Often getting results comes down to this...

Those who get razor sharp results every time have a repeatable process they use every time. We know how it feels when you're first getting started caring for your knives. After helping thousands of people care for their knives of all kinds, we know this plan works!

Are these common beginner mistakes holding you back from achieving razor-sharp cutting edge? If you’re just getting started in caring for your knives, these mistakes could be causing you problems like: 

• Working the knife on the stone doesn’t get your knife any sharper
• Your knife isn’t staying sharp and requires frequent stonework
• You see scratches on the knife's face  

OR

• You just don't know where to get started… 

Rest assured that these are common problems that almost every single person who loves knife care has dealt with at some point. If you been putting your knives to a sharpness test and coming back whetstone wishing for better results? Double-check these three key problems that might be keeping you from success.

Whetstone not working problem #1 You have the wrong angle.

Are you seeing scratches on the face of your knife? Are you working diligently with your whetstone and still getting dull results? The culprit might be the angle you're using! Anytime we're working on getting a knife to a razor sharp edge, we always make sure we know what angle the edge is.

We often describe the cutting edge of the knife as looking like a hard V, by knowing what the V angle is we can ensure we're holding the knife to the stone the right way. 

As your knife dulls from use it tends to start to look more like a U than a V. As you sharpen you take off some material returning that hard V shape. Many times if you're having problems with scratches on the face or uneven wearing then double-checking your sharpening angle is the place to start investigating your problem.

The best sharpening stones need the right angle. If you don't have an angle guide then you could also take a washable felt tip pen and run it along the edge. Then as you work the stone across the blade edge the marker will be taken off. 

We commonly see scratches on the face of the blade when the wrong angle is used or you don't have a consistent sharpening angle as you sharpen. Also if your knife remains at the same level of dull regardless of how much you work it on the stone, then a great place to start is to check you have the right angle.

Also if you're attempting to sharpen free hand don't forget about the other side. both sides should be at the same consistent angle for best results. This is why we recommend sharpening systems to help you without guess work.

If you're using a sharpening system, the system usually will hold the angle for you, however, you'll still need to make sure your knife sharpener is set for the right angle. Sometimes an angle guide or a digital level can be helpful in getting this part right! 

Whetstone not working problem #2 You're not moving up in grit.

Ok if you're starting to get a sharper cutting edge but it never seems to get past a certain level of sharpness, then this one is for you. We never recommend using only one stone, while better, even three stones can often be inadequate.

We usually talk about whetstones acting much like sandpaper. The lower the grit (also known as coarse grit) the more material it will take off, and as you move up to a fine grit stone the sharper edge you can make.

High precision cutting requires an incredibly sharp edge, and working your way up to very high grit stones. In addition, if you're looking to get your knife's edge to look like a mirror you'll need a high grit.

If you have an extremely dull knife then you may need to consider diamond stones. Diamond sharpening stones work much more efficiently at low grits given the same amount of time. If you have burrs or an incredibly dull knife then you may need to consider diamond stones and work your way up the grit levels. 

Note: the grit number is usually located on the face of the sharpening stones. Even if you use double sided stones then there should be a marking for each side. Also we haven't seen much difference from natural stones over a man made water stone when working with your metal blade!

Whetstone not working problem #3 Forgetting to lubricate your stones.

It seems like many times people who are new to knife care miss this one. Don't forget, even the best sharpening stones need help! In order to get the maximum effect from whetstones and oil stones you'll need to lubricate them.

Whetstones ( water stones) typically need to be soaked in water, and oil stones need ceramic oil applied.

When you attempt to sharpen your knives without enough lubrication your sharp edge will typically have more burrs. If you perform the paper test this should tell you how many burrs you have and where.

Also if you get into the honing process then you may need to look into aluminum oxide or honing oil which is just as important as a fine stone! 

Wish that there was a simple tool that could help you avoid these problems?

What if there was an easy-to-use tool that made knife sharpening easy?

What if you only needed to figure out your bevel angle once, because the sharpening system held your knife for you, ending the angle guessing game?

What if it came with four different stones helping you be able to move up in grit so you can take your knives from extremely dull back to cutting edge?

and...

What if it cost less than the average single flat stone while also getting you exclusive discounts on upgrades and future purchases?

Have your knife be so sharp you're the envy of your friends. Check out the video below!