
The 4 Best Whetstones for Sharpening Dull Blades, According to Our Tests
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It’s not uncommon for people to look at their dull set of knives and conclude they’ve exceeded their useful lifespan and need to replace them. In most cases, the knives only need a good sharpening. We live in exciting times and are spoiled for choice when it comes to sharpening methods, including electric or pre-set guided sharpeners. The venerable sharpening stone (or whetstone) may seem archaic by comparison, but it's time-tested and gentle on knives. I've used several in my career as a chef and even taught a whetstone 101 class once, so it's one of those tools I swear by.
Sharpening a metal edge requires an abrasive, which generates heat from friction. Whetstones keep the metal cool: When used with water, they create a wet slurry, or a sort of paste, which helps polish the edge. Because of that cooling, your edge is better protected and easier to sharpen because there’s no heat damage. Whetstones do have a learning curve, but the results are tangible in that less metal is removed from your knife in the sharpening process compared to an electric sharpener.
Ultimately, a sharpened edge brings new life to your old knives and makes cutting easier, safer, and more precise. But not every whetstone is great for every knife, and there are some considerations to take into account, such as its length compared to your chef’s knife. We tested 20 sharpening sets, including full kits, dual-sided stones, and tri-stones, to find their strengths and weaknesses for you. Read on to see our results.