Flattening the Surface of a Medium Grit Whetstone
When I really want to put a sharp edge on a knife, I believe the use of the medium grit whetstone is crucial. This is because the process of properly extending the edge with the medium grit stone sets the foundation for Honbaduke.
Most medium grit stones, except for the latest developments and high-quality diamond stones, tend to warp during sharpening. *The latest stones are often harder and less prone to warping.
As you get closer to finishing the sharpening with a medium grit stone, the stone will have warped to some degree. To be precise, if it warps by 1mm, there’s a possibility that the edge will become rounded by 1mm. While a 1mm warp might not have a significant impact, I’m emphasizing it here to make the point.
Pushing the knife during sharpening doesn’t cause much of an issue, but if you also pull while sharpening, you can imagine that the thin, almost finished edge will scrape against the warped stone. This could potentially lead to a rounded edge.
It might seem tedious, but just when you’re about to finish with the medium grit stone, I highly recommend flattening the stone once more.
- 2010-06-11
