We at Karasu believe that sharpening your knives on whetstone is the best way to achieve peak sharpness and to get the most life out of your beloved knives.
With whetstones sharpening you can control the amount of steel being removed far better than any other form of sharpening, this directly translates to longer lasting knives. The quality of the edge you can create is often superior to other methods, even with imperfect technique. The process of hand sharpening can be challenging to learn but it is without question the most reliable, controlled and most efficient way to keep a blade sharp.
The ideal basis sharpening setup would consist of one rough, medium and fine grit stone. For example a #400, #1000 and a #3000 stone.
Rough stones are mainly used to reset dull knives. These remove steel fast and efficiently and will create a new and fresh bevel quickly. While this category of stone is often bought later it can be very nice to own one. If you have more tough (stainless) steel knives in your kit, sharpening them can be time consuming, a rough stone can make such sharpening far more enjoyable and faster. It will speed up the learning process, boost the efficiency and most likely improve your final result.
Anything below #300 grit can be considered a repair stone.
Stones ranging around a #1000 grit (#800-#2000) are considered medium grit stones and are the most neutral. Often such stone is rough enough to maintain sharpness for an extended period of time. With most (Japanese) knives, if kept in good condition it won’t be necessary to use a rougher stone and this category will be sufficient to create a new bevel.
Fine stones range from #2000 to #6000 grit and are best described as edge finishing stones. The stone you choose to finish on would depend on the steel and function of your knife. With tougher stainless steel a toothier edge often works better and with knives intended for butchery or workhorse kitchen knives this is also the case.
Finer edges work better with good quality forged carbon steel or knives intended for finer work such as fish/meat slicing or precise vegetable work. Single bevel knives are in this category and work best with an edge anywhere between #5000 to #8000 grit.
A fine stone can also be efficiently used as a honing stone. When used as a strop it can improve your edge and make your sharpness last longer. Stropping and honing on a stone is a better, more consistent way to maintain your edge compared to a honing rod.
Stones range from #6000 grit and up are considered extra fine stones. In almost all cases these stones are rarely used for kitchen knife sharpening. With kitchen knives a toothier edge is much more effective in contrast to a fine mirrory edge you get of an extra fine stone. Kitchen knives have to bite into the shin of a tomato or dig into chicken meat instead of gliding over.
Extra-fine stones are harder and denser than lower-grit stones, making them more challenging to use. They expose even the smallest flaws in your sharpening technique, and it's easy to unintentionally round the bevel or roll the edge, both of which significantly reduce sharpness.
If you want to start sharpening a good place to start would be a combination stone. These are double sided stones, one medium fine and one fine side, with a good price and can be universally used for regular knife sharpening. We would recommend these to anyone who’s interested in sharpening and want to give it a shot without breaking the bank. Please remember that separate single stones are a slightly better investment because the quality is higher and the stones last longer.
