First time sharpening, do I sharpen on the coarse or fine side?

I have a Japanese Shun chef's knfve, and I've been bad about sharpening it. I haven't sharpened it since buying it in August and now it takes a bit of effort to slice through a potato or carrot.

I just bought a Japanese Water stone on recommendation from my butcher, it's dual sided with 1,000 grit on one side and 4,000 on the other. The advice I was given, was to sharpen it on the fine side (4,000) weekly and the coarse (1,000) ever few months. Given, that I've never sharpened it since buying it months ago, should I start on the 1,000 side and then give it a go on the 4,000 side ?

knives sharpening

Best Answer

Yes. The coarser grit removes material faster, but leaves a rougher finish. The finer side then allows you to bring the edge to a fine polish. The most important thing to remember when sharpening is to keep the blade at a constant angle relative to the stone -- don't change the tilt of the blade as you move or you'll just make a mess of it.

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Quick Answer about "First time sharpening, do I sharpen on the coarse or fine side?"

Most whetstones have both a "coarse-grind side" and a "fine-grind side"—start with the coarse side if your knife is especially dull, then repeat the process on the fine-grind side. If you already sharpen your knife yearly and hone it regularly, you can go straight to the fine-grind side.

Do you sharpening with coarse or fine first?

Sharpening KnivesTo sharpen a very dull knife, use first the coarse and then the fine side of the whetstone; to sharpen a blade in better shape, use only the fine side.

Which side of the sharpening stone do I use first?

Begin coarse side up: Before you start sharpening your knives, make sure that the coarse side of the stone is on top. This is the quickest way to form the knife blade back into the correct shape. Lubricate the stone: Be sure to check the manufacturer's specifications for how to properly lubricate your sharpening stone.

Which grit to use first for knife sharpening?

Medium Stones \u2013 between 1000 and 3000 grit First and foremost, it is of great importance to know that the basic stone for sharpening is the number 1000 grit. Hence, if your knife isn't damaged but has only lost its edge, it just needs a good sharpen with this grit.

Do you sharpen towards or away from the edge?

The narrow, pointed end of the sharpener should face in toward the thickness of the blade, away from the edge of the gut hook. Match the angle of the sharpener to the original edge angle. This will maintain the correct sharpening angle and prevent you from getting cut by the blade tip.

KNIFE SHARPENING TIPS 3 | The tip, and why its difficult to sharpen.

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