. Ceramic or diamond are also available, but they sharpen (unlike a whetstone) a knife that removes steel with each pass and shortens the life of your knives.
• Sharpen the knife blade either before each use or after each wash.
• Cut only on wood or plastic surfaces. Stone, glass, and tiles are kitchen surfaces that you sometimes find it more comfortable to cut on, but will quickly dull your knife.
• Speed ​​is not important. Move slowly until you learn to keep your hand at a right angle and walk the entire length of the blade in one motion.
• Using a whetstone is not the same as using a sharpening knife. The sharpening stone gently pushes the knife edge back into its correct position. The sharpening knife removes some of the metal, creating a completely new cutting edge.
• Some experts suggest making more than one pass on each side at a time, or holding the whetstone differently. You can try different methods. They all work if they pay equal attention to each side of the blade and maintain a constant angle of the blade to the sharpening knife.
• If your knives are dull (all of them will eventually become, even if sharpened frequently), sharpen them again. There are home sharpening systems available, but professional sharpening is probably your best bet.

Warnings

• Hold the whetstone by the end of the handle with your hand. Most of the sharpening stones have a wide section that acts as a guard at the top of the handle. Do not put your hand above this protection.
• As always, observe safety precautions when using cutlery.
• Do not try to sharpen serrated blades.