Samura Whetstone, #1000

A whetstone's grit number tells you how fine its abrasive is: the higher the number, the finer the stone and the smoother the edge it leaves. SAMURA makes whetstones in a range of grits for different jobs: coarse stones for correcting the blade angle, medium stones for starting off and for light resharpening, and fine stones for finishing and polishing. With a #1000 grit, this stone belongs to the medium group.

Begin your sharpening session on this stone, then move on to a finer stone if you want a more polished finish. If the blade angle needs correcting, work on a coarser stone first and continue here.

The stone measures 185 × 65 mm and is 19 mm thick, with a net weight of 353 g. It comes with a 2-year warranty.

• Starting a sharpening session on your kitchen knives
• Light resharpening of an edge that has lost some sharpness
• Preparing the edge for a finer finishing stone
• Double-bevel kitchen knives, one side at a time until a burr appears
• Single-bevel Japanese knives, bevelled side first

Soak the whetstone completely in water for 10–15 minutes before use and keep it wet while you sharpen. Sharpen one side of the knife until a burr appears, then the other side, keeping the original factory bevel angle of 15–17°. For single-bevel Japanese knives, sharpen the bevelled side until a uniform burr appears, then pass the concave side lightly over the stone. Repeat on a finer stone if needed for a more refined edge.

SAMURA sharpening tools are made to sharpen knives without much effort, and stones in various grain sizes help you restore the right angle to your blade. Besides single-grit whetstones, the range includes combination whetstones, a honing rod, an electric sharpener and a sharpening angle holder.