For beginners, we highly recommend getting a combination whetstone. With a combination stone, you get two different types of stones in one, making it an attractive option to many. A common combination whetstone will have a coarse surface on one side and a finer surface on the other.
You will need versatile stones
You want sharpening stones that will be useful for the majority of your edges now, and that will remain useful as you expand both your tools and your sharpening toolkit in the future. Ending up with duplicate stones or ones that are no longer useful as you gain new knives or tools is a waste of money. The goal is to start with something that will stay with you as your needs develop.
What sharpening stones should I start with?
We get asked regularly to recommend stones for the beginning sharpener. Everyone wants to get stones that will be of the most practical use. No one wants to waste money on something they will have to replace later. The goal is to get stones that can be used as a foundation for your future needs. But the number of options available can be bewildering to the inexperienced sharpener, leaving many wondering where to start.
The truth is that there is no one recommendation that we can make that will meet everyone’s needs. Every sharpener’s needs are different and every sharpening toolkit will be different. In order to help beginning sharpeners get started with good sharpening stones to build around, we need to understand their individual needs. So with that in mind, let’s look at the basic needs of a beginning sharpener.
How to choose a sharpening stone, whetstone, ceramic, diamond + Grit Size
FAQ
What whetstone should I use for beginners?
What is the first whetstone to buy?
What grit whetstone should I start with?
Is a 1000 and 3000 grit whetstone enough?
Which Whetstone should I buy?
BTW: If you do not want to buy each whetstone separately, we recommend buying a whetstone set. The best option is to buy the Shapton Kuromaku Whetstone Set (Amazon link) with 320-grit fixing stone, 1000-grit sharpening stone, and 5000-grit polishing stone.
Should you use a whetstone if you’re a beginner?
Since this set includes everything you need, you can start immediately, even if you’re a beginner on the whetstone. This sharpening stone (also called a whetstone) does need to be soaked in water before use — water helps the blade to glide more effectively over the surface of the stone — but a 10-to-15-minute soak isn’t a dealbreaker for us.
What type of whetstones to use?
Whetstones come in many different types, from synthetic stones to natural stones and even diamond and glass stones. You also need to choose whether to use dedicated water stones or oil stones, silicon carbide stones, aluminum oxide stones, or natural stones.
How do I choose the best whetstones?
Balancing the quality of the stone with the cost and selecting the right grit progression is key when buying your whetstones. If you are interested in checking out the best whetstones for your knives we recommend and use you can find them by clicking here (Amazon link).