31/08/2026
Tools of the Trade Home Edition: Sharpening Stones
I was helping one of our chefs to sharpen his knife, there were a few small chips and I was struggling to form a burr. I dropped down to a coarse 400 grit stone but I think the knife was wearing down the stone. The swarf was building up and it was almost all from the stone. It took me over 2 hours to get it sharp. I’ve always been interested in knife sharpening since I want my knives to perform. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a laser sharp knife cutting through an ingredient. However with new high tech, high speed powder metallurgy knives becoming more mainstream I’ve really been going down the rabbit hole on knife sharpening for these harder knives.
I’ve collected many stones over the years and I thought a guide would be helpful to anyone getting into sharpening.
First you probably only need four stones. A coarse 400 grit one, a medium 1000 grit, a polishing 3000 grit and I like a fine 8000 grit to really get that near mirror finish. I would recommend a good quality, hard and fast cutting ceramic stone. Soft stones just take too much time. But with that being said I don’t have the confidence in my angle control to step up to diamond stones.
There are also some ancillary tools that will complete the sharpening ecosystem.
A sinkbridge is very useful. I love the single screw Suehiro whetstone holder.
A planer is important to keep your whetstone flat and your angle consistent. The Atoma diamond with the handle is the best.
Speaking of consistent angle, a mini digital angle gauge has been so helpful with getting a precise and consistent angle for me.
Also deburring on a strop with diamond compound really helps with edge retention and getting your knife truly sharp. I use a 6 micron and 1 micron diamond emulsion from Jende on a Sharpal strop. Not all emulsions are the same. You get what you pay for. The Jende ones had so much more diamond abrasive compared to a generic brand.
Some tips like wish I’d known when I first started out: Use only 1 side of the stone. So it’s easier to keep perfectly flat. Which is why I don’t like combination stones. Although I love the cutting feel and results from my Kasumi 3000/8000 combi. I also like the sharpen with the reverse side of the stone so the logo is already shown and not worn down.
Pictured from Top then left to right.
Sinkbridge from Razorharp. Suehiro whetstone holder. Atoma #140 w/ handle. Shapton Rockstar #320. King Hyper #1000. Naniwa Professional #5000. Kasumi #3000/ #8000. Pocket digital inclinometer. Jende 6 & 1 micron emulsion. Sharpal double sided leather strop with handle.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like recommendations. I would love to help out. Also check out .sg Great shop for knives and sharpening stuff. They are so friendly and knowledgeable. I love them.
