Learn the basics of sharpening your Japanese knife with our guide on using a sharpening stone. Perfect for beginners, we cover techniques to keep your knife sharp!

Beginner’s Guide: How to Sharpen Your Japanese Knife

If you have never owned a Japanese knife before, you may have wondered what makes them so expensive. 

The answer? Japanese knives can last a very long time with regular maintenance. If those requirements are not met, however, your knives may lose sharpness, among other consequences. 

For those looking to sharpen their knives by themselves, we recommend using a sharpening stone to get the most out of sharpening your knife.

Table of contents:

1. Sharpening stones for beginners
2. How should you sharpen your knife?
3. Frequently asked questions
1. How often should you sharpen your knife?
2. How do you know when to sharpen your knife?
3. How many times can I sharpen my knife before replacing it?

Sharpening stones for beginners

While the market is flooded with sharpening tools, we recommend exclusively using a sharpening stone. While the tool requires practice, especially for beginners, it produces the best results removing a minimal amount of metal to return the maximum amount of edge for Japanese style knives.

However, like Japanese style knives, not all sharpening stones are made equal. 

Natural vs. synthetic sharpening stone: How are they different?

The main benefit of natural sharpening stones is that they usually last longer than synthetic ones. A benefit of using a natural stone is improved control while sharpening.

While this slows down the process, it also removes less material over time, resulting in sharper edges and extending the lifespan of the blade.

After you have decided between using a natural or a synthetic sharpening stone, you should also consider the stone’s grit. Grit refers to how aggressively the stone sharpens your blade. Sharpening stones with high grit levels are less abrasive, while those with low grit levels are more abrasive.

Stone	Grit level	Description	Recommendation
Rough	< 1,000	Grit less than 1,000 is ideal for reshaping a chipped and/or cracked large-edged knife.	Sharpening Stone #400 Professional Sharpening Stone #500
Medium	1,000-3,000	Grit between 1,000-3,000 is a good starting point for first-time sharpeners to sharpen noticeably dull knives.	Knife Sharpener #1000 Knife Sharpener #3000 Professional Sharpening Stone #1000 Recommended! (Dual Sided) Professional Sharpening Stone #1000/#4000  Recommended! (Dual Sided) Professional Sharpening Stone #1000/#6000
Fine	3,000-6,000	Grit between 3,000-6000 should be used after sharpening on a medium-sized stone to adjust your Japanese knife’s edge.	Sharpening Stone #3000 Sharpening Stone #4000 Professional Sharpening Stone #6000
Near Mirror Polish	6,000-10,000	Grit between 6,000-10,000 provides a near-perfect edge, leaving your knife’s edge polished to the naked eye.	Professional Sharpening Stone #8000 Professional Sharpening Stone #9000
Mirror Polish	10,000+	Grit past 10,000+ provides the sharpest edge possible. This requires considerable time and effort, but gives your knife a mirror-like edge without any visible flaws.	Professional Sharpening Stone #12000

Thinking about getting your own sharpening stones? Our collection ranges from 100 to 12,000, with many being dual-purpose splash-as-you-go stones.

How should I sharpen my knife with a sharpening stone?

Honing your knife

1. Plant your honing rod in your cutting board with the handle facing upward. Then, swipe your knife from the base to the tip of the blade, applying even pressure throughout.
   
   How do you know you’re done honing? 3-4 swipes through the honing rod should be enough. Don’t forget to do this for both sides of the blade!
   
   Honing vs. Sharpening: Sharpening refers to the process of fixing a blunt and/or damaged chef's knife edge by removing material, while honing refers to the maintenance and straightening of a chef's knife edge which can bend over time. 

It is considered best practice to hone a knife regularly to keep the edge of your Japanese knife sharp, and sharpening it only afterwards. We do not recommend skipping either sharpening or honing!

Sharpening your knife

2. Start by placing the blade flat on the medium sharpening stone at a 45-degree angle to ensure the entire blade comes into contact with the stone while sharpening.
   
   For double-bevel Japanese-style knives, such as all-purpose kitchen knives, use a 15-degree angle on each side. Single-bevel Japanese knives have different sharpening requirements.

3. After adding water to your sharpening stone, sharpen until a sharpening sludge forms.
   
   As a rule of thumb, the process of sharpening goes in this way: sharpen the face side at least 7 times and the reverse side at least 3 times. Repeat until the edge is sharp. Always finish by sharpening the back side.
   
   What is sharpening sludge? Sharpening sludge refers to a mix of metal particles, grit, and lubricants. As soon as it appears, switch to sharpening the reverse side of the knife to prevent scratches on your chef’s knife. 
   

4. After several strokes, check for burr by running your finger along the blade. If your knife has a burr, you have sufficiently sharpened your knife.
   
   You can remove this by sharpening the reverse side until it disappears. 
   
   What is burr? Burr refers to a curved piece of metal that develops on the reverse side of your blade while you sharpen your knife. If your knife has a burr, this is a sign that you should finish sharpening.

5. Finally, lift the knife slightly, touch the tip to the stone, and sharpen the edge a few times to strengthen it.
   
   Did you know? The process of sharpening the edge to strengthen it is called Kobadome.

After sharpening your knife

6. Especially for a carbon steel Japanese style knife, part of the process of after care involves cleaning, drying, and applying Tsubaki oil. 

After doing this, make sure you store your Japanese knives in a dry place to prevent rusting.

7. To sharpen well, a sharpening stone needs to be completely flat. This is because the cutting edge must be sharpened evenly, and this is easiest and best done on a flat surface.
   
   A flattening stone can quickly and easily flatten the sharpening stone again, restoring its ability to sharpen.
   

You can choose a flattening stone from Musashi Japan’s collection.

• Musashi Japanese Sharpening Flattening Stone, JPY 3,300 (~USD 21)
• Grit: #100, used as a tool for the fastest removal of steel.
• Naniwa #220 Japanese Sharpening Flattening Stone, JPY 3,300 (~USD 21)
• Grit: #220, most commonly available tool for the removal of steel. 

Frequently asked questions

How often should I sharpen my knife?

As a general rule of thumb, you should sharpen your Japanese kitchen knives every 1-2 months, while you should hone every week to ensure a sharp edge.

However, how often you sharpen your Japanese knives largely depends on your usage frequency. For example, assuming only light use, we recommend sharpening every 3-4 months only, while chef knives that experience regular use should be sharpened more often.

Can you sharpen your knife too much? You can, in fact, sharpen your knife too much. Because sharpening involves the removal of material from your knife, oversharpening can damage, and even dull its edge. You can prevent oversharpening by checking for the formation of burr on the tip of your knife while using a sharpening stone. 

How do I know when to sharpen my knife?

One way to check if your knife needs sharpening is by pressing near the tip, where it is used the most. If it feels dull, it needs sharpening until a burr forms. If it feels sharp, it's good to use.

Be careful when trying this!

How many times can I sharpen my knife before replacing it?

When  used as a kitchen knife, most Japanese style knives will last a lifetime because they are made with excellent craftsmanship and high quality materials, allowing them to handle everyday kitchen tasks for many years without losing their edge.

However, as a daily-use chef’s knife, however, the wear and tear from constant use will probably cause it to deteriorate within a few years. Regular use in a busy kitchen can be tough on even the best knives, leading to more frequent sharpening and eventual replacement.

Need a guide for choosing the best Japanese knives for you? Check out our Beginner’s Guide! 

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