Sharpening a knife or sword

Regular use of a knife or sword will affect the sharpness of the blade. If you want to keep your knife or sword sharp, you need to sharpen it every once in a while.

To sharpen a blade, you need a whetstone and the right technique. 

Step 1:

Wet your whetstone by submerging it in water for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Step 2:

A whetstone usually has a more coarse and a more fine side. Start with the coarse side to sharpen your blade. Make sure the whetstone is placed on a sturdy base and is secure, so it won’t slide around. 

Move the blade over the coarse side at a consistent angle. For European blades you should sharpen at a 20 degree angle, for a Japanese blade you should sharpen at a 15 degree angle. 

You can use either long strokes or short strokes to sharpen the blade, depending on what’s easier for you.

Step 3:

Flip the whetstone over so the finer side is up. Again, make sure the whetstone is secure and can’t slide around. 

Repeat step 2, only now with the finer side of the whetstone. 

Step 4:

When your blade is sharp enough, rinse the blade and wipe it dry with a towel. 

Leave the whetstone out to dry until it’s fully dry before storing it away.

You can find our whetstones here.