Samura Whetstone, #400

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; the lower the number, the coarser the stone. SAMURA makes whetstones in a range of grits for different jobs: coarse stones for challenging work such as correcting the blade angle, medium stones for starting off and for light resharpening, and fine stones for finishing and polishing. With a #400 grit, this stone belongs to the coarse group.

Use it to restore the right angle on the edge. A coarse stone leaves a rougher edge than a fine one, so repeat the sharpening on a finer stone if you want a more refined edge. For light resharpening, SAMURA points you to its medium stones instead.

The stone measures 185 × 65 mm and is 19 mm thick, with a net weight of 374 g. It comes with a 2-year warranty.

• Correcting and restoring the blade angle of your kitchen knives
• Double-bevel kitchen knives, one side at a time until a burr appears
• Single-bevel Japanese knives, bevelled side first

Before use, submerge the whetstone completely in water for 10–15 minutes and keep it wet the whole time you sharpen. Sharpen one side of the knife until a burr appears, then the other side, and keep 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 to refine the edge.

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