Start with your lower grit whetstone. For kitchen knives, a good starting point is 1000 grit for the first sharpening, and 6000 grit for finishing/honing, so they're the numbers we'll use in this guide.
Start with a fine sharpening stone ranging from 1000 to 3000 grit, followed by an extra-fine sharpening stone ranging from 3000 to 5000 grit.
The 1000-grit blue side was the coarser of the two, while the 6000-grit was finer.
The SEIDO 1000/6000 combo grit whetstone is great to start your sharpening journey on a budget. The #1000 grit side is coarse enough to bring a dull knife back to life and the #6000 side is perfect to polish and refine that edge to something that will give you a silky smooth cutting feel and a longer edge life.
#1000 grit is the most common general sharpening granulation (to put a new edge on a blunt knife), while #6000 grit is a fine granulation for the finishing edge and the final polish of the blade.
The 1000 grit whetstone is often considered the go-to starting point for restoring a dull edge, efficiently reshaping the blade while still maintaining its integrity. As the grit increases towards 3000, the stones become less aggressive, focusing more on honing and polishing the edge.
If your knives are already in decent shape but need a touch-up, a medium to fine grit, such as 3000 to 6000, will be sufficient. This grit range will help you maintain the sharpness of your knives without removing too much material.
Generally speaking, you'll want to use coarse grits (P8 - P80) for stock removal and the stripping of paints and varnishes. You'll then want to use medium grits (P100 - P220) for prepping and shaping materials followed by fine grits (P240+) for sharpening and polishing.
A sharpening stone with a grain size higher than 1000 is not necessary for a chisel. Hold the chisel at the right angle to the stone For most chisels this is approx. 25-30 degrees. Use the angle of the chisel's bevelled edge as a guide.
On the other hand, 6000 or 8000 grit stones are for super fine finishing. In the case of a meat cutting knife, a gritstone of 6000 is enough while for fruits or vegetables it's recommendable to utilize 8000 grit stone.
Start with your lower grit whetstone. For kitchen knives, a good starting point is 1000 grit for the first sharpening, and 6000 grit for finishing/honing, so they're the numbers we'll use in this guide. Place the 1000 grit stone on your sharpening surface, and make sure it's stable and won't slip around.
Soak the whetstone: Soak your coarse grit whetstone for 15 to 20 minutes. Soak your fine grit whetstone for 5 minutes. 3. Remove the whetstone and set on a towel: After soaking, place your whetstone in the center of a kitchen towel.
Our Favorite Whetstone
The King Whetstone Starter Set is a good choice for beginners and experienced users alike, providing a good selection of grits on a sturdy, dual-sided stone (and at a reasonable price). It may be a little short for longer knives, but this didn't show itself to be too problematic.
Most pros would agree that pulling the blade edge across the whetstone produces the best results. Not only will it bring the knife to its sharpest but it's also a much more effective way to remove chips and imperfections from the blade.
For beginners, it's good to use both a Coarse (#220) and (#1500) grit stone. For regular upkeep, a medium stone alone is often enough. But, you need to keep the stone in good shape by flattening its surface.
To start, choose one that's just coarse enough to easily remove imperfections. If your surface is already fairly clean and smooth, choose a medium-fine grit like #120, progress to #150, and end with #220. For rougher, lower-grade wood, start with #80, progress to #120, and end with #220.
To begin, select a stone in the middle of your grit options. This may be a 1000 Grit water stone, a fine DMT Diamond Stone, or a fine Norton India Stone. This really is guesswork at first, but with experience, you'll get better at it. Using your chosen grit, give your knife a dozen or so strokes on one side.
What should I use various grits of whetstones, e.g. 1000, 3000, 6000, etc., for? The smaller the number (1000), the coarser the grit, and the more metal it will remove and the faster it shapes the edge. You begin with a coarse grit to shape an edge, remove pits or chips, then move on to fine grits to polish the edge.
Following the grit sequence, or at the very least, never skipping more than one grit at a time, always yields that deep luxurious finish that we all envision when starting a project.
A 1000-grit stone leaves a coarse edge that works like a serrated knife on a microscale. You would think that it is what we wanted, a knife that can cut, but if you stop sharpening after using a 1000-grit stone, it will get dull quicker than the knife would with a 6000-grit stone.
Ultra-fine (800-, 1,000-grit and beyond): Use this grade for ultra-smooth polishing of wood and metal finishes and bare metal.
A dual sided stone to help you get the most from your sharpening - the 1000 side is used to do the bulk of the sharpening while the smoother 6000 grit is for finishing and includes an angle guide to help ensure you always hit the right angle for sharpening your knives.
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.