Finally got my knife sharpening right after 6 years of struggling

I used to just run my knives on a steel before service and wonder why they dulled so fast. Saw a guy at a farmer's market in Portland last month who showed me how to actually use a whetstone at the right angle. Has anyone else swapped to stones and noticed a big difference in how long the edge holds?

3 comments

3 Comments

umaprice1mo ago

Two weeks off a single sharpening? That's insane.

the_claire1mo ago

Bought a cheap combo stone last year and finally understood what my chef friend had been going on about for years. Told me his knives used to go dull after 3-4 days of heavy use until he started using a stone properly. Now he swears he can go a full two weeks between sharpenings with just a couple passes on a steel in between.

richard_wells591mo ago

Used to think whetstones were just for snobs who wanted to make a hobby out of something simple. Picked up a cheap 1000/6000 grit combo stone at a hardware store last year and gave it a real try. Night and day difference. My chef's knife stays sharp for almost two weeks of home cooking now instead of going dull after one meal. The steel is fine for quick touch ups but the stone actually corrects the edge geometry and gives you some real bite.