What angle should I hold the knife on the stone?

Hold it at about 20 degrees per side for a typical kitchen edge. Very sharp setups use 10 degrees per side, for a 20-degree included angle.

Why does my razor-polished knife skate on tomatoes?

Because beyond about 3000 grit the edge can be technically sharper yet harder to initiate cuts on skinned soft produce. The polish removes the micro-tooth that bites into the skin.

Does honing mean sharpening?

The word honing is ambiguous. It may refer either to fine sharpening on a stone or to straightening the edge with a honing steel.

How do I know the edge has nicks?

Test the blade carefully on a soft surface: nicks in an edge can be felt as obstacles along the stroke.

Sharpening a kitchen knife

Surtak — Knife Sharpening Angles and Grits | surtak.com

A typical kitchen knife edge is ground at about 20 degrees per side, giving a 40-degree included angle on a double-ground edge. Sharpening on a whetstone removes metal to form a new edge, and the work moves through three stages: grinding, steeling, and stropping.

Set the angle

A typical kitchen edge sits at 20 degrees per side for a 40-degree included angle. Very sharp setups drop to 10 degrees per side for a 20-degree included angle.

Work the grits

Rough sharpening happens on water stones, oil stones, or medium grits of sandpaper. Fine sharpening follows in finer grits until the scratch pattern is uniform.

Finish the three stages

Grinding on a whetstone, steeling with a honing steel, and stropping on a razor strop or buffing wheel complete the edge. Honing as a word may cover either fine sharpening or straightening.

A blade polished beyond 3000 grit, although technically sharper, can have a harder time initiating cuts on soft vegetables or fruits with a skin.

Pick your angle and grit before you touch the stone

Start at 20 degrees per side and choose a medium grit for rough work, then a finer grit for refinement.

A typical kitchen knife edge is ground at about 20 degrees per side, which makes a 40-degree included angle on a double-ground edge. If you want a very sharp knife, the edge angle can be as little as 10 degrees per side, for a 20-degree included angle.

Sharpening removes metal to form a new edge. Rough sharpening is done on water stones, oil stones, or medium grits of sandpaper; fine sharpening follows in finer grits. The grit you start with depends on how much metal you need to remove, and the grit you finish with decides how the edge behaves on food.

Decide the per-side angle first: 20 degrees is the typical kitchen setting, 10 degrees is the very-sharp setting.
Match grit to damage: medium grits for rough sharpening, finer grits for fine sharpening.
Remember that beyond about 3000 grit the edge may drag on tomato or bell pepper skin.

The edge, stage by stage

Schematics of the bevel geometry and the three stages.

The key terms of this guide, drawn to one scale

Angles and grits in numbers

Edge angles and grits in numbers
Setting	Angle per side	Included angle	What it is for
Typical kitchen edge	20 degrees	40 degrees	Everyday cutting on a double-ground edge
Very sharp setup	10 degrees	20 degrees	Maximum keenness, less metal behind the apex
Rough sharpening	—	—	Water stones, oil stones, medium grits of sandpaper
Fine sharpening	—	—	Finer grits after the rough pass
Polished beyond 3000 grit	—	—	Technically sharper, may drag on tomato or bell pepper skin
Edge testing	—	—	Nicks felt as obstacles on a soft surface
Steeling stage	—	—	Straightens the edge with a honing steel
Stropping stage	—	—	Polishes the apex on a razor strop or buffing wheel

Edge angles and grits in numbers

Questions people actually ask

What angle should I hold the knife on the stone?: Hold it at about 20 degrees per side for a typical kitchen edge. Very sharp setups use 10 degrees per side, for a 20-degree included angle.
Why does my razor-polished knife skate on tomatoes?: Because beyond about 3000 grit the edge can be technically sharper yet harder to initiate cuts on skinned soft produce. The polish removes the micro-tooth that bites into the skin.
Does honing mean sharpening?: The word honing is ambiguous. It may refer either to fine sharpening on a stone or to straightening the edge with a honing steel.
How do I know the edge has nicks?: Test the blade carefully on a soft surface: nicks in an edge can be felt as obstacles along the stroke.