# Using a Culinary Sharpening Stone



## jarjarchef (Jul 13, 2012)

I have seen a few questions about this. I am sorry if it was covered already. I would use a cheaper knife to learn the angles and motion to sharpening a knife. I almost ruined a $130 Chef knife learning...

*How to use a sharpening stone:*

Select the desired stone surface and position it with this surface up. 
It is strongly recommended that you use a sharpening stone case when sharpening. It will hold the stone in place while sharpening and keep the lubricant from getting on your work surface. It also provides safe, neat storage.
It is important to make sure that the stone is not able to move when using. Take a towel, wet it and place under the stone or case to keep it from slipping.
Put small amount of lubricant on the stone surface.
*Sharpening Stone Lubricant:*

Sharpening is faster and easier when a lubricant is sitting on top of the stone. This keeps the stone free cutting by preventing loading and glazing.
Put enough lubricant on the stone to just cover the surface when the knife is drawn across it. Do not over fill the base. (Lubricant will spill out of the stone holder).
You can use either plain tap water* or the pharmacopoeia grade mineral. You will get excellent results using either. **BUT DO NOT MIX THEM!* ONCE YOU HAVE USED ONE< YOU CANNOT USE THE OTHER!*
Never put your sharpener or stones in the dishwasher.
*How to Sharpen:*

Depending on the condition of the cutting edge, select the rougher or smoother side of stone for sharpening.

The rougher stone should be used if you have allowed the knife-edge to become dull. Do not proceed to the smoother stone until the edge is sharp.
Use the smoother side of the stone after you have sharpened with the rough stone, or when just touching up the edge between uses.

Select the sharpening stone surface to start with based on the above criteria.
Determine the proper edge bevel angle to hold and maintain throughout the sharpening process. For most knives, the proper angel is 20˚ to 30˚. For filleting knives, the best angle is 15˚ to 17˚.
Before starting the sharpening process, assure that a thin layer of mineral oil is on the surface of the stone on which you will be sharpening.
*Important:* _when sharpening very dull edges, make sure to lubricate the stone frequently to keep the stone free cutting and lubricated._

Place the blade diagonally across the stone near one end as shown below.
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Tilt the blade to the proper edge bevel angle.
Grip the blade firmly, and lock your wrist. 
When sharpening long blades, place the fingers of your other hand on the back of the blade as shown. Use this hand to apply even pressure as you move across the stone’s surface with the hand.
Push the blade across and along the stone beginning at one end and ending at the other so that the whole edge passes over the stone in one sweeping motion. Keep the edge flat across the stone. Do this 3 or 4 times.
*Hint: *_Use a motion as if you were cutting a thin slice from the sharpening stone._


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## dewetha (Jul 13, 2012)

or you could buy one of these:

http://www.tormek.com/en/

I have one but it's been packed up for a few year. need to unpack it. after sharpening a knife, you can pretty much lay it across an upturned knife and it will cut.

sharp! very sharp! i have not tried it on a kitchen knife but will have to this summer. my knifes are getting dull


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## eman (Jul 14, 2012)

Another tip is to buy a GOOD finishing steel and learn to use it.  Once you get your knives sharp , a few passes on the steel each time you use them will keep them that way.


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 14, 2012)

The procedure is very good but I seriously think this picture over exaggerates the knife position for demo purposes. The back of the knife is much to high off the Stone. This will create a wide angle Chisel edge on the blade, durable but not very sharp. A good sharp edge is obtained by tilting the blade so the back of the knife is about 1/4" to 3/8" up off the stone...JJ


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## oldschoolbbq (Jul 14, 2012)

appox. 25° , just your finger width...I'm looking at getting a Tri-stone.


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## jarjarchef (Jul 14, 2012)

I would agree the picture shows a bit of an off angle. It was the best pic I was able to find. All the others I had were just bad. 

Before you set on an angle for your knife check to see what they recommend for your knife. I just looked real quick for a few of mine. German knives seem to run at 20 degrees and my Japanese run at 16 degrees. I usually will adjust my edge based on what I need to use it for. I would suggest before you start with an expensive knife, get a cheap utility knife to practice on. Using a tri-stone is an art form. It takes practice and patience.

There are as many ways and opinions on sharpening knives as there are in the ways of doing BBQ. So if it works for you that is what is most important.


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## diggingdogfarm (Jul 14, 2012)

It sure does take a heck of a lot of practice to sharpen correctly with a stone, I've seen many folks nearly ruin a knife that way.

I think the Gatco sharpening system (not the Lansky) http://www.gatcosharpeners.com/ or the fancier KME http://www.kmesharp.com/kmeknshsy.html, are best for beginners or the occasional sharpener.
Add a razor strop to get the edge razor sharp and a good steel for maintenance (use it often) and you're all set.

Un-scented baby oil makes a perfect honing oil, it's a light mineral oil....regular mineral oil from the pharmacy is too heavy.


~Martin


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## scarbelly (Jul 14, 2012)

I have the Gatco in my motorhome and a 3 stone at the house 

Both work well


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## moikel (Jul 15, 2012)

I did a course at a Japanese knife shop for an afternoon. I learnt how to use water stones.I am by no means an expert but I can get a good edge on all my knives,Japanese & European. Grey is 80 grit,blue 220.


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## doctord1955 (Jul 15, 2012)

use soapy water for urlubricant!  Will help keep everything clean and no smell!  U can use it on any stone.  Stones get full of knife shavings this way all u have to do is rinse them off!


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## supercenterchef (Jul 21, 2012)

I love my Edge Pro


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## diggingdogfarm (Jul 21, 2012)

I like my Edge Pro, but prefer the KME.


~Martin


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## whistlepig (Jul 21, 2012)

Gatco for me too. I've had mine for many years.


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## ponderingturtle (Aug 8, 2012)

Myself I have found I quite like DMT diamond sharpening stones.  The continuous surface solid metal one specifically.  My norton water stones are nice too for a finer polish(I only have an extra fine not an extra extra fine DMT stone)


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## ribwizzard (Aug 9, 2012)

The worksharp knife sharpener is the best yet. Check it out, shave your arm in about 30 seconds of sharpening.


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## frosty (Aug 10, 2012)

I'm fortunate, I don't need to sharpen arrow heads, hatchets, fishhooks, hunting knives, or axes; only a few kitchen knives.  I have a Spyderco V-Sharpener and it works fine for most of my needs. So easy, a caveman like me can use it.  

My problem has always been keeping the correct blade angle on a stone. I can mess up an edge in a hurry, become frustrated and give up.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





However, I saw that DMT now has an adjustable blade guide ($11.99 USD) even a novice like me can use, I think I will dust off my stones and give another try to honing my sharpening skills. 

I gotta tell you, I see some really great new items that made me think 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 about spending more money!

Thanks for this great thread, lots of great hints! GOOD LUCK!


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## ribwizzard (Aug 10, 2012)

Really everyone, the worksharp knife sharpener is the best thing they ever came out with. Check it out. Simple, fast and Razor sharp. Its a realy well built tool.


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## roger shoaf (Jan 24, 2013)

I think a lot depends on how much you practice.  

To get good at sharpening knives (or wood chisels)  first thing you need to do is see what you have.  if the blade has any nicks in it then these need to be removed.  for this purpose you can use a file, a belt sander or even the grinder in the garage.  What you don't want to do is to get the edge hot so that you cause a color change.  It will go from silver, to straw to blue really fast so go easy and have a nice bucket of water to cool the steel before it gets too hot.

Once you have got the shape restored now you can roughly reestablish the vee shape to the edge.  The sharper you get the blade, the more likely it is to get hot so go easy if you are still on the power tool.  You can judge your progress by looking at the edge to see the reflection of the flat at the point of the vee.  To see this, orient yourself and the blade so light will reflect to your eye as you would a regular mirror to see the reflection of the light.  On the blade what you will see is a line that gets narrower as you approach sharp.  once you cant see the line that is it is sharp.

So now you are close, now go to the stone or what I find works really fast is this: http://www.harborfreight.com/4-sided-diamond-hone-block-92867.html   this is a 4 sided diamond hone that has coarse to fine grit. I have had mine for over 6 years and it still works great.  A few strokes against the coarse grit, and then work right on down to the fine grit.

Now as you have been looking at that reflected line getting narrower all through this process it is best if it was always equidistant from the the side of the blade and it this point you should not be able to perceive any reflection.  Being really fussy what I then do is to find a coffee cup that has a nice smooth white bottom and give it a final hone on the good ceramic.

At this point you should be able to shave hair off the back of your hand with ease and slice a 1/6" slice on a fresh ripe tomato.

Before you start slicing use your steel to burnish your edge and loose the plastic cutting board in favor of the wood one.  If you don't have a steel get a good one, you won't regret it.

I suggest to practice you pick up some old knives at the thrift store.  Look for ones that have the blade carry all the way to the hilt, and ones that are thicker at the back of the blade than the cutting edge.  (Made in USA, or Germany are usually good, avoid China, but quality Japanese can be good also. Also avoid the ones that are stamped out of thin sheet metal.)  If you see hammer marks on the back of the blade or if it is stained or a bit rusty that shouldn't scare you away if it is a good knife, the beauty is in the quality of the construction and the composition of the steel.  I have picked up some really good knives this way and they clean up just fine with a bit of elbow grease and some good 3M wet or dry sand paper 400 to 1200 grit. the carbon steel blades need to be dried right after washing and kept dry or the rust and stain will return.  A product call barkeepers friend is good as it actually chemically reverses the rust back to steel if it is not too far gone.


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## ribwizzard (Jan 25, 2013)

Worksharp Knive sharpener.  Im not saying that there is not another method to getting your knive sharper. But to be able to go from dull knive to shaving hair in about 30 seconds. Not that I am not guilty of spending hours with my stones and ceramics on a rainy day just being anal about getting the perfect edge, its just that I found an awsome tool that works and find my time more valuable the older I get.


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## rexster314 (Mar 4, 2013)

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__ rexster314
__ Mar 4, 2013





I got this Work Sharp kit today, and I have to say it's the fastest and easiest sharpener I've ever owned. The acid test was a 20 year old Buck 110 folder that had a blade that just wouldn't sharpen right. Buck knives have always been my downfall, the steel is so hard. After 15 minutes I had a shaving edge that hasn't been on it since the original edge. I highly recommend it if you're like me and just can't sharpen a knife properly.


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## redwood carlos (Mar 14, 2013)

As a hobbyist knife maker, I have Norton water stones 220/1000 and 4000/8000. I also have the paper sharpening wheels. If you already have a double sided grinder you can be making metal sharp very quick and for cheaper than most setups with the paper wheels. As rib wizzard said I will get my stones out and have a zen like moment especially with the knives I am more fond of, but when sharpening a family/friends knife set I use the wheels.













Product_kit.jpg



__ redwood carlos
__ Mar 14, 2013






As for edge angle, your best bet is to try and go with the original angle or slightly smaller, than what came on the knife. Mass manufacturing is always done on the safer side so going a bit finer on the edge wont hurt much. The main determining factors to edge angle is the material and the hardness/temper done. Some materials can get very hard and are very tough, so you can do a very thin edge with a fine angle. Some higher end Japanese knives are 10 degrees one side and flat/hollow (0 degrees) on the other. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






The main thing is to know what you want to do with your knife and buy/sharpen accordingly. for trimming fat and slicing go with a low angle if boning out then go wide simple as that.

Here is a link to give you an idea of the angle and motions involved. keep in mind this guy is making true survival type knives and he is still sharpening at a pretty thin angle.


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