Hello,
We just started sharpening our knives at home with the recommended whetstone by rouxbe. However, we have a sushi knife that is single beveled.

My understanding is that sushi knives are sharpened on one side? and if so what do you do about the side that curls in?
Thanks.

I saw a video once of a Japanese chef sharpening his knives what he did is laying the knife flat on the other side and just moving it back and forth to remove the burr.

This lesson has been very good for me. I have sharpen a number of my knives and have been pretty happy (Knives sharper then new). The question I have or would like to see a video on, is how do you sharpen a boning knife, as the cutting edge is a bit different than a chef knife.

I have been using the Global 240/1000 combination stone, with a 3000/8000 finishing stone(Henckel). Following the instructions in the video, I still get a bit of a concave in my 240/1000 waterstone in the corners and the ends but the middle appears to be flat. Is this normal or am I missing something in my technique? What is the recommend method for flattening out the stones again. I have seen references on the web with lapping stones or flat glass with course wet/dry sandpaper.

Thanks.

With boning knives you need to basically focus on the top third of the blade. Since it curves, curve the action of sharpening as well to get an even edge.

It is normal to get a bit of a concave on your stone - you just want to minimize it. They do sell a special stone to grind down and flatten stones, but by simply rubbing two stones together you achieve the same result.

Khaled,
Thank you for your help.

We are going to try that method.

Hey Team,

From the products you recommend in your store, and from the video, it sounds like it might be a good idea to buy two whetstones. I just bought a new Shun classic chef's knife and figure that if I maintain the edge, I might not need the 240/1000 for a long time, if ever. However, I also have an older stamped Victornox that I have never sharpened (I've owned it for a couple of years), in which case I'm guessing a 240/1000 or 300/1000 makes more sense. In general my question is: do I need a couple of different whetstones if I have a new sharp knife that I plan to maintain and older, duller knifes that I need to bring back to life?

Thanks for the help.

I've been having my brother come over and sharpen my knives for the last couple of years - until today. After watching the videos I sharpened my 10" chefs knife, 2 - 12" chefs knives and 2 paring knives on a Victornox 240/1000. I started on the 240 and finished them on the 1000. I'm not sure if that's the proper way to use the two sides, but the knives went from struggling to cut a tomato to cutting paper! It took a LONG time to do them all since they were pretty dull, but all that repetition was good practice. Thanks so much for the lesson!

Seems like you did a great job Liz and you even used the stone in the right way. Glad you liked the lesson. Yes it does take a while to get sharp, but wow does it ever make using your chefs knife a pleasure (not to mention safer). Now just make sure you hone your knife on a daily basis to maintain that sharp edge.

Hi Robert just wanted to say that I do not think it is necessary to buy two whetstones. Of course if you really get into it and you feel like two would serve your purposes better then go for it. But for now I would just buy the one and see if that is not enough for you. Cheers!

Thanks Dawn. So I was wondering. I bought the Shun 300/1000 and now am not sure whether or when to use both sides during a single sharpening. Am I right in thinking that the way to do it (for a dull knife) is: start with the 300, follow the instructions, get a pretty good edge, and then do the whole process over with the 1000? Or is it: Use the 300 until I am in the final stages (where I am going to alternate strokes) and then move to the 1000? Hope you understand my poor attempt to explain my qaundary.

Using the 300 bring your knife to a sharp edge. Then use the 1000 to polish that sharp edge. Start with about 10 strokes, then work down from there. For more on polishing your knife see Topic 6 of the How to Sharpen with a Whetstone Lesson.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Finally got a premium membership after hemming and hawing for almost two years..I guess the price hike kicked me into gear! :)

Question: Does this lesson apply to sharpening santoku knives as well? How is it different? I'm afraid of ruining the nose on my knife and turning it into a chef's knife.

Also, I am unclear as to what grade of stone to get. The lesson says "800 is a good all-purpose stone", but the Rouxbe store doesn't have it for sale. And I also get the impression from the video that a 300 is too coarse. Would anyone mind clarifying what number I need exactly for my knife?

Santoku knives can be sharpened with a whetstone as shown in the video. If you are new to sharpening, you may want to practice for a while with one of your older knives to get comfortable with the rhythm and angle.

Here is a recommendation for whetstones from another forum thread.

The excellent video on knife sharpening does not suggest two bevels, i.e., primary and secondary, with the second at a greater angle than the first. I don't think I would want to try two consistent angles by hand. Should a good Japanese Damascus blade like the one in the video have two bevels? If so, would a rod system be preferable to control the angles?

Knives, even Japanese, don't have to have a two stage bevel, but this does produce a better cutting edge. However, it does take a very steady hand to achieve it. Rod systems are easier to control, but don't produce that fine glassy edge like hard and ultra fine whet stones, and you want this for a bevelled edge. A sharpening guide that can be attached to the knife (Lee Valley, I believe, sells them) to achieve a consistent edge will work.

I was wondering about how long it should take to fully sharpen and polish a chef's knife? The video explains the technique very well, but how long should the process take on average?

As a beginner, bank on at least 45 minutes(+) per knife. Take your time - it's not about speed; it's about getting the angle and technique correct. Cheers!

I am extremely excited because my new whetstone is 'out for delivery' and should be on my doorstep soon. I've watched the video a couple of times and am so eager to sharpen my knives. I am wondering about how to sharpen a knife with a serrated edge? Is it even possible for me to do so? I'm not thinking of a bread knife, but rather my steak knives. They are Henkle knives with a tiny serrated upper edge. Would sharpening those knives erode the serrated edge? I only remember the video addressing how to sharpen a chef's knife. I'm also wanting to sharpen my
'suduko edge' knife. I've long felt it was my favorite knife to use but I'm certain that's because it was new and much sharper than my other knives. Pretty soon, I intend to have all of my knives sharpened and my favorites.

I was referring to a 'granton knife'. I have always thought it was a 'santuko knife'. Anyway, one of the videos mentions that the grantor knives are more difficult to sharpen because the dimples are usually close to the edge (which mine are). Any advice?

Great lesson. I have been using whetstones for awhile and was shown a good trick to keep them flat.
You first have to buy a thick piece of plate glass, about 3/8 - 1/2 inch and then some wet / dry sandpaper about the same coarseness as your stones.
Place the glass on a table and then put the sandpaper on the glass and soak with water.
Now turn your whetstone over so it is face to face with the sandpaper and slide it up and down on the sandpaper until you can lay a straightedge across the stone lengthwise and crosswise and see no gap between the stone and the straightedge.
Rinse off the stones and they are ready to go.

Take care,
Andrew

The tuotrial is great but I had a few questions and hope some knowledgeable members can help me out.

So i have a 1000/6000 grit combination water stone. Since I have been using my knifes heavily and although they have been steeled before and after each use they had become dull. Since 1000 grit side is not very coarse it took me awhile to get develop the burr, more than 40 minutes but I am still not sure if what I had was the burr. Is there another way to check besides feeling for lip to form on the opposite side? I can feel coarseness/ micro serrations but dont know if this is the lip. The edge slides over my thumb nail so I am doing something wrong. I then continued the process of actual sharpening and lightening pressure and moving to a finer stone to finish. But after doing this it does not feel much different as to how it was after I developed my so called burr. I can even gently slide my finger over the edge without cutting myself :S.

Oh and I have been keeping my angles consistent.

TLDR : Is there an altenative sure way to tell that a burr has developed besides feeling for a lip?

Is 1000 grit or # stone good enough to get a dull knife back to a sharp edge after grinding for more than 40 minutes?

Many Thanks!

After 40 minutes you should be feeling a burr, and if you can't feel it, your effort should at least be bringing your knife closer to a pointed edge. Here's a suggestion:

Often, you won't be able to feel that your developing an edge while sharpening because your knife is wet. Once in a while dry out the knife, give it a couple of strokes on your steel (this aligns the edge) and check its sharpness. If its cutting sharper, not just feeling sharper to the touch, simply continue.

Now, not all stones are created equal, and they're not all on the same page when it comes to standardizing grit. Could be your #1000 is twice finer than my #1000. Could also be your knife is extremely dull and rounded and maybe made of a very hard alloy. All this being said, having put in 40 minutes is a triumph in persistence. As a culinary instructor, when I see persistence, even if it falls a bit short of desired success, I see a cook. This is a tough skill to master, and it takes about a total of 5-6 hours of total experience to just "get it". Next week I teach my pro students how to sharpen, and they're in the same shoes as yourself right now, with even less experience on a stone; but I can assure you that with 2 weeks they'll have put in their 5-6 hours after school (because they HAVE TO)and they'll "get it", and get it to the point where they would tell anyone wanting to learn how to sharpen a knife on a stone "DO IT..AND DO IT AGAIN...REVIEW THE VIDEO..DO IT AGAIN...AND THERE!! YOU GOT IT!"

Hey Tony,

Thanks for the tips and encouraging words, I will review the video once again.

Unfortunately the culinary school I went to did not give much emphasis on sharpening knives. Now I am back in India and don't have a professional sharpener to send my knives too and anyway I would rather do it myself!

You are right that when the knife is wet it does not feel as sharp, have noticed that the last few times I have been sharpening. I think that it is now cutting better than it previously was but its got a long way to go before I can get it really sharp or at least to the sharpness when I just bought them. I will spend some more time today to see if there is an improvement :-)

Will try working on it some

After viewing the lesson several times, I spent some time last night attempting to sharpen a cheap granton knife that we've had around the house for ages. This knife dulled rapidly after we got it so it rarely (never) got any use. I happened to have access to a 4000/8000 grit stone and set to work. After about 30 minutes of fiddling around on the 4000 grit side, I managed to get a burr. After about 10 minutes on the other side I had my second burr. Working it back and forth with decreasing stroke counts I moved on to the 8000 grit side. Five minutes later, it is the sharpest knife in the kitchen! It cut through newspaper like butter and thick skinned bell peppers weren't even the slightest challenge! I hope that this edge lasts because it's a dream to use.

Varun, I also had a hard time getting my first burr to form. I think my problem was that I was holding the knife at too shallow an angle relative to the stone. Try increasing the angle slightly and you might find that burr after all. :) Good luck to you!

I've had a whetstone in my cupboard for months now and never had the courage to put my knives to it, becasue I did not think it could be as easy as Dawn makes it look, and I was afraid that I'd completely ruin my knives.

It took a while to get a feal for keeping the angle steady, and to recignize what a burr feels like. Actually, my daughter saw me and asked "how can you tell when you're done?" so I tried to have her feel the burr. When I noticed that there was more of it in certain spots on the blade I adjusted how I put pressure on the whetstone, and slowly I started 'getting it'. Also, I remember my old drumming instructor, who told me to slow down when figuring something out. So after a while, getting into a much slower rhythm, it started to make sense.

I use the Shun 300/1000 whetstone. Using the 300 side to sharpen (start with 50 times, then 40 then 30, 20, 15, 10, 5), then flip over to the 1000 side to finish the edge (start with 20, then 15, 10, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

The result was awesome! It slides right through the paper, and chopping an onion was amazing. Not sharp enough to shave the hairs off of my arm (maybe next time I'll work a little longer on it), but I am amazed how much sharper it is.

This is great, I am in awe of my new ability, I can't believe I did that myself :D