Sharpening advice

M

malachi_constant

Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
2
Folks,

I'm looking to start sharpening my own kitchen knives. In the past I've roped my brother into doing it. I reckon this is a good place to get some advice on which whetstone(s) to get.

My main chef knife is Japanese, Rockwell hardness 60-61, bevel 16 degrees. The others are American, so likely a little lower.

For context, I haven't done much in the of sharpening, but I have been stropping a straight razor for a couple of decades, shout out to Tony Miller.

So, any advice on the equipment I should get, and for a extra bonus, techniques I should use?

Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
 
I would start by reading the posts stickied to the top of the subforum, TONS of info there
 
Types of steel are more important than country of origin. Really searching for the steel composition is important, since Vanadium content will tell you if you need to get diamond stones or not.
But you are probably fine with water stones. What's your budget?
You should check out the posts about sharpening at the top of the forum.

My advice is, after reading about sharpening and watching videos, just do it. On a cheaper knife if you don't want scratches on your regular knives. Don't get paralyzed by the information, doing it clarifies.
To be clear, sharpening is holding a blade at a constant angle to the abrasive surface and moving it around to apex the edge. You will see different sharpeners use different movements, but that isn't as important as just holding that angle. That is the part of your muscle memory that you must form.
Whether you do it by scrubbing (you will see what I mean when you check out videos), sweeping, immediately alternating sides, doing one side then another isn't as important as holding an angle. You will find the movement you like when you start doing.
 
So many options. Budget and kind of steel are important to get advice that fits your needs. It would be good to know how you define sharpness. A working edge? Or do you want to go high in the grits, want a polished bevel?
Are you ok to do freehand (what hast a learning curve) or do you prefer a guided system?
 
Get a good set of diamond hones so you'll be able to sharpen any steel. I have used DMTs with complete satisfaction for several decades but there are other brands available. You can find several excellent books on sharpening on line, as well as lots of great advice on this forum.
 
Diamond plates work the fastest, require little to no maintenance, but the downside is they will wear eventually. I have really good experience with Atoma, they don't break the bank, have very good density and don't seem to be wearing out any time soon. Mine is just a hobby use case though I sharpen a knife once every couple of months nowadays, so I can see the Atoma plates lasting a really long time. If I was a pro chef I'd probably buy a set of Naniwa stones, and keep them dunked in water 24/7 as I'll likely use them daily.

If this is your first time sharpening, definitely experiment on a knife you don't care about first.
 
Yes, they are magnesium bond. Naniwas tend to crack when not dried properly. Even the bonding could dissolve.

Resin bonded stones seem not to be that sensitive to be imnersed in water permanently.
 
Ourorboros said:
This will destroy the Naniwa. They are splash and go, though a very short soak does improve the texture.
Click to expand...
Aren't they ceramic bonded? I did not know that can happen, honestly first time I'm hearing of it. Good to know.
 
Kryme said:
Aren't they ceramic bonded? I did not know that can happen, honestly first time I'm hearing of it. Good to know.
Click to expand...
It depends on which Naniwa and it was unlikely you were referring to the Hibiki.
The Chosera/Naniwa Professional is a magnesium bond. That is hurt by over exposure to water, people report crazing - fine cracks. Many sites will warn you about this.
The Super Stones are resin bonded and can be soaked. They are also slower.
Because I learned sharpening on J-knives, I default to thinking of the Professionals when I see Naniwa. Which could be a mistake.
The Hibiki are ceramic bonded. They seem to be newer and I've only seen chisel/wood plane sharpeners talk about them, no reviews on knives. Vitrified stones also don't benefit from a permasoak.
 
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