What angle do you sharpen a kitchen knife at?

Most Western kitchen knives are sharpened at about 20 degrees per side, while many Japanese knives use a finer 15 degrees per side. A simple way to find 20 degrees: lay the blade flat, tilt it up halfway to 45 degrees, then halfway again to about 22 degrees, which is close enough. Consistency matters more than hitting an exact number — holding the same angle through every stroke is what creates a clean edge. Check your knife maker's recommendation, but 15 to 20 degrees covers nearly all kitchen knives.

What is the difference between honing and sharpening?

Honing realigns a rolled-over edge and is what you do frequently with a honing steel — it does not remove metal, it just straightens the fine edge back to center. Sharpening actually removes metal to create a new, sharp edge, which you do occasionally with a whetstone or sharpener when honing no longer restores the cut. Hone often, sharpen rarely: a well-honed knife stays sharp between sharpenings, but once the edge is truly dull, only sharpening on an abrasive stone brings it back.

How do I know when a knife is sharp enough?

The classic test is the paper test: hold a sheet of paper vertically and slice down through it — a sharp knife cuts cleanly without tearing or snagging. You can also feel for a burr, a tiny wire edge that forms along the whole length of the back side as you sharpen, which tells you that side has reached the edge. Once you have raised and removed the burr on both sides and the knife slices paper cleanly, it is sharp. A tomato-skin test works too.

Do you soak a whetstone before using it?

Soak water stones for about 10 to 15 minutes before use, until the bubbles stop rising, so the surface stays wet and cuts smoothly — a dry water stone clogs and grinds poorly. Oil stones use honing oil instead of water, and some splash-and-go ceramic stones need only a surface wetting, not a full soak, so check your stone type. Keep the stone wet throughout sharpening, adding water as needed. The slurry of water and fine grit is what does the polishing on the finer side.

Can I sharpen a serrated knife on a whetstone?

No — a flat whetstone cannot follow the scalloped edge of a serrated knife, and trying to grind it flat ruins the serrations. Serrated knives are sharpened individually in each groove with a tapered ceramic or diamond sharpening rod sized to fit the scallops, working only the beveled side. Serrated edges also stay usable far longer than straight edges and rarely need sharpening. For straight-edge chef's, paring, and utility knives, the whetstone is the right tool; for serrated, use the rod.

How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives (Whetstone Method)

Written & researched by Derek Holt Home & Appliances Editor

Updated August 2026

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Sharpening kitchen knives on a whetstone is a 20-minute beginner skill worth learning — no power tools, and a decent combination stone costs 20 to 40 dollars (2026) and lasts for years. The method is simple once you feel it: soak the stone, hold a consistent 15-to-20-degree angle, grind each side until you raise a tiny burr, then refine on the fine grit and finish with a honing steel. The one thing that separates a sharp edge from a scratched blade is holding a steady angle through every stroke. Hone often, sharpen occasionally, and never take a serrated knife to a flat stone.

Super-Simple Whetstone Knife Sharpening Techniques

Tools and materials

A combination whetstone (coarse around 400 grit, fine around 1000 grit).
A honing steel for realigning the edge between sharpenings.
A damp towel under the stone to keep it from sliding, and water.
Materials: that is all. A sharp knife makes every prep task easier — pair it with a clean blender and stand mixer for the rest of your prep station, and see the air fryer roundup for cooking gear.

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Step 1: Soak and set up the stone

Soak a water stone for 10 to 15 minutes until the bubbles stop, then set it on a damp towel so it cannot slide, coarse side up. A wet stone cuts smoothly; a dry one clogs. Keep water nearby to re-wet the surface as you work — the slurry that forms is part of what sharpens.

Step 2: Find and hold the angle

Set the blade on the stone and establish about 20 degrees (halfway to 45, then halfway again). Hold that angle with both hands — guiding fingers on the blade — and commit to keeping it constant. Consistency of angle, not pressure, is what builds a clean edge, so go slow and steady rather than fast and variable.

Overhead view of a person's hands lifting food from a countertop appliance in a bright kitchen, in soft overcast light

Step 3: Grind the first side to a burr

Draw the blade across the coarse grit in smooth strokes, covering the whole edge from heel to tip, using light even pressure. After a dozen or so passes, feel along the back of the edge for a tiny burr — a wire edge — running the full length. That burr tells you this side has reached the apex. Then flip and repeat on the other side until you raise a burr there too.

Step 4: Refine on the fine grit

Flip the stone to the fine side (around 1000 grit), re-wet it, and repeat lighter strokes on each side to polish the edge and remove the burr. Alternate sides with just a few strokes each to work the wire edge off cleanly. The fine grit turns the rough sharp edge into a smooth, refined one that slices rather than saws.

Low-angle view of a person's hands lifting food from a countertop appliance in a bright kitchen, in bright midday sun

Step 5: Hone, test, and maintain

Finish with a few light passes per side on a honing steel to align the edge, then run the paper test — a sharp knife slices cleanly through a vertical sheet. Rinse and dry the knife and stone. Hone before each use to keep the edge aligned, and return to the whetstone only when honing no longer restores the cut.

Where to go next

A sharp knife pairs with a smooth kitchen — see our guides to deep cleaning a blender, resetting a jammed garbage disposal, and cleaning an air fryer. Everything sits under the small kitchen appliances hub.

We never buy or physically test the products we rank — our picks come from aggregated owner reviews and expert consensus, explained on how we rank.

How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives