How to Sharpen a Knife: A Beginner’s Guide to Knife Sharpening

With a little practice and rudimentary technique, sharpening with whetstones can produce the best results for any type of knife and steel. In fact, whetstones can often make a knife even sharper than it was the day you bought it.

For many beginners, whetstone sharpening looks intimidating. You might see people sharpening knives on YouTube or on TV using a variety of tools and accessories that make it seem complicated. The reality is much simpler.

To get started, you really only need one or two stones, depending on the condition of your knives.

Like other sharpening tools, whetstones use grit levels.

Lower grit stones remove more steel faster and are used to repair or reshape very dull edges. Higher grit stones remove less steel and are used to refine and polish the edge. Trimming down that extra degree or two is the difference between a sharp knife and a laser!

If your knife is extremely dull and needs significant work, you will ideally want two stones.

Start with a 400-600 grit stone. This coarse stone removes enough steel to reshape the edge and restore the correct geometry.

After that, move to an 800-1200 grit stone. This refines the edge and improves the sharpness.

After sharpening, hone the blade with either a leather strop (which we recommend) or a traditional steel or ceramic honing rod.

If your knife is not very dull and you just want to maintain the edge, you can use a single stone in the 800-1200 grit range.

A few passes every couple of weeks can keep your knife sharp and performing well.

Whetstone grits go up to 10,000 grit, which has a place in knife sharpening and blade refinishing, but is complete overkill for 99% of the time. However, a 3,000-5,000 grit stone can take that edge to another level, clean up the burr even more, and shave the hair off your arm in a split second. Is that even necessary? Well, it depends on the knife. If you have finer Japanese knives, many will benefit from at least a 3,000-grit stone. 

So, whether you’re starting with super-dull knives and need a 400-600 grit stone, or you’re maintaining with an 800-1200 grit stone, feel free to add an extra stone to your collection once you get used to the feel. 

If you are new to whetstone sharpening, the easiest way to start is with a simple stropping-style motion.

Place the tip of the blade on the stone and move the knife along the stone toward the heel at a 15-20° angle, then flip the blade over and repeat the motion on the other side.

That’s it. Repeat this process roughly 8 to 12 times on each side of the blade.

If you use an 800 to 1200 grit stone to maintain your knife or refine the edge, then hone on a leather strop, your knife will be in excellent shape.

If your knife is extremely dull, start with a lower grit stone and repeat the motion until you can feel the edge sharpening. Then move to your finer stone, repeat the process, hone the blade, and you’re finished. It really is that simple.

Check out the YouTube video below to learn how to sharpen a knife with a whetstone, the easiest way possible! It's challenging to describe the process in a blog, as it's a visual learning experience.

One of the most common questions beginners have is what angle to hold the knife while sharpening with a whetstone.

A good rule of thumb is somewhere between 15 and 20 degrees. If you stay within that range, you’re in good shape.

What matters more than hitting the exact factory angle is maintaining the same angle consistently while sharpening.

Whether you’re at 15 degrees, 18 degrees, or even 20 degrees is far less important than keeping that angle steady during sharpening. Not sure what that angle looks like? Google what a 20* angle is before you start sharpening and keep that image up on your phone or computer while practicing. 

Don’t overcomplicate it, because believe it or not, the knife will tell YOU what angle feels good. 

Become one with the blade! Joking aside, yes, that’s a real thing.

If you decide to dive deeper into whetstone sharpening, there are different types of stones and accessories that can make the process easier.

Whetstones

There are two main types of stones: splash-and-go and soaking stones.

Splash-and-go stones only require a little water on the surface before sharpening, and as needed throughout the process. Soaking stones must be submerged in water for about 5 minutes before use and require much more water during sharpening.

For beginners, splash-and-go stones are typically the easier option. You don’t need to worry about water running over your stone the entire time you're sharpening, or about constantly adding more.

Stone Holder

A stone holder keeps your sharpening stone stable while you work. Necessary? No, but helpful. You can also place your stone directly on a folded wet towel, providing several layers of cushion for the stone to sink into. Many whestones come with a case that doubles as a stone holder, too.

Non-Slip Surface

Even with a stone holder, it’s helpful to place a non-slip pad or a wet kitchen towel underneath the setup to prevent movement. Just keep in mind that sharpening debris may stain the towel, so use one you don’t mind getting dirty.

Stone Levelers

Over time, sharpening stones can develop low spots where the blade contacts them most often. If a stone becomes uneven, sharpening can become inconsistent. You can flatten stones using a coarse whetstone or a diamond plate, such as an Atoma 140 or 400 grit plate.

Leather Stropping Block

A leather strop is one of the best tools for finishing and refining a sharpened edge.

Many stropping blocks are double-sided. One side removes the burr created during sharpening and also hones, while the finer side polishes and refines the edge. Honestly, you could use the inside, unfinished side of a leather belt like an old school barber shop, and it’ll do the trick! Is a leather block easier? Absolutely, but our goal here is to make sure you have a sharp knife, not a large credit card bill. Of all the accessories to invest in after getting the right stone or two, a leather strop is it!

If you’d rather invest in more stones and stick to your tried-and-true steel or ceramic honing rod, you’ll still be in good shape. Although a strop is a bit easier on the edge and never scratches your blade, a decades old steel honing rod can still straighten out that apex!

Whether you choose a pull sharpener, an electric sharpener, or whetstone sharpening, the most important thing is keeping your knives sharp.

You can always send your knives out to a professional sharpening service. However, that means being without your knives for a while and paying for sharpening repeatedly.

Learning how to sharpen a knife with a pull or electric sharpener, and, in the best case, with a whetstone, not only saves money but also gives you the confidence to maintain your tools whenever they need it, while developing a new skill set.

And once you get the hang of it, sharpening becomes just another useful skill in the kitchen.