How to Sharpen Your Knife with a Whetstone

Honing vs Sharpening

Regular maintenance helps keep your Japanese knife performing at its best. Honing and sharpening are different processes and each plays an important role in maintaining the cutting edge.

Honing realigns the existing cutting edge without removing a significant amount of metal. Regular honing can help maintain sharpness and extend the time between full sharpening sessions.

Sharpening removes a small amount of metal to restore a worn or dull cutting edge. This is only required occasionally, depending on how frequently the knife is used and how it is maintained.

How to Hone Your Knife

Place the honing steel vertically with its tip securely positioned on a chopping board. Starting with the heel of the blade near the top of the steel, draw the knife down and across the steel towards the tip of the blade.

Maintain the appropriate sharpening angle for your knife and use light, controlled strokes. For double-bevel knives, alternate between both sides of the blade and ensure the full length of the cutting edge is honed evenly.

After honing, wash the knife with warm water and dry thoroughly before storing.

Note: Not all Japanese knives are suitable for honing with a conventional steel. Always follow the care recommendations for your specific knife.

How to Sharpen Your Knife with a Whetstone

A whetstone is one of the most effective ways to restore and maintain the fine cutting edge of a Japanese knife. The appropriate technique and sharpening angle will depend on the blade type.

Choosing the Right Whetstone Grit

Coarse: Approx. 300 grit
Suitable for repairing small chips, damaged edges, or reshaping a heavily worn blade.

Medium: Approx. 1000 - 1500 grit
Ideal for general sharpening when a knife has become dull but the cutting edge is otherwise in good condition.

Fine: Approx. 4000 - 6000 grit
Used after sharpening to refine and polish the cutting edge for a finer finish.

Preparing Your Whetstone

If using a traditional soaking whetstone, soak it in water for approximately 10 minutes before use.

Place the stone on a stable, non-slip surface. A folded towel underneath can help prevent movement and absorb excess water. Keep the surface of the stone slightly wet throughout sharpening.

Always follow the instructions supplied with your whetstone, as some stones should not be soaked.

How to sharpen with your whetstone

Double-Bevel Knives (e.g. Shun Classic, Premier)

Most Japanese chef's knives, including Santoku, Gyuto, Nakiri and Petty knives, use a double-bevel cutting edge.

1. Place the blade against the whetstone at the recommended sharpening angle for your knife.
2. Using light, controlled pressure, move the blade backwards and forwards across the stone.
3. Work progressively along the entire cutting edge, from heel to tip.
4. Continue until you can feel a fine burr developing along the opposite side of the blade.
5. Turn the knife over and repeat the process on the other side.
6. Sharpen both sides evenly to maintain a balanced, symmetrical cutting edge.

Removing the Burr

Once both sides have been sharpened, carefully remove the fine burr remaining along the cutting edge.

Using progressively lighter strokes on the whetstone can help refine the edge and remove the burr. A finer finishing stone may then be used for additional refinement and polishing.

After sharpening, carefully wash the knife to remove any sharpening residue and dry thoroughly before storing.

Single-Bevel Knives (e.g. Kai Wasabi Yanagibe)

Traditional Japanese knives such as Yanagiba, Deba and Usuba may feature a single-bevel cutting edge and require a different sharpening technique.

1. Begin with the bevelled side of the blade and position it on the whetstone at the angle recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Using light, controlled pressure, sharpen evenly along the entire cutting edge until a fine burr develops.
3. Turn the knife over and place the flat or hollow-ground side against the whetstone.
4. Use only a small number of light strokes on this side to remove the burr and refine the edge.
5. Check that the cutting edge feels smooth and even before finishing.

After sharpening, wash the knife carefully, dry thoroughly and store it safely with the cutting edge protected.

Important

Japanese knives can vary considerably in blade construction, bevel geometry and sharpening angle. Always check the manufacturer's recommendations for your specific knife before sharpening.

For damaged blades, significant chips, or knives you are not confident sharpening yourself, we recommend using a professional Japanese knife sharpening service.