Primer to Sharpening Stones

Knives no matter their use or quality all have one thing in common - they get dull and lose their cutting edge. Purchasing a sharpening stone is a good and inexpensive piece of equipment to keep your higher priced knives at their sharpest. Keeping your blades sharp, not only makes cutting or chopping easier, it will also help prevent injury. Sharpening stones go by various other names such as water stones, whetstones or even oil stones. It should be noted, however, that whetstones do not refer to the water that is used. Whet means "to sharpen" and thus a whetstone is a "to sharpen stone". (Source: www.wikipedia.com)

The natural stones that were once so readily available (most revered natural sharpening stone or whetstone is the yellow-gray Belgian coticule that has naturually occuring two grits that are layer upon each other) are now harder to come by as most have already been quarried, thus man made sharpening stones are now more readily available. These artificial stones are made from a bonded abrasive compound such as ceramic made from silicon carbide or aluminum oxide and will have two grits - one on either side (Source: www.sharpeningstones.com). These two grits will help to fully hone a blade back to its original sharpness.

Grit is the abrasive power within the stone and feels like sand if broken down. Grit size is different from region to region and are usually referred to by number or grade. The higher the number, the finer the grit, thus the heavier the sharpening stone will be. There is a debate still in process today as to how to lubricate the sharpening stone. One will suggest oil as it will help create a "floating" feeling while remove the swarf (metal shavings), while the other will suggest water as it will do the same and not damage the sharpening stone. Whichever you prefer, the oil or water will help lubricate, clean the stone's pores and removes metal shavings. (Source: www.sharpeningstones.com)

You can purchase a good quality sharpening stone for about $50. If the price is higher, it is usually reserved for commercial grade and use sharpening stones. You can find a sharpening stones at any department store, hardware store or even on line. Further, the sharpening stones are divided into two categories: 1. Bench stones: these sharpening stones are intended to be mounted on a work bench. They also have versions that are already mounted and then can be placed on a table or bench before the person. 2. Pocket Stones: Just as the name implies, these sharpening stones can be placed in a person's pocket to keep a blade or cutting edge sharp while in the field.

No matter which sharpening stone you choose, it is a good investment to keep your blades at their performance.