Whetstone Sharpening Basics - Double Bevel Knives

It's quite daunting to even begin sharpening knives on stones. I remember how intimidating it felt when I first got my sharpening stones. How am I supposed to do this? I might ruin my knife in the process! It isn't easy learning by yourself and experimenting with some of your expensive knives. Here is a brief rundown on how to begin sharpening knives on stones.

Initially you need a mid grit stone (800-2000), a finishing stone (3000-8000) and a stone flattener. This is all you need to start. You can purchase stones that are dual grits, they tend to run cheaper than single grit ones. The stone flattener is as important as your whetstones. Never be without one. I've seen people use low grit sandpaper lapped on thick glass as a substitute.

Learn about soaking or not soaking your new whetstones. You can always ask your supplier or you can also ask me via email if they need soaking or not. Some stones do work well with just a splash of water. Most of the stones in the market need about 10-15mins soaking, so be wary. General rule is that you stop soaking once you notice all the bubbles are gone.

You don't need any stone holding device nor angle setting jigs. I have a stone holder, but you really don't need one if you're just starting. A simple way to set your stone ready is to put it on your kitchen top under a damp kitchen towel. That should be fine. You would almost always see this kind of setup in professional kitchens.

Learn what bevels you have on your knife. Is it a knife with equal angles on both sides? Is it asymmetrical? Is it a 70/30, 90/10, 60/40 beveled knife? If it's the usual kitchen knives made in Germany or Europe, it's more or less a symmetrical knife. It's a 50/50. Some Japanese knives these days come at a 50/50 bevel ratio also. Keep in mind, this is just a guide to find the right angle.

Let's start by you holding your knife with your right hand first. Place your knife on the stone at a 45 degree angle. Feel for the angle where the edge meets the stone. That is your sharpening angle. It may be difficult at first, but you''ll get there by practicing. You don't need an angle setter or an angle device. Practice getting the angle with your fingers. This way you also get to know your own knife and how it reacts. To help you out initially, you can place a matchbook or two 25C coins on top of the other. This will enable you to hit 12-15 degree angles on your sharpening.

With your index finger on the spine and your left hand's index and middle finger directly on the blade face as near to the edge as possible, get a feel for moving it forward and backward. Let the stone do all the work and apply minimal pressure. Try releasing pressure on the downward stroke. Be gentle and always look at the edge of your knife to see where you're hitting it.

Burr

Never count strokes. It's quite useless. Always determine whether you're done sharpening a part of your knife by feeling for the burr. The burr is the metal left by abrading the opposite side of the edge while sharpening. Feel for this burr across the length of your knife. It should be even and consistent. This is the only time you get to say you're done with that side of your knife.

Repeat this proceed on the other side of your knife. This time you hold the knife differently. Your index finger on your right hand should guide the blade face into the stone. Your thumb controls the angle and holds the spine. Raise the burr on that side.

Get rid of the final burr on that side of your knife. To do this, gently run your knife on the stone with no pressure coming from your hands. Let the weight of the knife do its job. Do this on both sides on the same angle your sharpened on. You are now ready to use your high grit finishing stone. Repeat all steps except this time, you don't have to create your burrs. What you will be doing is that you're just refining the edge of your knife and polishing your bevels.

You can also end by stropping on your jeans, newspaper, leather or cork. This way micro burrs are reduced.

With enough practice, you should be able to sharpen your own knife and are now ready for some advanced sharpening techniques. There may be other techniques in sharpening other than what I have explained. This doesn't mean one is wrong or better. The more you practice and do it, the more you get accustomed to a single sharpening method.