The Complete Video Guide to Sharpening Knives With a Sharpening Stone
We mentioned that sharpening your knives with a whetstone (or waterstone) is the best way to keep them sharp and safe , but this video takes you through choosing the right stones, learning the right angles, and getting the perfect blade – all in one sitting.
A video from our friends at KnifePlanet, who also taught us the “trick” for sharpening knives, combines this video (and the related step-by-step guide below) to help answer common grindstone beginner questions. This is all about topics such as what stones you should start with, what “grit” means in the context of a whetstone, where to get good stones (spoiler alert: Amazon has a large selection of # 400 grit, # 1000 grit and # 5000 grit stones , which you need, complete with holders) and much more.
Your first important lesson here is not to be afraid of damaging your knife with a whetstone – if you are careful with it, you should be fine. The video also shows you how to create a “burr” or overlapping edge on one side that results from sharpening the other. This is important because it means that you have removed the tired metal from one side of the knife, which is a good indicator that you are applying the right force at right angles. Then you will be ready to flip it over and do the same with the other side of the knife.
The video is long, about 20 minutes, but you won’t find a better, more complete guide to the topic that covers so many details without skimping on the details. Peter Nowlan (who you remember from the last video) even touches on the question of whether you should use just one sharpening stone, or use several with progressively higher grain sizes for a sharper edge – but this is an advanced technique for people who are comfortable with one. so hit the play button and see how far your knife sharpening skills have gone.
Blunt to Sharp: A Video Guide to Sharpening Knives | KnifePlanet