How to Sharpen a Knife: Whetstone, Pull-Through and Honing Steel

Honing realigns an edge that has rolled sideways. It removes no metal. Sharpening removes a thin layer of steel to cut a fresh edge. It uses a whetstone, a pull-through sharpener or an electric system^[4]. Hone often between uses. Sharpen only when honing no longer restores the cut.

Most Western kitchen knives sharpen at an angle between 14 and 20 degrees per side. The exact figure depends on the maker and the blade style. Confirm your knife’s angle with its manufacturer before you commit to a fixed-angle sharpener. The wrong angle wears the edge down faster than it needs to.

What is the difference between honing and sharpening?

Honing realigns a blade’s edge when it has rolled out of true. It uses a steel or ceramic rod. It removes no metal from the blade^[4]. Sharpening restores true sharpness by grinding away a small amount of metal to create a new edge.

Hone a knife every few uses as routine maintenance. Do this before each significant cutting session too. Sharpen only when honing stops bringing the edge back. Sharpening wears the blade down over its working life. It should not be done more often than needed.

A honing steel with a handle guard sets a fixed angle, such as 16 degrees. This makes it easier to hold the angle consistently on every pass^[4].

What angle should you sharpen a kitchen knife at?

Sharpen most Western-style kitchen knives between 14 and 20 degrees per side. The precise angle varies by brand and blade design. Check the table below for the angle stated by four major kitchen knife makers in their own terms.

Brand	Stated angle per side	Notes
Victorinox	30-40° on a sharpening steel	Victorinox states this range for a sharpening steel without splitting it per side[1]
Wüsthof	14°	Standard blades; 10° per side for Asian-style blades such as Santoku and Nakiri[2]
Global	10-15°	Factory edge; maintain with a ceramic or diamond rod, not a traditional steel[3]
Shun	16°	Same angle used for both honing and sharpening, set against the honing steel’s built-in guide[4]

A shallower angle cuts more finely. Examples are Wüsthof’s 14 degrees or Global’s 10 to 15 degrees. It also chips more easily on hard or frozen food. A wider angle holds up to harder use but cuts less finely.

How do you use a whetstone?

Soak or wet the stone first. Set the blade at your knife’s specified angle. Draw the edge across the stone from heel to tip in even strokes. Work one side until you feel a fine burr along the back of the edge. Then repeat on the other side for the same number of strokes.

Start on a coarser grit, around 1000, for a dull or chipped edge. Finish on a finer grit, 3000 or above, to refine the edge and remove the burr. See the step-by-step method above for the full sharpening procedure.

Keep the stone wet throughout. A stone that dries out mid-sharpening loads up with metal filings and cuts less evenly.

Move through grits in order rather than skipping straight to a fine finishing stone. A typical progression starts coarse at around 1000 grit to repair the edge. It moves to medium at around 3000 grit to refine it. It finishes fine at 6000 grit or above to polish it. Each stage removes the scratch pattern left by the one before.

How often should you sharpen a kitchen knife?

About once a year is often enough for many home cooks. Heavy users need it more often. Shun gives that figure for home cooks. Shun also says professional cooks will likely need to sharpen more often. The same applies to anyone using their knives heavily^[4].

Honing is the frequent job. Shun notes that some cooks hone once a week and others every day. This depends on how often the knife is used^[4]. Sharpening removes metal. Shun advises doing it only when the knife truly needs it^[4].

What should you avoid when sharpening?

Avoid overheating the blade. Avoid wiping away the stone slurry too early. Avoid using an abrasive that does not match the steel. Each of these is a manufacturer warning. It is not a general tip.

Victorinox says plenty of water must be used when resharpening on a grinding wheel. This prevents overheating or even burning the blade. Overheating changes the steel’s structure. It also reduces corrosion resistance. It reduces hardness and edge retention too^[1]. Global advises soaking a whetstone for about 10 to 15 minutes. Global says the wet grey residue that builds up during sharpening should be left on the stone. That residue does the sharpening^[3]. Global also suggests listening for the same sound on every stroke as a way to keep the angle steady^[3]. Wüsthof recommends using a sharpener from the same brand as the knife. This keeps the abrasive at the correct hardness for the steel^[2].

How do you use a honing steel?

Hold the honing steel vertically. Rest its tip on a cloth or board. Draw the blade down the steel at the angle your knife’s maker specifies. Victorinox gives 30 to 40 degrees for a sharpening steel^[1]. Shun sets 16 degrees with a guide on the hand guard of its honing steel^[4]. Alternate sides using pressure that is light and even. Use the steel’s own weight rather than force.

Hone before each significant use. For lighter cooking, every few uses is enough. This straightens the edge rather than sharpening it. It takes seconds and needs no grit or stone.

The edge needs sharpening rather than honing if honing no longer restores a clean cut. Honing cannot rebuild metal that has already worn away.

How do you sharpen a serrated knife?

Sharpen only the bevelled side of a serrated blade. Use a tapered rod or a sharpener sized to match each individual serration. Leave the flat back of the blade alone except for a light deburring pass. A flat whetstone cannot reach into the scalloped edge of a serrated knife. A rod-based tool designed for the job is required instead^[6].

Match the taper of the sharpening rod to the width of the serration or gullet you are working on. A rod that is too wide or too narrow will not seat correctly in the scallop. Use a few short strokes per serration rather than long ones. Keep them light rather than heavy.

Move along the blade serration by serration. Check for a fine burr on the flat back as you go. Then run the flat side lightly to clear the burr once every serration has been sharpened.

Can you sharpen a ceramic knife?

Yes. Use only a diamond abrasive. Ceramic blade material is harder than steel. It blunts a standard sharpening stone or honing steel without cutting the edge^[5]. Use a diamond-wheel or diamond-plate sharpener designed for ceramic blades.

A diamond-wheel home sharpener can handle a minor chip. This generally means one no deeper than around 0.5mm. A deeper chip or a badly rolled edge usually needs a professional ceramic sharpening service^[5]. Do not use a standard steel honing rod on a ceramic blade. It will not touch the edge and may damage the rod.

Check with the knife’s manufacturer for an authorised sharpening service if the chip is beyond a simple home fix.

Is it safe to sharpen a knife yourself?

Sharpening is safe if you keep your fingers behind the spine of the blade and control the knife’s edge direction at all times. A slipping stone or an unsteady hand is the main risk. The sharpening process itself is not. Keep the blade moving away from your fingers on every stroke, whether you use a stone, a rod or a pull-through sharpener.

Dry your hands and the handle before you start. A wet or greasy grip is more likely to slip mid-stroke. Work on a surface that is stable and non-slip. Keep the stone or sharpener from moving underneath you the same way you would stabilise a chopping board.

Wash and fully dry the blade after sharpening. Fine metal grit and moisture left on the edge can cause corrosion spots if the knife is put away wet.

See knife sharpeners compared for a comparison of the sharpener types themselves: whetstone, pull-through, electric and guided systems. See kitchen knife safety for everyday cutting safety.