Characteristics of whetstones and recommendations for their selection

A sharpening stone can be synthetic or natural, made of silicon, aluminum oxide, or diamond-coated. There are also water and oil stones for sharpening cutting surfaces.

The most popular manufacturers of whetstones are the USA, Russia, China and Japan. The standard surface grain parameters of a tool in the latter country are recognized throughout the world and are considered an accurate indicator of its effectiveness.

The price of sharpening stones varies - from 116 rubles to infinity. If we take the optimal price-quality ratio of the product, then its cost will be 3-6 thousand rubles.

Sharpening stone: what is it, what does a whetstone mean?

A sharpening stone is a tool that belongs to the category of universal ones and is used for the full maintenance of knives, razors, scissors and other objects with a cutting edge.

They are considered the optimal choice for sharpening because they allow you to independently choose the intensity of processing of the cutting edge and adjust the pressure force - this is the main difference between sharpening stones and machines with high speeds, work on which often leads to damage to cutting tools.

The whetstone can come in different sizes, the smallest are called whetstones.

Grinding stone grit: table

When choosing a sharpening stone, pay attention to its grain size - a parameter that indicates the level of aggressiveness of the impact on the sharpening surface; its characteristics and types are presented in the table.

Too large grains on the surface of the whetstone leave grooves/scratches on the cutting surface; this is unacceptable for some materials and tools. And professionals consider a sharpened surface to be ideal if it is free of burrs and any other defects. Therefore, the coarse grain size of the stone is suitable for rough repair and restoration work.

If you use a sharpening stone with a fine-grained surface, the quality of the work will be very high, but it will take a really long time to get the desired result. Experienced sharpeners recommend having sharpening stones with different grit levels available in order to start the process with rough sharpening and finish with bringing the cutting surface to “ideal”.

Stones from the Small NANIWA Flattening Stone series of various grain sizes

What is grit

Grit, grit is the level of grit of sharpening stones. This technical parameter is indicated in numbers, for example: if we are talking about a stone with a grain size of 120 grit, then it is used for rough sharpening of the cutting surface (coarse grain), finishing the sharpening work with fine grain stones (1200, 3000, 8000 grit).

Recommendations for sharpening

High-quality sharpening of a knife with a whetstone is an entire art. For this reason, working with a block will require some preliminary preparation. First of all, it is necessary that the surface for sharpening is flat. You can check how flat it is by soaking the block in water and then placing it on a sheet of paper on a flat surface. If roughness is visible on the print, then you need to level the working surface by rubbing one block against another.

The knife to be sharpened should be positioned with the cutting edge facing away from you and moved forward along the working surface. It is important that the knife remains in the same position relative to the block; this feature is the key to successful sharpening. The angle at which the knife should be positioned should be from 15 to 45 degrees. This variability will allow you to achieve the best results. In any case, you need to practice and see how the chosen angle affects sharpening.

For primary sharpening, a stone with a large grain is used. If the blade is as dull as possible, this will give the blade a shape that will later be refined by using a fine-grained whetstone. The key to sharpening knives is practice.

What types of sharpening stones for knives are there?

Sharpening stones for knives are divided into two main types - natural and synthetic.

Water

Sharpening water stones (wet) belong to the category of artificial (synthetic), made from carbide and oxides of silicon, aluminum, and chromium. The production technology of this tool is such that the presence of particles of different sizes in the structure of the stone is not allowed - this negatively affects the results of sharpening cutting devices.

Depending on what binder material is used in production, water stone can have different hardness. For example, if the “bundle” is ceramic, then this indicator will be high, and if bakelite is used, it will be lower.

The peculiarity of a water (wet) whetstone is the need to soak it before starting work. Depending on the grit level of a particular instrument, soaking time can vary from 5 minutes (coarse grain) to 15 minutes (fine grain). You can tell that the tool is ready for use by looking at the air bubbles in the water - as soon as they stop forming, you can start sharpening the cutting surfaces.

Russian water stones Petrograd Water stones RUBANKOV.NET Sharpening water stones GRINDERMAN Chinese water stone

After soaking, the grinding surface is an accumulation of a mass of water, tiny metal particles and abrasive chips. This ensures uniform sharpening of the entire cutting surface.

Emery

Emery whetstones are used for electric machines that are equipped with grinding wheels (“emery pads”). At home, you should use white emery stones - they are durable, suitable for sharpening soft metals, and can be used for straightening knives and scissors. The composition of the material is soft, the temperature when the metal rubs against the stone is low, and the result is a fairly high-quality sharpening of tools.

There are also green sanding stones that are designed for working with hard metals. They have a high friction temperature, so they are not used for sharpening kitchen knives and scissors - scale will instantly appear on the blade, and the cutting surface will be hopelessly damaged.

Green grinding wheel White grinding wheel

Sandstone grits can be 8, 12, 16, 25 and 40, with 8 being the finest surface grit and 40 being the coarsest.

Diamond

Diamond is recognized as the hardest mineral in the world, it is used in the manufacture of sharpening tools with different grain sizes. The working layer of this mineral is made very thin, because the material is too expensive, but this does not affect the service life of the sharpening stones. It is believed that you can use such a sharpening tool for 10 years or more.

Diamond sharpening stones act very aggressively on the cutting surface and, although they allow you to complete the process in a few minutes, they quickly render it unusable and cause breakage of knives and scissors. Experts recommend that beginners limit themselves to medium-grained bars without such coating.

The difference between a diamond sharpening stone is that its surface is not clogged with foreign particles , so after use the tool is simply rinsed with cold water.

Watch the video about budget diamond sharpening stones:

A really high-quality stone of this type is quite expensive, but if you buy cheaper analogues, the surface will wear away very quickly. Accordingly, the service life will be reduced significantly.

Ceramic

The most modern type of abrasive stones is ceramic, in the production of which special materials are used (they are also used for the production of microcircuits). Ceramic can be used directly to make bars for sharpening cutting surfaces or an abrasive surface.

Sharpening tools on ceramics takes a long time and slowly; often such stones have a specific shape, which allows craftsmen to sharpen needles, nail scissors, fishing hooks, and blades. To begin work, ceramic stones are not wetted with water, but must be washed at the end of the process.

Ceramic stone (alumina ceramic) Fine Grit Tojiro F-472 – Ceramic water stone

Natural

The most popular are Arkansas and Japanese. Arkansas stones are a natural combination of quartz and rocks. The materials for its manufacture are mined in America, but their reserves are strictly limited, so the cost of such an instrument is always very high.

The second subtype of natural stone is Japanese waterstone. The material is mined in many regions of the country, but due to restrictions on its extraction, the cost of a sharpening tool will be “obscenely high.”

Professional natural stone Arkansas Translucent 1200 grit Japanese water stone S-3000/1000 on a stand

Oily

Oil sharpening stones are made from durable ceramics and have a longer service life because a more durable binder material is used in production. The peculiarity of oil whetstones is the variety of their shapes, which makes it possible to work with non-standard tools such as “bread” knives and serrated ones.

The surface of the stones has absolutely the same grain size, and this significantly speeds up work on them. There is also a drawback: it is impossible to achieve a “mirror” surface of the blade; it is better to use them at the “grinding” stage, when you need to make the blade thinner or remove small defects from its surface.

Watch the video review of Washita natural oil stone:

Round

Round sharpening stones are used for working on machine tools. They can be made from different materials, but more often they are synthetic - the machine produces too high speeds, so the hardness of the device must be maximum so that the blade or the stone itself does not collapse during operation.

The slipper type of tool is also available in small sizes; it is a cylinder that can be used to sharpen any knives. Manufacturers warn that it is impossible to achieve a perfect result with such stones, but they are effective as a “correction”.

Round whetstone

Types and selection criteria

Sharpening bars vary greatly in properties and price. What suits the housewife in the home kitchen may not suit the knife collector who wants to achieve excellent results with outstanding examples. But that’s the beauty of sharpening stones: everyone can choose a product to suit their needs and wallet.

Natural sharpening stones

People had to sharpen knives, weapons and agricultural implements long before industry began producing sharpening stones. Initially, the tools were stones of suitable shape and structure, with a smooth and slightly rough surface. Even today, after half an hour of searching, an experienced tourist will find a cobblestone in the scattering, which will significantly improve the cutting characteristics of a dull blade.

Natural sharpening stones produced by various companies have the same origin. Since the end of the 18th century, they have been mined in special deposits. Large blanks cut and carved into rocks are cut to the required sizes, after which they are given a perfect geometric shape already in production conditions.

The main characteristic of a natural sharpening stone that makes it valuable is its chemical composition and physical characteristics. For proper operation, it is necessary that the source material contains the necessary inclusion of solid particles of a certain size.

In the modern market, well-known brands of such stones are quite expensive - primarily as a result of the marketing policies of companies. Searching for new deposits of raw materials for natural sharpening stones and their subsequent processing is a very expensive process; it is much cheaper to produce artificial materials with the desired characteristics. Those companies that have a history and production experience present their products as a brand, making a good profit.

However, the sharpening and cutting properties of natural stones are really good. By selecting products of different grain sizes, you can achieve impressive results. In addition, good natural material is quite resistant, wears out and wears out slowly. With careful use it will serve the owner for many years.

Known variants

There are several deposits from which the company receives raw materials for the production of finished sharpening stones of natural origin.

"Arkansas". Received its name from the location of the mine workings in the USA. Arkansas stone is the mineral novaculite. It is rarely found in nature, which led to its high price. It consists of no less than 97% silicon oxide, while the crystals are very small in size, which allows the use of Arkansas stones for finishing and grinding. Arkansas stone bars are produced by different manufacturers. Users can also find the name "Washita".

An entire culture has developed around Arkansas whetstones. On the Internet there is a trade in samples that were made back in the 19th century. Accordingly, their price is very high. You can also find information that at the moment all the quarries in which raw materials were extracted are already closed, hence the high cost. It is quite difficult to verify this, but novaculite stones continue to be produced to this day.

Arkansas stone varies in grain size and degree of abrasive effect. Sometimes manufacturers designate this by color (gray, black), in other cases - by a general verbal marking (“Hard”, “Truehard”). The instructions for Arkansas blades recommend using oil when sharpening, which, however, does not prevent users from using water.

Artificial

Industrial production has made it possible to obtain abrasive bars with the required parameters of hardness, grain size and abrasion resistance. They come in different brands, are made from specific raw materials, and vary greatly in cost. For example, in a hardware store you can easily find a product for 100 rubles, which sometimes may not even have packaging. Such a block, even after careful culling, can only be used to set the angle of the cutting edge.

Famous manufacturers produce high-quality synthetic bars that are no cheaper than natural Arkansas bars. The reason is the homogeneity of the structure, strictly observed hardness parameters, uniform wear, the absence of burrs and chips when processing the knife.

Expert opinion

Levin Dmitry Konstantinovich

Synthetic sharpening stones are produced using similar technology. The basis is an abrasive powder with a certain particle size (it determines the future grain size). Microgranules are held together using a binder (for example, Bakelite or other plastics). The resulting viscous mixture is pressed into molds, when not only the pressure but also the temperature increases. As a result, the composition seems to sinter and has good hardness indicators, although in terms of fragility it is significantly inferior to natural stones.

Emery (abrasive)

The most famous and frequently used. They can be produced as single products with a specified grain size, or in the form of sets, usually including two or three stones - for coarser and finer sharpening, as well as for finishing. Another way to increase the versatility of the stone is a double-sided design: during the manufacturing process, two portions of a mass of abrasives with different characteristics are sintered longitudinally.

Various high-hardness substances are used as the main composition: electrocorundum, artificial diamonds, CBN, chromium oxide, various silicates. The price and quality range of such stones is very wide. Japanese water stones, made under the careful supervision of experienced craftsmen, can cost several thousand rubles.

Most emery stones require the use of water during the sharpening process. The bar is either completely immersed in water to soak for 5 - 10 minutes, or periodically sprayed as it dries. Wetting promotes the formation of an emulsion of particles of the bar, water and removed metal at the point of contact between the blade and the abrasive layer. This makes the processing more subtle and prevents the formation of creases and chips.

Diamond

It is often a metal base, on which a thin coating of a mixture of synthetic diamond chips or powder with the addition of other abrasives is applied on one or both sides. Such stones are quite expensive, but they provide consistent results even with knives made of high-hardness carbon steel.

True, no less often you can find sharpening stones in which the place of diamond is, at best, taken by borazon. This makes them significantly cheaper, but offers almost no advantages over sanding blocks.

Ceramic

Ceramics are clay and its derivatives that have undergone heat treatment. Technologies make it possible to produce ceramic sharpening stones with minimal grain size. It is notable for its low cost, but at the same time it regularly aligns the cutting edge of knives made of different steels.

A significant part of ceramic bars, due to their relative softness and smooth surface texture, are used not so much for sharpening as for straightening knives. The most suitable area of ​​application is working with stainless steel kitchen knives.

Unlike other materials, ceramics are often shaped not like a bar, but into another shape: a tube, a thin cylinder. Such sharpeners are used both independently and as part of sharpening kits.

Stones for sharpening knives: the best by manufacturer

The best manufacturers of stones for sharpening knives are considered to be Russia, Japan, China and the USA; Soviet-made tools can still be found on sale, and many professionals prefer them.

Russian made: Petrograd, Grinderman, Gritalon

Sharpening stones, which are produced in Russia, are distinguished by the correct price-quality ratio.

Of the most popular, it is worth highlighting:

Japanese: Suehiro, YOSHIKIN, Yaxell, Samura

Sharpening stones made in Japan are usually used for manual work and with water; the most famous brands of such tools are:

• Suehiro;
• Yoshikin;
• Yaxell;
• Samura

The difference between such stones is that when sharpening cutting surfaces, new layers of abrasive are constantly “opened”, and particles of the previous ones are mixed with water and have the best possible effect on the blade.

Sharpening stone Samura Sharpening stone Yaxell Sharpening stone Global MinoSharp from the manufacturer Yoshikin Sharpening water stone Suehiro

The Japanese produce sharpening stones with different degrees of grain, so when using a tool with fine grains at the last stage, it makes it possible to bring the cutting surface to perfect condition without the additional use of pastes, felt and dressing slings.

Japanese water stones are distinguished by the highest productivity, which can only be compared with diamond tools. But the latter increases the risk of excessive thinning of the blade at the final stage of finishing the cutting surface.

Japanese whetstone grit standards are recognized by international organizations and are used for designation by most manufacturers.

Soviet

Soviet sharpening stones are bars of absolutely regular shape, onto which a coating of abrasive material (base – silicon) was applied. You can still find Soviet sharpening stones and whetstones on sale at flea markets - they are considered high quality and “eternal.”

On the territory of the USSR, they used their own, individual markings, which are radically different from modern ones.

What was indicated on each product:

• dimensions;
• accuracy class;
• manufacturer (each had its own mark);
• dimensions;
• hardness level;
• structure characteristics;
• product type;
• material used in manufacturing;
• grain level.

Microcorundum block for straightening USSR razors, 1970

Chinese: Ganzo

Chinese sharpening tools include silicon carbide and aluminum oxide stones, which are characterized by fairly high quality, long service life and low cost. The most famous manufacturer is Ganzo. Such tools are especially good for sharpening ordinary kitchen knives - their grit level does not exceed 1000 grit, which allows you to bring the blade to the desired sharpness with one whetstone.

Recently, sharpening stones from China made of vacuum ceramics and boron carbide have appeared on the market. They have an almost eternal service life; even with prolonged sharpening of the tool, they do not wear out.

Chinese sharpening tool Ganzo

Arkansas: Dan's, Smith's, Lansky

Three companies stand out from the manufacturers:

• Dan's;
• Smith's;
• Lansky

Arkansas is a state in America where abrasive material is mined and grindstones are produced. Mineral reserves in this part of the country are already greatly depleted, so the cost of the tool is very high even by the standards of the Americans themselves. However, Arkansas stones have always been popular and are now considered the best quality on the market.

Lansky whetstone Smith's whetstone Dan's whetstone

Grain

The most important parameter that determines the nature of work with a sharpening stone. The larger the granules included in the bar, the more metal it will remove in one pass of the blade across the surface. Accordingly, finishing stones are almost smooth to the touch - tactile sensations simply do not provide information about the size of the grains.

What type of sharpening stone do you have at home?

NaturalArtificial

The grit measurement scale differs in countries that produce knife sharpening materials. Thus, in the USSR the size in microns was adopted, which, however, is still used today as an equivalent. But Western manufacturers use a system of conventional units called grit, that is, the degree of roughness. This quantity is dimensionless.

The general rule is this: the lower the grit value, the larger the particles and rougher processing await the owner of the knife. Large values ​​of several thousand grit indicate finishing, grinding and even polishing stones.

Today there are several standards in force:

• FEPA (for European manufacturers of sharpening stones);
• JIS (Japanese products are labeled according to it);

• ANSI (adopted in the USA and applies to American products).

Expert opinion

Levin Dmitry Konstantinovich

Grit roughness values ​​are not exact values ​​and values ​​may vary among different standards. Therefore, you need to purchase a stone for a knife based on your experience and needs, trying different options.

Sharpening stones for machine tools

Sharpening stones for machine tools vary in shape and composition. They can be used for sharpening not only cutting tools, but also any other metal products. Most often you can find a stone made of silicon carbide, but the most durable is considered to be CBN - an abrasive material based on boron nitride, which makes the tool as durable as possible.

All sharpening stone attachments for machines are divided into two types: black – the most resistant/strong and green. The first is used for rough sharpening of the cutting surface, while green is used to bring it to the desired state.

Sharpening machine 150 mm Titan BNS25-150

Which sharpening stone to choose for kitchen knives

For kitchen knives, it is better to choose a water sharpening stone - they “work” faster and allow you to straighten the cutting surface without changing tools until you get the desired result. But you need to remember that some knife materials can rust when in contact with water, which will hopelessly ruin your kitchen tool. In this case, it is better to use oil sharpening stones - sharpening takes a long time, but it is always of high quality, and the blade of the knives does not rust.

As for the grit level of the whetstone, 1500 grit is sufficient for kitchen knives, because 240 grit is too coarse an abrasive surface that greatly thins the knife blade.

Question answer

How to clean the bar when it gets dirty?

Under running water using a not very hard brush. Many people wipe off traces of the suspension after drying with a regular eraser.

What else can you sharpen and trim stones besides knives?

Relatively speaking, everything that is less hard and preferably plastic (metal): scissors, chisels, manicure tools, axes, scythes and sickles (if you are making a film about the harvest in pre-revolutionary Russia).

What oil should I use when sharpening with Arkansas?

In general, this is not important, since any oil will give the desired effect. Considering that knives can be used for cooking, you can take edible vegetable oil - olive, linseed. For tourist and technical knives, a spindle or ballistol is better suited.

Using a stone to sharpen knives indicates that a person loves knives and does not mind spending a few minutes (or tens of minutes) on sharpening and finishing. Well, a good sharpening stone pays its owner with good results.

How to choose a sharpening stone for tools

The selection of a whetstone should be made taking into account the following parameters:

• Abrasive grain size . It can be small, medium and large. The latter is necessary to eliminate chips on the surface of the cutting tool, because only coarse grain size can remove layers of damaged metal.

• Material of manufacture . In terms of characteristics and service life, synthetic sharpening stones are many times superior to natural ones, but this ratio is appropriate to take into account only when choosing a device from the middle price category. If you are planning to purchase a high-quality sharpening stone, then you should pay attention to Japanese manufacturers.
• Dimensions . If a stone is purchased for sharpening kitchen knives, then the shape and size practically do not matter. But if you constantly use a sharpening device on hikes, at work you should choose small sizes, even pocket-sized options.

What grit to choose for sharpening a knife

The grain size for sharpening a knife should be selected depending on the goals pursued; experts say that you need to have at least 3 stones in your arsenal:

• 120 grit – for rough metal processing;
• 1000 grit – to level the surface;
• 2000 grit – for straightening the blade.

But practitioners believe that knives can be sharpened with a stone with a grain size of 1500 grit. Such kitchen tools come straight from the store sharpened and only need to be slightly adjusted during use.

Grit of sharpening stones

It should be noted right away that even amateur sharpening on stones is far from simple. Those who have never used such abrasives may encounter certain difficulties at the very beginning of their journey - choosing a “tool”. What grit size of stone is needed for sharpening knives? Let's try to fully cover this topic, putting everything into detail.

The very first question, the answer to which will help you choose the right stone for knives, concerns the grain size, it is also called grit. The aggressiveness of the impact on the metal directly depends on the value of this parameter.

Large grains leave deep chips and gouges on the surface, which is unacceptable. An ideal job is considered to be a smooth, sharp, mirror-like cutting edge without any defects. That is why large grains are used only for working with workpieces, that is, processing a newly forged blade, or for restoration. Fine grains are responsible for grinding and final polishing. True, working with this stone takes an order of magnitude longer, but the result is worth it. Medium grain sharpens if the blade is slightly dull.

In your kit, it is advisable to have a minimum, if you sharpen infrequently or are just learning, three double-sided stones: with very fine grain, medium and coarse. It is worth working, moving from large to small.

Water stones for sharpening knives of various grain sizes.

Grit and Roughness Table

This table contains all the necessary information that will help you understand the different types of stones: markings, grain size, roughness and purpose.

How to make a whetstone with your own hands

You can make your own whetstone from ceramic tiles or silicon carbide and epoxy glue, but first you need to prepare a template and then follow the instructions.

From ceramic tiles

You need to take a fragment of ceramic tile measuring 30x8 cm; if there are mortar residues on the back side, then they must be removed. The relief side of the ceramic tile is ground down on a grinding wheel or sand-lime brick by active friction. During this process, fine abrasive dust will be formed - it must be removed periodically. You can bring the surface completely smooth with regular sandpaper.

As soon as the back side of the ceramic tile becomes smooth, the remaining abrasive particles are removed/washed off and completely dried. The whetstone is ready, you can use it to sharpen your kitchen knives, but you will definitely have to sharpen them until they are impeccably sharp and smooth.

Watch the video on how to make a whetstone for finishing a knife from ceramic tiles:

Made of silicon carbide powder and epoxy glue

You need to purchase 100 g of silicon carbide powder, prepare a wooden board with cuts on one side to fix the abrasive bar, and epoxy glue. For ease of work, you should wear medical gloves and use syringes.

Execution order:

1. Mix 6 cubes of resin and 1.2 ml of glue (epoxy glue preparation kit) in a bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly and add a little abrasive powder.
3. Stir again and add silicon carbide powder again - this must be done until the dry material runs out.

Next, you need to prepare a cardboard box of the desired shape (a rectangular or square block is needed) and pour the prepared adhesive mixture into it. Cover the top with a board, sawn side down, and press down with a weight.

Cardboard boxes of the desired shape

After 3-4 days, the glue will completely harden - and the block is ready for use. You will need to clean its edges and trim it with a file. To make the surface abrasive, you need to drop water on it and rub the frozen surface with a piece of glass with a small amount of sand.

Homemade sharpening stone for knives is ready

Such homemade sharpening stones do not have a long service life, but can be useful in force majeure circumstances.

Grit selection

The grit of sharpening stones (abrasiveness) is the number and size of the particles that make up a particular type of sharpening stone. With a large grain size, sharpening stones will erase the metal layer from the blade faster and more roughly; it can easily leave scratches and burrs. Such bars are used to change the shape of the blade or to quickly process it initially, which makes it possible to remove large chips and scratches from the damaged surface. In the future, it will be possible to use a more abrasive, soft whetstone for sharpening. Soft sharpening stones are used to finalize the blade to remove scratches and abrasions and polish it to a mirror shine.

It is best to have a large selection of stones of different grain sizes. This will allow you to choose the best option in each specific case. To sharpen knives, it is recommended to use several types of abrasive, starting with harder ones and gradually moving to soft ones. Since an ordinary kitchen knife interacts with ceramic plates and other hard materials every day, there is no point in using soft stones right away. Hard Arkansas-type whetstones or hard synthetic whetstones are best, as they give the knife a distinctive shine when sharpened. For scissors, slightly stiffer types are used, as this avoids too many particles from soft stones getting into the metal.

If you start sharpening a knife with a material that is too soft, the sharpness of the knife will be extremely fragile - the knife will become dull quite quickly. You shouldn’t use abrasives that are too hard either, as they will leave a lot of scratches and chips on the blade.

How can you more accurately determine the grain size of a sharpening stone? For this purpose, there are special tables of grain size, which indicate its coefficients depending on the materials. A table for sharpening stones allows you to determine what grit is needed for each type of knife.

Stone for dressing water stones

When using water stones, irregularities form on their surface, which impairs the quality of sharpening knives and other cutting tools; you can correct them:

• sandpaper;
• silicon carbide powder;
• sand;
• diamond block.

But it is easier and faster to sharpen the sharpening tool with special stones - synthetic water stones with diagonal cuts along the surface of the same depth. They can be hand-held or tabletop. In the first case, straightening is carried out with a stone with cuts, in the second, the damaged whetstone is ground/straightened on a fixed one.

The most popular stones for dressing water stones:​​

Sharpening rules

For the best quality sharpening, you need to decide which sharpening stone to choose for kitchen knives. It is recommended to use several types of bars with different grain sizes. It would be best to have about 5 different bars. It is equally important to choose the optimal size - it should not be equal in length to the knife; the most suitable option would be 1.5-2 times larger. You don’t need to attach much importance to the width; it is selected depending on personal convenience. Before work, it is advisable to place the sharpening stone in water or oil for 10-20 minutes. This is necessary to improve its sharpening properties - this will make it easier to work with.

The working surface should be smooth and free of unnecessary objects. The block should be placed and secured on a table or countertop. To prevent slipping, it is recommended to place a cotton rag or rubber mat under it to prevent slipping. It is strictly not recommended to hold a sharpening stone in your hands, as in this case the blade will come out uneven, and there is also a danger of injuring yourself with the knife. Before starting work, you should decide which angle should be used for sharpening, depending on the purpose of the knife and the properties of the material from which it is made. The interval for tilting is 15-65 degrees. The table will tell you how to choose the sharpening angle on the whetstone.

With a smaller sharpening angle, the knife will become dull faster. If the edge is too sharp, it is more susceptible to rounding. Often, too sharp a blade begins to crumble.

To maintain a constant angle when sharpening, you need:

1. Fix the knife sharpening stone motionlessly on the table surface;
2. Place the blade of the object being sharpened at the selected angle;
3. Start moving the blade in a certain direction, maintaining the angle of inclination. It is best to make movements from yourself;
4. The movements should be smooth; you should not move the knife along the block too quickly, as this will cause scratches and burrs on the blade;
5. Since you need to sharpen both sides of the blade, you should alternate them. It is best to turn the knife over after each movement and do the same with the other side;
6. For each side you need to make from 30 to 50 smooth movements, this will ensure high-quality and uniform sharpening of the knife;
7. The blade may be wetted during the process, depending on the material of the bar.

In conclusion, I would like to add that there is no universal sharpening stone; each type of steel has its own option.

Reading the instructions

Applying a knife

We carry out one side

We carry out the other side

Apply to finer grit

Checking

Cleaning coatings after work

Stones for knife

Ceramic and diamond stones are used for knife blades in the kitchen. They are characterized by fine grain and therefore cannot sharpen the cutting surface efficiently - usually such kitchen devices are used for quickly straightening the blade.

The service life of such blades is short, the abrasive coating on them is thin. Some manufacturers produce a device with three stones - coarse, medium and fine, which makes it possible to increase the level of sharpening of kitchen knives.

How much does a whetstone cost?

A whetstone can cost 116 rubles or several thousand - it all depends on several parameters:

• material of manufacture;
• manufacturer;
• surface graininess.

The average price of a whetstone, where the price/quality ratio can be called optimal, is 3-6 thousand rubles.