A sharpening stone isn’t exactly a chef’s best friend - that honor goes to the knives themselves. However, they are undoubtedly a key part of any chef’s setup, whether professional or as a hobby. This guide should help you figure out what type of sharpening stone you should get.
What Is a Sharpening Stone?
A sharpening stone is a specialized piece of stone that’s designed to sharpen a dull knife. Sharpening stones are rated based on their grit, and different grits serve different purposes for sharpening. Sharpening stones often come in sets that also contain additional accessories such as guides and flattening stones.
Why is it important to have a Sharpening Stone?
You’ll always have a sharp knife at home
Let’s be real - there’s probably a good chunk of you out there who are perfectly fine with using dull blades to prepare food, simply because you just got used to them. However, that doesn’t have to be the case, and you can have a sharp knife at home without spending too much money or effort. With a sharpening stone, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a sharp knife to work with at home as long as you put in the effort to actually sharpen the tool.
And before you think that it isn’t worth the price, you’d be surprised by how easy it is to prepare food with a sharp knife. It’s far easier to chop vegetables and slice meat, and you won’t even need to worry about applying too much force as the blade will just slide through whatever you’re cutting. It’s a satisfying feeling, especially if you’re the one who sharpened the blade in the first place.
You can save money on knives
When was the last time you bought a new knife? If you’re someone who wants to keep their knives sharp at all times, you’ll save far more money with a sharpening stone than by simply buying new knives whenever your old one becomes dull. This is especially true if you’ve spent money on a high-quality kitchen knife, as you only need a decent sharpening stone to make your knife good as new, which is cheaper than buying another expensive knife.
Sharpening knives can be fun
Finally, let’s also consider the fun factor of sharpening knives. The act of sharpening knives can be fun and almost therapeutic to an extent. It’s simple work that rewards you for putting in the effort, and that’s a feeling that will never get old. You can also sharpen your knives as you listen to your favorite podcasts or jam to music to make things even more interesting.
Things to Consider When Buying a Sharpening Stone
Grit
The grit of a sharpening stone determines what the stone is ideally used for. And while a certain grit is only ideal for one particular thing, most sharpening stone sets are sold with stones that have multiple grits, so you only really need to worry about grit when picking sets that offer only two grit options. We can separate grit categories into low, medium, and high grit values.
Low grit values range from 300 to 1000 and are generally reserved for fixing the dullest of blades and knives with chips on them. These are the most difficult blades to fix, and you’ll need a very low grit value to make any sort of progress. Medium grit values range from 1000 to 4000 and are used to sharpen dull blades. This is where most people find themselves when they want to sharpen their knives. Finally, there are high grit values ranging from around 4000 to 8000+. These stones are used for refining already somewhat sharp blades that are still rough around the edges, so to speak.
Accessories
Most sharpening stone sets come with accessories to make the process easier. Many sets come with a guide to help you angle your blade properly as you sharpen the knife. Other sets come with a flattening stone to keep the sharpening stones in good condition. There are also leather strops to help polish a knife after it’s been sharpened. These accessories aren’t exactly required to sharpen a knife, but they can make the process easier for beginners and are recommended if you're just starting out.
Sharpening Stone Price Range
Sharpening stones vary in price, with the main determining factor being the number of sharpening stones in the set. If the set only offers two grit values, you can expect to spend around $20-$30 on the set, give or take. Sets with four grit values, on the other hand, can cost you around $50 or more and also include accessories.
Sharpening Stone FAQ
Q: Are sharpening stones supposed to be wet?
A: While you can sharpen knives with dry stones, it’s best to wet the stone first to ensure that the process is easier and smoother.
Q: What’s the difference between a sharpening stone and a honing stone?
A: A sharpening stone is a stone that removes material to keep a blade sharp, whereas a honing stone doesn’t remove any material and rather moves it instead.
Q: Is sharpening knives easy?
A: Once you get a feel for the rhythm, sharpening knives can be both easy and fun to do.