How to Sharpen Japanese Knives

Sharpening a Japanese knife ensures the tool works at top efficiency and is also important for safety. You are more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one because you have to work harder to slice with a dull blade. Japanese knives are harder than most Western-style knives, which makes them more brittle. They require special care when sharpening to avoid breakage.

Things You'll Need

• 3 Japanese whetstones (hard, medium, and soft) Towel Bowl of water

Instructions

1. Place your whetstones in a bowl of water for 10 minutes or until they stop releasing bubbles. This is to get all the air out of the whetstones. Once all the air is out, set the hard whetstone on a towel so it does not slip. The hard whetstone will be used to smooth out any nicks or roughness in the blade before you sharpen it with the medium stone. With the soft whetstone, you can remove any burrs caused by sharpening.

2. Hold the blade at an angle against the hard whetstone. There should be a 1/4-inch space between the back of the blade and the whetstone. You can check this by placing two stacked pennies under the back of the blade and setting the blade against the stone. Starting with the the tip, push the blade with your first three fingers across the entire length of the whetstone, then pull it back across the whetstone to the starting position. Do this five times, then reposition the blade to the next section needing sharpening and repeat. Do this until the entire blade is sharpened.

3. Repeat Step 2 with the medium whetstone. While the hard whetstone prepares the edge, the medium whetstone will sharpen the edge. If your whetstone becomes dry while sharpening, moisten it again and then continue.

4. The final step is to hone the blade and remove any burrs the previous steps might have formed. Hold the edge of the blade at an angle so that when you sweep it across the soft whetstone it will scrape from tip to base. The trick is to find the angle that will allow the whole blade to come in contact with the whetstone in each sweep. Do this forward and back five times on each side of the blade. When you are finished, the blade should be sharp and ready to use.

Tips & Warnings

• Store your knives on a magnetic strip to avoid damaging the blades. Dry your Japanese knives thoroughly after each wash to avoid rust.

• Use caution when sharpening knives to avoid cutting yourself. Do not press hard on the blade, as this can break it.

Resources

• A demonstration of how to use a Japanese knife
• A master chef demonstrates how to sharpen a sushi knife