While these may scare amateur cooks, whetstones, also known as waterstones, are the best way for you to sharpen your knives.
Professional chefs often turn to whetstones when they sharpen their knives. Sharpening stones give you a razor-sharp edge, without removing too much material from the knife.
Besides being efficient, whetstones will keep the edge sharper for longer. It’ll take a bit of practice before you get the hang of them, though. Once you do, you will be surprised how easily and quickly you can sharpen your knife.
Coarse stones that are less than 1,000 grit are for repairing chipped and damaged knives. Finishing stones range from 40,00 to 8,000 grit.
For regular polishing, 4,000 to 5,000 grit stones are more than enough. But if you’re slicing fruit and vegetables, or filleting fish, then the 8,000 comes into play. It’ll make your knife delicate - too delicate to force its way through red meat, actually - so don’t overdo it.
If you’re chopping away every day, pull out this medium stone about once a month. If you aren't often in the kitchen, then sharpen your knife once every three.
Besides whetstones, which are a little harder to use, pull-through or electric sharpeners that are more friendly for beginners are also an option. They tend to be more convenient and adjustable, too.
Also, it’s light and compact, so it’ll easily fit into your kitchen drawers. However, there are some sharpeners that aren’t suitable for single-edged blades, so make sure your sharpener is compatible with your knife.
Regularly realigning the blade will help maintain it, so not only do your slices slide like butter, but you also don’t need to pull out your sharpener as much. These are usually made of metal, and you can also find some that have been coated in diamond or ceramic.
So before purchasing, you need to consider some additional factors, such as the type of knife (European or Japanese), the type of blade (single-edged or double-edged), material (stainless steel, carbon steel, or ceramic), the shape of the blade (straight, curved, and so on), and the angle of the blade.
Note that European knives use a 20-degree angle and Asian knives use a 17-degree angle. You'll have to look at this when purchasing a sharpener, but electric ones that can adjust are the easier choice. Serrated blades don't work with all sharpeners either, so make sure to check the product descriptions.
*Please note that these products were chosen after extensive research by mybest writers. The choices are not necessarily affiliated with or recommended by Danilo Specchiulli.
Image | 1 ![]() Chef’s Choice | 2 ![]() Sharp Pebble | 3 ![]() Chef’s Choice | 4 ![]() Vremi | 5 ![]() Winco | 6 ![]() Chef’s Choice | 7 ![]() KitchenIQ | 8 ![]() Kota Japan | 9 ![]() LINKYO | 10 ![]() Tatara |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Pronto Pro Sharpener | Premium Knife Sharpening Stone | 290 Angle Select Hybrid Sharpener | 4-Stage Manual Knife Sharpener | Stainless Steel Sharpening Steel | Electric Knife Sharpener | 2 Stage Sharpener | Sharpening Steel | Electric Knife Sharpener | Sharpening Stone 3000/8000 Grit |
Features | Simple, Accessible, and Keeps Knives in Tiptop Shape | A Beginner-Friendly Way to Get a Professional Edge | An Electric and Manual Hybrid Machine | A Handy Sharpener That Works for Both Western- and Asian-Style Knives | Touch Up Your Knife's Edge With a Reliable Steel | Quick, Easy, and Versatile Machine for Japanese-Style Knives | Very Light, Compact Design for Easy Storage | Diamond Sharpening Steel to Keep Blade Edges Aligned | A Simple, Wallet Friendly Electric Knife Sharpener | Perfect Stone for a Mirror-Like Finish |
Price | $49.95 | $39.99 | $99.04 | $4.99 | $16.47 | $150.21 | $5.99 | $16.99 | $99.99 | $29.99 |
Material | Plastic, diamond | Aluminium oxide, bamboo base | Stainless steel, diamond | Stainless steel, diamond | Stainless steel | Diamond | Carbide | Diamond | Iron, plastic | Ceramic, aluminum oxide |
Type | Pull-through | Whetstone | Pull-through, electric hybrid | Pull-through | Sharpening steel | Electric | Pull-through | Sharpening steel | Electric | Whetstone |
Knives | Straight edge, serrated knives, sports and pocket knives | All blades | European/American 20-degree knives, Asian-style 15-degree knives, straight and serrated blades, sport and pocket knives | Standard knives, Asian-style knives | Any non-serrated, non-ceramic knife | Non-ceramic, Straight and serrated knives | Straight edge blades, serrated edge blades | Steel | Straight-edge knives | |
Link |
$49.95
Material | Plastic, diamond |
---|---|
Type | Pull-through |
Knives | Straight edge, serrated knives, sports and pocket knives |
$39.99
Material | Aluminium oxide, bamboo base |
---|---|
Type | Whetstone |
Knives | All blades |
$99.04
Material | Stainless steel, diamond |
---|---|
Type | Pull-through, electric hybrid |
Knives | European/American 20-degree knives, Asian-style 15-degree knives, straight and serrated blades, sport and pocket knives |
$4.99
Material | Stainless steel, diamond |
---|---|
Type | Pull-through |
Knives | Standard knives, Asian-style knives |
$16.47
Material | Stainless steel |
---|---|
Type | Sharpening steel |
Knives | Any non-serrated, non-ceramic knife |
0101500
$150.21
Material | Diamond |
---|---|
Type | Electric |
Knives | Non-ceramic, Straight and serrated knives |
$5.99
Material | Carbide |
---|---|
Type | Pull-through |
Knives | Straight edge blades, serrated edge blades |
$99.99
Material | Iron, plastic |
---|---|
Type | Electric |
Knives | Straight-edge knives |
$29.99
Material | Ceramic, aluminum oxide |
---|---|
Type | Whetstone |
Knives |
Danilo says, "If you’re new to sharpening using a whetstone, keep in mind that it’s all about the angle. Put the blade - sharp side inwards - at a 90 degree on the stone. Then, half this to get 45 degrees. Tilt once more in half to get about 20 degrees for European knives and a bit more to 17 degrees for Japanese knives.
I recommend choosing a sharpening stone with a surface area close to your blade's size and length. This way, with every swipe, you get a more even finish."
Not all knives are equal. Some are better suited for cutting bread, some for fish, and some for spreading jam. If you're looking for more specific types of blades, check out our other articles below.
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