Most manufacturers suggest soaking the whetstone for between 15 and 20 minutes. This gives the water enough time to properly soak into the blade meaning that you won't need to keep stopping halfway through to apply more water.
First, you will soak your whetstone in water. Fine grit whetstones only need a few minutes of soaking; some chefs do not soak their fine grit stones to prevent any risk of cracking. Coarse grit whetstones should soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
King specifically says to not soak the 6k stones. It's clearly labeled that finishing stones above 3k should not be soaked and are splash and go.
DRY AND STORE YOUR WHETSTONES
Soaking stones can take up to two days to dry. Dry them properly before storing them to avoid moisture-related damage to the stone or the box. Splash-and-go stones should dry in a few minutes.
While some stones – like those made of diamond or ceramic – can be used dry, they still usually benefit from a little water. Soaking the whetstone is important because it helps protect the stone from damage and wear. Sharpening your knives with a dry stone won't hurt the knife, but it will damage the stone over time.
It can take up to 2 weeks for the stone to completely dry out. Here's our Haycombe Bath stone fireplace which we installed a week ago. This photo was taken the day after we installed the surround, as you can see the stone is a lot darker due to it being very wet, the main photo shows the fireplace a week later.
But in reality, it's not as simple as that and for the most part, you will need to soak the whetstone before you use it. The reason for this is that the whetstone will be far more efficient if it is lubricated with water. Moreover, the stone won't wear as easily so it will last you longer.
The King 1000/6000 combo stone is a nice 1-stone setup for beginners or those looking for a nice simple travel/work setup. It takes care of the medium grit stone and finishing stone needs. We recommend soaking this stone for about 10-15 minutes before use.
Yes, a whetstone needs to be wet in order to be used. It should be soaked for at least 45 minutes, or per manufacturer instructions, Wetting the stone helps it last longer, while stones used dry tend to wear out faster.
I've been using my King 1000/6000 for 3ish years now, soaking the whole things for anywhere from 10-30 minutes while prepping or while I'm working with other stones, and I've never seen a crack.
Whetstones will crack or break from too much weight being placed on them. If you store multiple on top of each other, the lower ones have a high chance of cracking. It's easy to think that before you sharpen a knife on a whetstone, that you need to soak the whetstone first.
To keep your stone from clogging up with small metal fragments, which makes the sharpening properties of the abrasive grains much less effective, you can use either oil or water on a benchstone prior to sharpening.
Whetstones have an average lifespan of up to six years. If you use yours less often, you can expect to get more use out of it. Every time you sharpen a knife, it wears down the center of the stone. This wear and tear will eventually cause the stone to break apart.
This takes practice, and you have to be careful, as using a whetstone incorrectly could weaken or damage a blade's edge. It can be fixed, but still – practice and caution are key. Another thing to keep in mind about whetstones is grit, indicated by the numbers on the side of the stone.
Soaking stones often provide a better feel and sometimes better results than 'splash and go' whetstones, but are not quite as quick to use. 'Splash and Go' whetstones just need water splashing on them.
Most manufacturers suggest soaking the whetstone for between 15 and 20 minutes. This gives the water enough time to properly soak into the blade meaning that you won't need to keep stopping halfway through to apply more water.
Does this mean that non-water stones should be used 'dry'. No, this is also not the case. Instead of water you could also add a couple drops of oil to the surface of some whetstones. This mostly applies to very hard natural sharpening stones.
If you are using a medium or rough whetstone you can store it in water, otherwise, a safe place in the kitchen is your best bet.
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.
Waterstones and oilstones wear at greatly different rates: The softer of the two, waterstones, dish out faster and need to be flattened more often. We recommend flattening them at the beginning of every sharpening session-it's a 15-second job in most cases. Flatten oilstones about every 10 sessions.
Use a dish rack or lean your water stones against a wall for good airflow. They can crack if you try to force your water stones to dry quickly. Simply let them air dry to keep your stones in the best condition.
Washing. It's important to rinse your whetstone with water after each use. This practice minimizes the impact of residual particles on future sharpening sessions. Sharpening knives generates sand-like particles known as grit, which mix with water to form a mud-like substance that can contaminate the stone's surface.
Test the stone: To determine if a stone is oil or water based, you can place a few drops of water on the stone and observe how it reacts. If the water beads up and does not soak in, it is likely an oil stone. If the water is absorbed into the stone, it is likely a water stone.