Kitchen knives can become dull over time, making it frustrating and even dangerous to cut with them. To keep them sharp and effective at cutting as well as restoring them to a brilliant shine, one requires a whetstone. With so many options on the market, it can be tricky to choose the one which will offer you the best bang for your buck. In this guide, we list down the best sharpening stones for kitchen knives currently available on the market.
Our Top Pick: Sharp Pebble 1000/6000
Type of Stone: Water Stone
Made out of premium quality aluminum oxide, this whetstone from Sharp Pebble is a fantastic buy. The two-sided 1000/6000 coarse and fine combination makes this stone quite versatile in helping to sharpen a variety of blades and knives. Being a water stone, this sharpening tool is very easy to work with. There is no need for oil-lubricants, just wet the stone and use the guide it comes with to sharpen your knives at the correct angle.
The whetstone comes with a sturdy non-slip bamboo base, which also affords greater convenience and stability during the sharpening process. Durable, long-lasting, and reasonably priced, this whetstone provides excellent value for money.
However, it is worth noting that the broad width of this whetstone may make it a bit difficult to work with when sharpening smaller knives. Additionally, the fine grit side of the stone is a little soft for use in some applications.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Premium quality professional grade whetstone
- Excellent sharpening performance
- Coarse and fine grit combination
- Versatile usage
- Durable and long-lasting
- Secure non-slip bamboo base
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Stone maybe a little too wide for some knives.
- Fine side grit is a little soft for some knives.
Runner-Up: KING KW65 1000/6000
Type of Stone: Water Stone
King may not be a well-known name here in the United States, but this Japanese brand offers some of the best quality sharpening stones you can buy at an affordable price. Made from quality ceramic, this Japanese whetstone is purposely designed for sharpening carbon and stainless steel knives.
Like our previous mention, this high-quality whetstone also comes with a 1000 coarse/6000 fine grit combination, allowing for a versatile utility. It comes with a durable plastic base, which does a terrific job keeping the whetstone in place while sharpening.
Overall, this whetstone from King’s is an excellent buy. However, there are two aspects of it that merit criticism. The first is the softness of the stone, which may limit its use when it comes to sharpening certain knife types, especially serrated ones. Secondly, this whetstone is not very beginner-friendly. There is no angle guide that comes with its purchase, and the instruction manual that they do provide is not available in English.
Pros
- High-quality
- Reasonable price
- Excellent value for money
- Made in Japan
- Outstanding sharpening and polishing ability
- Coarse and fine grit combination
- Versatile usage
- Sturdy light brown plastic base
Cons
- Stone might be too soft for some knives.
- No angle guide
- Instructions not available in English
Best Premium Buy: Ultra Sharp Diamond Set
Type of Stone: Diamond Stone
Made with industrial diamonds electroplated onto a metal plate, this diamond knife sharpening stone set is guaranteed to be durable, long-lasting, and very effective in getting the job done. The stone set features three grit ranges – 300 coarse, 600 fine, and 1200 ultrafine. Be it for sharpening dulled knives from the kitchen or for the outdoors in honing your camping knife. This diamond whetstone set can fulfill a wide variety of blade sharpening and polishing needs.
Working with these whetstones is not messy. You can use them without a lubricant, and they are also effortless to clean. The set comes with a universal stone holder that firmly holds the stones in place.
In terms of overall quality, there are few consumer-grade whetstones on the market that can match this set. The manufacturers are so sure of the value of their product that they back your purchase with a full, no-strings-attached satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with their product, you can simply return it to them for a replacement or a full refund.
Its main drawback, of course, is the price, which may be out of range of most people. Additionally, beginners may find it somewhat the stone somewhat hard to work with.
Pros
- Superior quality
- 3-in-1 set provides excellent value
- Stone can be used dry
- Highly durable construction
- Fast and effective sharpening
- Easy to clean
- Comes with a universal stone holder
- 100% replacement guarantee
Cons
- Expensive
- Not beginner-friendly
Best on a Budget: Whetstone Cutlery 20-10960
Type of Stone: Water Stone
For those on a tighter budget, this sharpening stone from Whetstone Cutlery’s is a perfect option. Made from premium quality silicon carbide, this stone is quite durable and long-lasting. It features a combination of 400 coarse and 1000 fine of twin grit, making it a very potent sharpening and polishing knife tool. With proper technique, the results you will get with this stone are almost professional grade.
This whetstone does suffer from a few shortcomings. For one, the stone is quite soft, making its use limited when working with certain types of knives. Additionally, you require a lot of water to reasonably lubricate the stone before you can start sharpening with it. The stone can also feel a bit bulky, but that may not too big of an issue.
Pros
- High-quality
- Great value for money
- Very Affordable
- Very effective
- Durable
- Versatile function
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Too soft for some sharpening needs
- Absorbs water quickly
- Bulky
Most Convenient: Norton IB8 Fine/Coarse
Type of Stone: Oil Stone
For people with limited working space, a whetstone requiring adequate lubrication may not be a viable option. Furthermore, certain knife types can be particularly vulnerable to corrosion; hence, water stones are off-limits when working with them.
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This wonderful oil stone from Norton’s is a great convenient and affordable choice currently on the market. For one, it requires no lubrication as this aluminum oxide stone comes pre-filled with oil, helping you save time and resulting in a lesser mess. With a two-sided grit combination of 100 coarse / 320 fine, this stone will do an adequate job of sharpening your knives.
Compared to water stones, oil stones are usually more durable and long-lasting, and Norton’s is no exception. Altogether, this stone is a great value buy, but the fact that the manufactures provide no angle guide with it is a bit of a letdown.
Pros
- High-quality
- Affordable
- Great all round sharpening stone
- Coarse and fine grit combination
- No lubrication required
Cons
- No angle guide
Our Final Thoughts
The list of recommendations in this guide is based on hours of market research. We did the work so you won’t have to! You can buy any of the products mentioned here, and we can guarantee that you won’t be left unsatisfied with the purchase.
