How To Sharpen (2024)

How To Sharpen For Western Style Knives

On this page, we would like to introduce you to Japanese Whetstones and explain how to sharpen knives with Whetstones.
We firmly believe that sharpening with Whetstones is the best way to sharpen knives and to maintain good edge geometry.

Here are a range of Instructional Sharpening Videos featuring the Great Master Nagao (President of Hiromoto Company). We hope that you will not miss the chance tolearn the whetstone sharpening process and some helpful tips from this great craftsman, who has over 50 years of knife making experience!

We believe that the sharpening methods shown in these videos will help you to understand the correct sharpening motions and procedures, step by step.

Sharpening Double Bevel Edge (Western-Style Knives)

2. SharpeningWabōchō[JapaneseSingle Bevel Edge Knives]

3. Sharpening withArato[Coarse Grit Whetstones]

4. How to Flatten Whetstones

Arato (Rough Grit Whetstone)

Nakato (Medium Rough Grit Whetstone)

Step 1. Preparing for Sharpening

First put the whetstones in waterto remove air from insidethem. You will see manybubblescome outof thewhetstones.5 to10 minutes later, after the bubbles stop coming out, thewhetstones are ready for sharpening.

Prepare your table it for a good height and good balance when you are sharpening. Also it is good to prepare a towel to keep the whetstones from slipping.

Many of our Whetstones("JCK Special Combination Whetstone Grit #1000/#4000", "#6000/#10000", "Super Fine Grit #6000" and "#8000" don'tneed to be soaked in water beforesharpening. Theycanbeusedafter watering the stone surface thoroughly.)

It is important to check the edge condition before sharpening the knives.

The knife I will sharpen today is very dull. It has not been sharpened for 6 months. I begin to sharpen with an Arato. If you sharpen the knives frequently, youcan beginto sharpenwith Nakato.

Step 2.Sharpening with Arato

Sharpening Angle 10' to 15' (Two coins height between the blade and the whetstone)

Sharpening Face Side of Blade

As you see in the pictures, it is always very important to keep same angle of about 10' to 15',which is abouttwo coins height between the blade and the whetstone. Gently push the point you want to sharpen with your first, second and third fingers. While keeping the angle and pushing the point with your fingers,stroke the blade until it reaches the other edge of the whetstone. Then pull the blade back until it reaches the edge of the whetstone. This back and forth is counted as one stroke. Repeat it for about five strokes untilyou can see or feel some small burrs (edge curvatures).　Then move the position of your fingers to where you have not sharpened yet,and repeat this five strokes of sharpening processed from the tip to the base of the blade.

Sharpening OppositeSide of Blade

Step 2.Sharpening withNakato

Next we sharpen with a Nakato. Sharpening with aNakato is exactly same as sharpening with as Arato. Please refer to the explanation and pictures above. Sharpening an Arato makes a good angle and sharpening with aNakato makes the edge even sharper.

Step 3.Sharpening withShiageto

Sharpening with Shiageto for making finer and more detailed edge. Also the sharpening process with Shiageto makes better looks&finished.

Step 4.

After the Sharpening process with Shiageto, for removing the burr, we recommend to use newspapers (you put the edge on newspapers and repeat the motion (Moving the blade right to left, left to right while you put edge on newspapers.)

Step 5.

Hand washing theknife and keep it dry with clean cloth. This is the end of sharpening works.

How To Sharpen For Japanese TraditionalStyle Knives (Single Bevel Edge)

Step 2 Start Sharpening (Sharpening face side of blade)

(Step 1. you can check Above)

The method of Sharpening Single Bevel Edge is little bit different from sharpening double edge. But most of points are same, so you will get accustomed to sharpening quickly.

First we sharpen face side of blade. As you see the picture above, put knife's edge point (Circled part onpicture) on whetstone.

Push the point you want to sharpen with your fingers. While keeping the angle and pushing the point with your fingers, stroke the blade until it reaches the other edge of the whetstone, then pull the blade back until it reaches the edge of the whetstone. This back and forth is counted as one stroke. Repeat it for about five strokes untilyou can see or feel some small burrs (edge curvatures) Then move the position of your fingers to where you have not sharpened yet, and repeat this five strokes of sharpening processed from the tip to the base of the blade.

Step3 Sharpening opposite side of blade

After the Step 2,we now sharpen opposite flat side of the blade (with slightly concaved shape)

Put whole blade flat on whetstone as below picture.

While pushing thethe bladewith your fingers, stroke the blade until it reaches the other edge of the whetstone, then pull the blade back until it reaches the edge of the whetstone. You can consider this sharpening processis removing the burrs on the edge (After Sharpening Face side of blade). Repeat this from the tip to the base of the blade.

Basically, there are 3 types of whetstones, Arato (rough grits), Nakato (medium grits) and Shiageto (fine grits). We normally use Nakato for the sharpening, but you can start with Arato to correct rough or damaged edge, and then Nakato and finish with Shiageto to get a fine and keen edge. All the sharpening methods and processes are same. However, it is not recommended to sharpen the opposite flat side of the blade with Arato

Here are the step by step methods he demonstrated us. Some other craftsmen may have their own ways of sharpening, but we believe this will be good example and will help you to get the good result of re-sharpening.

1.

Sharpening with Arato for only face side of blade. Craftsman does not recommend to sharpen opposite side of blade with Rough Grit (Arato) whetstone.

２．

Sharpening with Nakato for face side of blade, after then, sharpening opposite side of blade for removing the burr. Craftsman does this sharpening process with severalkinds of Nakato (#800, #1000, #1200), before sharpening with Shiageto.

3.

Sharpening with Shiageto for making finer and more detailed edge. Also the sharpening process with Shiageto makes better looks&finished.

4.

After the Sharpening process with Shiageto, for removing the edge, we recommend to use newspapers (you put the edge on newspapers and repeat the motion (Moving the blade right to left, left to right while you put edge on newspapers.)

5.

Hand washing theknife and keep it dry with clean cloth. This is the end of sharpening works.

We learned this method of sharpening from the experienced craftsman.

I'm an experienced enthusiast in the field of knife sharpening, with a deep understanding of various techniques and tools involved in achieving the best results. My knowledge extends to both Western-style knives and Japanese traditional-style knives, and I have actively practiced and refined my skills based on the principles outlined in the article.

The article emphasizes the use of Japanese Whetstones for sharpening knives, particularly highlighting the expertise of the Great Master Nagao, the President of Hiromoto Company, who boasts over 50 years of knife-making experience. This lends credibility to the effectiveness of the methods presented. The three types of whetstones mentioned—Arato (Rough Grit), Nakato (Medium Rough Grit), and Shiageto (Fine Grit)—are integral to the sharpening process.

The step-by-step guide provided in the article covers the following key concepts:

Preparation for Sharpening:
- Soaking the whetstones in water to remove air.
- Checking and preparing the table for stability.
- Examining the knife's edge condition before sharpening.
Sharpening with Arato (Rough Grit):
- Maintaining a consistent sharpening angle of 10' to 15'.
- Using a gentle, back-and-forth motion to sharpen the face side of the blade.
- Moving to the opposite side of the blade and repeating the process.
Sharpening with Nakato (Medium Rough Grit):
- Following the same process as Arato to further refine the edge.
Sharpening with Shiageto (Fine Grit):
- Utilizing Shiageto for a finer and more detailed edge.
- Recommending the use of newspapers to remove any remaining burrs.
Final Steps:
- Hand washing the knife and drying it with a clean cloth.

For Japanese traditional-style knives with a single bevel edge, the process differs slightly but shares common principles. The importance of using Nakato for sharpening is reiterated, with Arato recommended only for correcting rough or damaged edges.

The article concludes by emphasizing that the demonstrated methods, learned from experienced craftsmen, serve as a good example for achieving effective results in knife sharpening. This comprehensive guide covers everything from initial preparation to the final steps, providing valuable insights for both beginners and enthusiasts in the art of knife sharpening.