Japanese knives are known for their level of sharpness that surpasses almost all other types of knives.
If you’ve invested in a high-quality Japanese knife or any other knife, it makes sense to use it for a very long time, which requires maintenance. Sharpening your kitchen knife is one of the main steps in maintaining it to make it feel like new, use after use.
A whetstone is the most common tool that’s used to sharpen Japanese knives and most other kinds of knives. The best knife set not only has different types of knives for different tasks but also are sharp for optimal usage.
3 Tips on Using a Whetstone to Sharpen your knives
Buy the right whetstone
Investing in a whetstone that works for your needs is a must. There are mainly 3 types of whetstones that are commonly used for knife sharpening at home.
1. Coarse grit—between 200 and 600 grits, the right type for the most dull blades; removes imperfections, including minor chips.
2. Medium grit—between 800 and 2000 grits, ideal to sharpen, refine, and restore the edges of blades; suitable for general-purpose sharpening.
3. Fine grit—over 3000 grits, suitable for polishing the blade to give it a razor-sharp edge; usually fit to be used in the last step of sharpening.
Combination—although not a dedicated type, a combination whetstone typically includes two types of grits; suitable for at-home sharpening as it serves dual purposes.
You can get a regular whetstone that can be placed on a suitable flat surface or a portable handheld one.
Soak before use as instructed
Almost all whetstones require soaking before use, either in water or in oil, although there are some that can be used without prior soaking.
Make sure to soak as per the instructions, which is about 10 to 15 minutes in water. This process prevents the stone from turning dry in between sharpening and stays lubricated until your kitchen knife is sharpened. Not following this might not only damage the sharpening tool but might also damage the precious blade on knives, including Japanese knives.
Find the correct angle to sharpen
You might not become a pro the first time you sharpen your kitchen knife. However, there’s a learning curve.
At each use, learn to master the correct angle for optimal sharpening of the knife blade. A 20-degree angle works for a majority of kitchen knives. However, serrated knives cannot be sharpened this way and it’s best to opt for a professional knife sharpening service for these ones.
Whetstones primarily work for knives that have a straight, curved, or any other type of blade without a serrated edge.
At The Cook’s Edge, you get to choose from a wide range of Japanese knives, including the Nakiri, Santoku, Gyuto, Petty, and more. You can buy them by visiting the physical store. Pick whetstones to maintain a sharp edge.
It’s not just the best physical knife store in PEI, Canada, but also a highly reliable online Japanese knife store, enabling the ease of shopping from your home.