10 Best Knife Sharpeners in 2022 (Chef-Reviewed)

Whetstones aren’t all made naturally or from stones and minerals. There are two types of whetstones or sharpening stones – natural or synthetic stones. The first is usually made by quartz, such as novaculite. The latter is often made of bonded ceramic, corundum, among other materials. 

While it’s true that the ancient Romans used naturally occurring stones to sharpen their weapons and tools, things have progressed, and now even professionals find artificial whetting stones equally efficient. I personally find synthetic stones more reliable in giving me quick and consistent results. 

Although, natural whetstones have become a novelty for their beauty and rarity, so you can also consider it a collector’s item. If you’re new to knife sharpening, I recommend going for a synthetic one as these are much easier to work with.

Let’s talk grit, as this is crucial to the result of your sharpening endeavor. It all boils down to what state your knife is in. If you have a damaged or blunt blade, go for 200-1,000 grit. 

The value often refers to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) as many sharpening stones still come from Japan. If you need to sharpen for cutting meat, then a 4,000 JIS stone is advised. Lastly, an 8,000 JIS stone is for filleting fish and cutting fruits or vegetables. 

I don’t recommend having multiple sharpening stones unless you’re a professional with multiple delicate knives. The bare minimum is 300 and 1,000 grit. You can also find stones with double grit on each side for extra convenience.

There is often a misconception that the sharpening rod is for sharpening because you see someone use it right before cutting something like turkey. However, you should treat this tool as a quick fix. You cannot use this as a substitute for sharpening but for honing.

Whenever you feel resistance as you slice, that means your blade isn’t as aligned as before. A sharpening rod will put all of the microscopic parts of the blade’s edge back together like a nice haircut. When you don’t feel improvements after sanding, it’s time to sharpen.

My Japanese father-in-law, a chef of 40 years, passed down one of his treasured knives to our family. It was a beautiful double-edged hand-crafted chef’s knife that required careful sharpening. It had about 60 HRC or degrees Rockwell C (the hardness level of a knife). Due to its relatively high HRC, we needed a higher grit to match. 

If you have a knife ranging from 52 to 56, a sharpening stone of up to 800 grit will do. Medium hardness between 53 and 59 will require about 1,000 to 3,000 grit. High hardness knives, 60 HRC and above, will need grit from 3,000 to 8,000. 

Knowing the HRC of your existing knife allows you to pair it with the correct grit because using a 3,000 grit stone on 52 HRC will do nothing.

This expert reviewed the contents of the buying guide for accuracy and provided factual corrections when necessary. They did not participate in the product selection process, nor are they affiliated with any of our choices unless explicitly stated so.