How do I sharpen a knife with a whetstone?

Why choose stone for knife sharpening?

A stone is undoubtedly the best choice for sharpening your knives. The reason is simple: it's the only tool that sharpens your knives optimally without removing too much material. By choosing a whetstone, the sharpness of your knives will last even longer! Manual and electric sharpeners generally remove a lot of material, which is a shame for valuable knives.

The sharpening gun does not sharpen your knives, contrary to its name. It straightens the edge, but does not remove any material. A more abrasive sharpener will therefore be necessary when the edge is no longer sharp.

The whetstone is therefore the ideal compromise for maintaining the edge of your knives, and it's easy to get the hang of: just follow the steps below and all will be well!

How to use a whetstone

Choose a sharpening stone with a grain suited to the steel of your knife and the wear and tear on the edge. The stone should be soaked in water for about 15 minutes before use.

Step 1 : Place the stone on its base. If possible, slightly elevate the side of the stone closest to you, so that water and steel particles can drain off easily during sharpening.

Step 2: Grasp your knife as in the video below. The thumb and forefinger of the hand holding the handle should be positioned on the blade to improve stability, while the fingers of the other hand are positioned close to the edge to distribute the pressure evenly during sharpening.

Step 3: The sharpening angle should generally be 15°, maximum 20°. Tip: it should be possible to place a coin between the back of the blade and the whetstone.

Step 4: Move back and forth, maintaining a constant sharpening angle. Apply more pressure when pushing the knife than when pulling it towards you. The stone must be constantly moist for optimum sharpening (keep a container of water beside you). Raise the handle a little more to sharpen the tip.

Step 5: Feel the edge on the opposite side to the one you've just sharpened: if it feels rough, move on to sharpening the other side, otherwise continue sharpening until you feel a rough edge.

Step 6: Sharpen the other side of the blade, still moving back and forth. This time, apply a little more pressure when you bring the knife towards you, not when you push it.

Step 7: We recommend that you finish the sharpening process by passing a fine-toothed rifle over the blade.

You can test the sharpness of your knife on a sheet of paper: if you feel a snag, repeat the sharpening process to make it disappear.