Every kitchen needs a knife, and these knives need to be sharp. Even if you have high-quality knives with premium steel construction, they will lose the cutting edge as well. Dull knives can be actually dangerous because they can lead to twisted wrists and slipping.
That being said, people often use different tools for sharpening knives. For this purpose, we are sharing information on whetstone vs. sharpener to see which is better for sharpening the knife’s cutting edge!
Whetstone vs Sharpener
Knife Sharpeners
The knife sharpener is suitable for people who aren’t experienced in maintaining the quality of knives. When it comes down to the sharpeners, there are electric as well as manual options. In this section, we are sharing the information about electric sharpeners and manual sharpeners, so let’s check out the details!
Electric Sharpeners
The electric sharpeners are boxy devices that are designed with various slots. If you opt for high-quality electric sharpeners, you will find various small orbiting plates (the plates are made from abrasive material) that are set at fixed angles. All the slots are designed with plates at different abrasiveness levels. When you pull the knife through slots, the blade will be sharpened.
Generally, the first slot tends to have higher abrasiveness. In addition, pulling the knife through the slots will restore the blade edge angle (it will also sharpen the edge). The electric sharpeners are extremely easy to use because you just have to plug them in the power outlet and switch it on. That being said, the knife can be sharpened within thirty seconds.
However, the electric sharpeners can remove more knife’s material as compared to a whetstone, which leads shorter lifespan of the knife. The electric sharpeners are not suitable for German knives, but Japanese knives are great. For the most part, electric sharpeners are easy to use, so why not?
Manual Sharpeners
The manual sharpeners are known as pull-through sharpeners. The manual sharpeners tend to be compact and portable, and it doesn’t need a power connection. These sharpeners are actually great for restoring the sharpness of knives. With manual sharpeners, you need to pull the knife multiple times through the slots. The first slot of the manual sharpeners has the most aggressive abrasiveness.
Whetstones
For years, people have been using whetstones for sharpening the knives, and it does offer excellent results. Truth be told, whetstones can be hard to use, and you will need some time to learn how to sharpen the knives with a whetstone. The whetstones are suitable for sharpening the Japanese-style as well as German-style knives. Generally, it can be used for sharpening any type of knife.
When using the whetstone, you must hold the knife’s blade at the correct angle (the sharpening angle). That being said, whetstones can lead to high-end sharpening. Whetstones are usually available in the rectangular, which is why some people call them bench stones. With whetstones, you need to use oil or water for lubrication purposes.
In addition, the application of oil or water will reduce friction when you move the knife across its surface. Personally, we suggest that you use whetstones that work well with water (they are known as water stones as well). For the most part, the whetstones that work with water are convenient. On the other hand, if you use the whetstones with oil, you must be ready for a cleanup.
Generally, the whetstones are cut from natural sources. However, some people also make whetstones with chemical processes. Usually, whetstones are cut out from crystalline silica that’s not only durable but hard as well. The whetstones cut from crystalline silica have higher abrasiveness which makes them suitable for sharpening the steel.
Some people are also making the sharpening stones on their own because it helps them create the desired particle size. The particle size is actually great for determining abrasiveness. The general rule of thumb is to start with higher abrasiveness and move to the lower level. As a result, the knife will be polished and sharpened.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, people usually prefer whetstones for sharpening the knives, such as hunting knives, utility knives, carving knives, and pocket knives. Truth be told, choosing between whetstone and sharpener depends on personal preferences and availability. So, consider your needs and choose the sharpening tools accordingly!