Whetstones for kitchen knives? « Singletrack Forum

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Whetstones for kitchen knives?

24 posts & 16 voices | Started 4 months ago by sam_underhill | Latest reply from daftvader

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sam_underhill - Member

Anything I should know?

I've got a double wheeled sharpener thingy at the moment for sharpening my Global knives but I don' think it get the knives as sharp as they could be. Would I get a better edge using a whetstone?

I think a double sided one with something around 1000 grit and a 8000 grit should do the job for getting a decent edge.

Is it worth spending a decent wedge or are they all the same? it looks like a Minosharp double sided stone (with 1000/8000) is around £90.

Do I really need guide rails? or are they more hassle than they are worth? Just MTFU and use the knife straight onto the stone?

Posted 4 months ago #
alfabus - Member

i've got a global whetstone - gets my knives lovely and sharp.

i don't use a guide, i just do it by feel... very theraputic - in fact, I think I might do some sharpening tonight

Dave

Posted 4 months ago #
phil.w - Member

I have couple of the double sided ones at various grades. In the years I was a chef I must have used them 4 or 5 times. maybe I'm just lazy but they are a lot of hassle for not much more gain than a good steel.

Posted 4 months ago #
Taff - Member

I go straight on the stone doens't matter as you finish it off on a steel and that goes by feel anyway

Posted 4 months ago #
captaincarbon - Member

Unless you know how to use a whetstone correctly it would pay to buy a cheap one and practice getting a keen edge that way on some lees expensive knives, one that can be kept sharp just with the correct use of a steel. I used to work as a speed boner, and had to use a whetstone at least twice a day on all four knives. Its easy with practice and my knives at home havent been near the whet for over a year of regular use.

Dont use guide rails, just practice on a cheap stone before you lay out the wedge!

Posted 4 months ago #
muddyman - Member

diamond stones are good.fairly cheep these days too.much faster which means if you mess up through inexperience you can change your angle slightly and get back to a sharp edge in no time !

Posted 4 months ago #
sam_underhill - Member

Wow, so it is possible to damage the stone with the knife? Surely you'd have to be particularly ham fisted to do that and beat the stone with the knife?

Posted 4 months ago #
wwaswas - Member

a speed boner

[finbar saunders]

Fnnnarrrr.

[/finbar saunders]

Posted 4 months ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

I spoke to my local cookware shop (where I got my posh knives from) and he strongly advised against using a whetstone as one used badly will ruin your knives.

He recommended using their knife sharpening service to get edges back then just use my steel correctly (it turned out I was applying too much pressure and now I use less pressure I am getting a good edge back to most of my knives).

Posted 4 months ago #
captaincarbon - Member

You can damage the stone by not rotating it during use and not using the whole of the surface of the stone, causing a curvature on the face of it. Not a problem if all your knives are exactly the same size and shape. You can, and most probably will, with inexperince put a 'wire edge' on the knife. It will seem sharp but the edge wont last.

Best advice would be to buy a good steel and learn to use that. A multicut or an oval steel.

wwaswas specialising in pork too!

Posted 4 months ago #
rightplacerighttime - Member

I've got a double wheeled sharpener thingy at the moment for sharpening my Global knives but I don' think it get the knives as sharp as they could be. Would I get a better edge using a whetstone?

No, it would be a complete waste of money.

Presume you have something like this:

Which is what I've got, and is bloody brilliant, except that eventually the wheels will break in half and you'll need to replace them.

If you can't get a sharp edge it may be that your knives are too new and need to be sharpened a lot to get the angles matching the angels of the sharpener.

Once you've got that sorted an occasional bit of maintenance (like every time you want to slice a soft tomato) will do the trick and put a new razor sharp edge on your knives.

If you start messing about with a stone (or the Global sharpener G45) you will like as not just screw the edge up.

Posted 4 months ago #
Taff - Member

diamond stones are good

I find it easier and quicker to use than a whet stone

Posted 4 months ago #
TooTall - Member

I use a steel and get a great edge. What are you cutting - cowhide sandwiches or something?

Posted 4 months ago #
saleem - Member

Bug a cheap stone from Nisbets online £4.00 and a really good quality steel, Wusthof diamond are good £60, I stone my knives two or three times a year and the rest of the time it's the steel, Global don't keep an edge well as I remember some lads years ago in the kitchen complaining. I use my knives every day being chef, depending on how often you use yours you may be fine with just a cheap stone.

Posted 4 months ago #
sam_underhill - Member

hmmm... maybe a professional knife sharpening service and then persist with the wheeled sharpener for everyday use.

Posted 4 months ago #
captaincarbon - Member

Noooooo! get one and try it!

Posted 4 months ago #
The Swedish Chef - Member

I use a Whetstone on my Global knives, I can get a really sharp knife but they do blunt quite quickly. All my knives are 10 years old and have been sharpened the same way so I think they are worn in now.

I too find the process most relaxing.

Posted 4 months ago #
TheFunkyMonkey - Member

I know it's OTT for what you want but I've used a Tormek system before and they are amazingly good

Posted 4 months ago #
saleem - Member

Don't let some monkey in a shop grind your knives away to nothing

Posted 4 months ago #
chewkw - Member

Tormek! Crikey ... what are you grinding?

Japanese waterstones all the way but use different Grit grades for example perhaps start with: 500, then 1000, then 4000 or then above 4000, then deburr using a piece of softwood or some wine corks.

I bought two to three items from here:

Japanese Waterstones

I mainly use Shapton (HR) GlassStone Waterstones just like the video below but then all my expensive knives are from Japan.

Some good info for deburring a knife here:

Sharpening A Kitchen Knife #4 Deburring a knife

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLqditvI6MI

The Swedish Chef,

You might want to get some proper Carbon steel knives rather than Global as they are rather overpriced. Also carbon steel hold the edge better and you might want to put a smaller angle onto the edge (microbevels) while sharpening.

Since you're using Global you might be interested in this.

Knife Sharpening With Mino Tsuchida

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIw5ChGOADE

Posted 4 months ago #
chewkw - Member

How to create microbevels.

Microbevels- Japanese Knife Imports

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnFrjiAA_8

Posted 4 months ago #
craigxxl - Member

I use a Minosharp as recommended by Global on my Global knives. It's fool proof, very quick to use and leaves a good edge that lasts. Only critism is that small short knives (2.5 inch) don't get the full length of the blade sharpened without removing the safety guide. The sharpening wheels last a long time too, ours are still on the originals after 3 years use.

Posted 2 months ago #
daftvader - Member

I have global knives too and use a double sided waterstone then finish off with a global ceramic steel. I really only use the waterstone once or twice a year. Takes about an hour to do all the knives but is very relaxing. the only problem I have is trying to get mrs vader to learn to use the steel.....

Posted 2 months ago #