Buying whetstones
I'm looking to start sharpening my own knives (Wusthof's) what grit whetstone would I need to do so? Recommendations on any specific brand or is each whetstone is as good as any? I'm under the impression that to get a good finish, I'll going to need more than one grit and work up
Best Answer
What stones you get depend on the current condition of the knife and how regularly you plan on sharpening it. If you are bringing the edge back on a dull knife, you will need to start with a relatively coarse stone (say, 240 - 600) to start the edge off. If the knife is still in pretty good condition, you can use something like a 1200 once a week to maintain the edge. You can also look at a very fine stone for polishing, like a 3000-5000. You can then use a standard issue leather belt for stropping/honing.
I would recommend you practice on cheaper knives first (and I mean a considerable amount), because improper sharpening can ruin a knife in short order. If you curl the edge there is little that can be done to fix it short of grinding off a lot of steel.
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Quick Answer about "Buying whetstones"
For those who have reasonable experience with sharpening, we recommend a finish stone of 8000 grit. If one is not certain, or for beginners, stones with a grit between #3000 and #6000 will produce acceptable results. So, in principle one needs at least three stones if one has to do significant amounts of sharpening.How do I know which whetstone to buy?
Which Whetstone to Choose Based on Experience? Experience with sharpening does matter when choosing a whetstone. If you are only starting or use whetstones only occasionally, you'd better get a combination of between 1000 and 6000 grit. The combination of these two will do the work for many years.How much should you spend on a whetstone?
You can expect to pay the price between $17 to $ 128. If you want to get the whetstone with diamond, you will have to pay $99 to $128. Always pick the type according to your use. If you want something very durable, then diamond and ceramic are good options.Are cheap whetstones any good?
The higher quality of the abrasives on an expensive whetstone will cut the knife's steel faster, more evenly, and give the knife a sharper edge. Cheap whetstones will take longer to do the same job, and the finish on the edge of the knife will not be as smooth and uniform as with a better whetstone.Buying cheap vs expensive Whetstones Q\u0026A part 1
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Answer 2
As a whetstone sharpener I don't want to turn anyone away from the practice. However, I am going to suggest an alternate approach. Whetstone sharpening is hard work and takes a good deal of practice. It is also more costly than people think. I've tried to teach a few friends and they were all crying by the end of their lesson in frustration.
If I had to make a suggestion to a friend, I would recommend buying a belt grinder along with a series of different grit belts. I would start with a relatively rough belt to form the burr (120 grit). Then move to a finer belt to refine the edge (I use 120 micron). Then use a leather belt loaded with some stropping compound to polish. Nothing is as good as a professional level stone sharpened edge, but the technique I've described is much better than the factory edge that came on your knife.
CONS: Overheating a knife on a belt grinder will cause the steel to soften or detemper. You will know if this happens when the steel turns a different color. The knife is not permanently damaged, just the outer steel which has discolored. Using light pressure or dipping the knife in coolant (water) between passes will eliminate the issue.
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