No machine can sharpen your knives better than a whetstone. Sharpening stones or whetstones are used for sharpening the edges of your knife for it to work perfectly fine.
Whetstones come in a wide range of types, which is why it is hard to specify a single material of their composition.
Electric knife sharpeners have undoubtedly taken over the industry, but whetstones still have a value of their own.
Click Here: Clean An Old Pocket Knife
Most of the people confuse the word “whet” with wet, which is wrong. The word “whet” basically means to sharpen blades. “Whet” is a word from old English that is rarely used anymore. For that reason, people know the whetstone as sharpening stone.
Unlike natural stones, whetstones do not need any lubrication to sharpen your knives. The double-sides of this stone consist of abrasive grit and a fine grit to sharpen the knives to perfection.
To know more about the grit levels, you can also lookup for the whetstone grit guide.
Types Of Whetstones And What They Are Made Of
There are different types and ranges of whetstones that are used for the sharpening and smoothening of your knives.
You don’t want your delicious dishes to miss out on the amazing presentations because the rough edges of your knife don’t let you cut. Sharpening your knives with whetstones is the best way to keep your favorite knives by your side.
Following are some of the major types of whetstones that might help you on your way to perfect presentation of your recipe.
1. Rough Whetstone
The rough grains on the top of these whetstones, it is mostly used for repairing the chips and cracks on the edges of your knife instead of sharpening them overall.
2. Medium Whetstone
This stone is used for basic day to day knife sharpening needs. Once you have used the rough grinding whetstone on your knife, you can shift to the middle point sharpening with the middle whetstone.
This will provide your knife with a slight smoothness and remove the patterns made by the rough stone.
3. Finishing Whetstone
For a perfect finishing touch, use the finishing whetstone after you are done sharpening your knife blades and edges with the medium whetstone.
This stone works like a final polisher for your knife to look smooth and shiny, yet sharp.
4. Diamond Whetstone
Diamond whetstones are made with artificial diamond material which can make this sharpening stone more slippery while you sharpen your knife. Mono-crystalline diamonds are used for creating these whetstones.
If you are planning to sharpen a hard blade knife, diamond whetstone is the best solution for that. However, you can get injured due to the slipperiness of the stone. So, use it carefully.
5. Ceramic Whetstone
With a high harness rate, the ceramic whetstones are made up of artificial grinding stone. Unlike the diamond whetstone, ceramic whetstone allows you to polish the knife blades after sharpening them.
Conclusion
It is very likely that you will feel the need to sharpen your knives time and again. A good whetstone is all that you need for it. If you want to know about sharpening a pocket knife without a sharpener, there are so many types of knife sharpeners out there as well.
Hi, I’m a clinical psychologist and inclined towards best buying practices for home and kitchen things. Critical towards choosing the best product and honest with my feedback. I’m a seasoned writer having more than 4 years of experience in multiple niches as well.
Please note: CharlieTrotters.com is reader supported. This page may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product or service through such a link we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
