Dull knives are very frustrating in the kitchen. A dull blade requires more pressure to cut food and easily slips. You can make your work easier if you know how to use the whetstone for your knife. Sharp knives can cut food with less pressure, allowing you to use them easily and minimizing the risk of harm.
Why should you use a whetstone?
You should use a whetstone for various reasons, some of which are; One benefit is that they make sharpening your knives feel incredible. The majority of whetstone kits make it quite simple to align your blades. There aren’t many attachments required, and electricity is not needed.
Following instructions, you can use a whetstone to sharpen dull knives and make your work enjoyable and easy.
Things that require a sharpened knife
A glass of water
A blunt knife
towel
Whetstone with two sides
Choose a Whetstone for sharpening
You’ll need to buy a whetstone if you don’t already have one. A double-sided whetstone with 1,000 grit on one side and 6,000 grit on the other is a good option. To make your blade as sharp as possible, it is ideal to have a range of stones with various grit counts.
Start Sharpening the dull knife
Wet the stone
If your whetstone needs to be wet, immerse it in water until no more air bubbles are visible. It will be better to soak it for a longer period. When sharpening the stone, moisten it occasionally. The slurry is made of water and whetstone dust. Add a few drops here and there instead of entirely soaking the stone because it will wash the slurry away.
Find the angle
The angle will tell how pointy the edge of the knife is. A smaller angle means more pointy. If they have pointy edges, they are good for cutting things. They are durable but not good for cutting things. You can go for a long time with an optimal angle. The easy way is to put the blade perpendicular to the stone, then rotate it, so the blade is halfway between horizontal and vertical. It makes a 45-degree angle. After that, go halfway to create an angle of 22.5 degrees. Also, remember how much space there is between the stone and the back of the knife; keep it consistent throughout.
Tip
- To get the right angle, place the edge of the knife on the stone and the spine of the blade almost halfway up the horizontal thumb.
- Make sure you have a firm grip, go slow and keep everything under control.
Redefine the edge
As you know, using dull blades is incredibly unpleasant. Redefining the edge is the next and most crucial step in obtaining a sharp knife after preparing the stone and determining the angle. Use the coarsest stone you have to accomplish this (use a 1,000-grit side). Find your angle, then begin moving back and forth. Only when you bring the knife back do you have to apply pressure. Be careful to exert enough pressure. If you require to, stand up and put some weight on it.
Tip
- Work by making sections.
- At least 10 to 15 times before moving to the next section, go back and forth.
Edge polishing
You must work your way up through 4-6 stones with varying granularities. However, if you’re a newbie, you should flip your stone over to the finer grit (the 6000 sides) and then repeat the process: work down one side of the blade, flip the blade, and then work down the next side of the blade. Continue to the next step after this is finished.
Edge honing
Use the beautiful honing steel that was included with your knife block. Pass the blade’s two sides gently along the honing steel 2-3 times by maintaining the same angle as in step two. By doing this, you may somewhat align and smooth out the blade. And some of the burrs ought to be removed.
The sharpening of the knife is now completed and you can now can your vegetables and other things with it easily.
How long can you soak a whetstone?
Fine-grit whetstones just need a few minutes of soaking. Some chefs do not soak their stones to prevent the chances of cracking. Coarse grit whetstones can soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Once you’ve soaked it, place a coarse grit whetstone on the towel.
Which angle can be used to sharpen a knife on a whetstone?
You can place your knife edge against the steel at a horizontal angle, roughly at a 22.5-degree angle.
How long can you sharpen a knife on a whetstone?
You can only sharpen your knife for five or ten minutes against the stone. If they are dull, you will need more time to spend on them to make them sharp again.
Is whetstone hard?
Whetstones require your time and effort, and unfortunately, if you improperly treat them, you can easily ruin your expensive knives.
Should you rinse your knife after sharpening it?
Yes, you can clean it after sharpening it. After sharpening, you can rinse your knife for various purposes to make it clean again.
Can knife sharpeners ruin knives?
Electric pull may not be suitable for all types of knives because it may remove too much metal and shorten the knife’s life. So carefully treat the knife to get better results without damaging it.
In short
Knives are continually used for various purposes, so it is important to keep them sharp. A dull knife can be dangerous for you because it requires more pressure and can slip, which can cause an injury. So, to make your work easier and to avoid more pressure, you should sharpen your knife with a whetstone. You can easily sharpen your knife by following the above guidelines. Thank you.
