Lets talk wet stones!

S

SpookStrickland

Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
282
I've never been one for fancy knife sharpeners. My Grandpa taught me to use a wet stone when I was a little kid after getting my first knife. I have moved from a regular carbide stone to a set of Arkansas Smooth stones.

here is how I do it:

I like to use a medium amount of oil, usually vegetable oil.
I eyeball the angle I want and tilt the back of the blade upwards as I make my stroke just until I can feel the knife start to "cut"
I look for a little "wave" or "bubble" of oil to be pushed evenly in front of the blade. I know when this is happening I'm using the right angle and not missing any part of the blade. This really helps when you have a curve you are working on so that you can see that you are still right in the sweet spot.
I don't used a lot of pressure I let the blade do the work.
If the knife has not been abused, then it usually only takes a very small amount of time to get it hair shaving sharp.
I rotate my wet stones 180 after each knife so as not to get a wear pattern.


It's old technology but I've been able to sharpen every knife I've ever had including kitchen knives on this old wet stone.


What are your tips, tricks or wet stone stories?
 
You have a "whetstone" which "whet" means "to sharpen" and all together its something like "to sharpen with a stone". The stones you are using were once commonly called a whetstone but today you will hear them called oil stones or by stone name.

A waterstone AKA Japanese waterstone is more of a "wet stone" by definition.

Your technique sounds fine, maybe check out some threads and some videos. Here's one where I describe some simple movements that make up most of my sharpening technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOXvtJDm5E

I used Arkansas stones when I first started to sharpen but have sense upgraded for my needs, that and I have become a stone junkie :D though it cuts into my knife buying :eek:
 
knifenut1013 said:
You have a "whetstone" which "whet" means "to sharpen" and all together its something like "to sharpen with a stone". The stones you are using were once commonly called a whetstone but today you will hear them called oil stones or by stone name.

A waterstone AKA Japanese waterstone is more of a "wet stone" by definition.

Your technique sounds fine, maybe check out some threads and some videos. Here's one where I describe some simple movements that make up most of my sharpening technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOXvtJDm5E

I used Arkansas stones when I first started to sharpen but have sense upgraded for my needs, that and I have become a stone junkie :D though it cuts into my knife buying :eek:
Click to expand...

Great video! you have turned me on to a whole knew world of knife sharpening thanks.
 
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