To maintain the blade of your knife, you need to sharpen and/or hone it. The trick is knowing how often to do it, what material(s) and technique to use. So, we are going to share our know-how with you on everything (or almost) you need to know to become an expert in this art!

First, sharpening and honing are two processes that are often confused but are very distinct, used to maintain and care for a knife's edge;

Honing involves straightening the edge of a knife blade using a honing steel, without removing any metal. Over time, the edge of a knife can become distorted or even twisted, which can make it less effective. The purpose of honing is to maintain the cutting edge, and when we talk about maintenance, it has to be done regularly. Obviously, this varies according to use: for professionals almost every day, and for amateurs every two weeks to once a month.

Sharpening involves removing metal from the edge of a knife blade, to create a new sharper edge. It is usually done when a knife becomes dull and no longer cuts properly. A whetstone (also known as a water stone or sharpening stone) is a tool commonly used to sharpen knives. Sharpening is a comparatively more time-consuming process than honing, and is recommended every 3 to 6 months for amateurs, depending on use.

Honing is a simple process often neglected, but crucial to maintaining your knife and keeping it in top condition. Let's take a look at the basic principles of honing and how to do it properly.

Check out our full honing tutorial…

No honing steel at home?

KOTAI introduces you to its 25 cm Honing Steel Knife Sharpener, a perfect ally in your kitchen:

• Thanks to its multi-function guard, your hand is protected, but it also allows you to find the perfect 15° honing angle!
• The end of the honing steel has a pointed tip to stabilize the honing rod vertically on your work surface. 
• It will help you realign the edge of your knife, making cooking safer, faster and more enjoyable.

Even the best blades lose their initial sharpness over time, and that's natural! Whetstones - also known as water stones or sharpening stones - are used to sharpen the cutting edge of knives. Often used to sharpen Japanese knives, they can also be used for all types of knives! 

KOTAI’s whetstones are made from corundum and are abrasive. However, in contact with water, they soften, which prevents abrasion of the blade. The two numbers in their description refer to the grain of the stone, the first being the coarsest grain and the second the finest.

Sharpening a knife with a whetstone can be a little delicate, but with practice and patience, it can be done easily. Once mastered, your knife will be as sharp as a razor blade! Discover three main simple steps to sharpening with a whetstone...

Check out our full sharpening tutorial…

The stone you should buy depends on the condition of your blade and the edge you want to obtain. Indeed, a large variety of sharpening stones exist, ranging from 180 to 6,000 grit, to satisfy different needs - note that the higher the number, the finer the grain is!

At KOTAI, we offer two types of whetstones:

Remember that sharpening and honing are two completely different processes, which are both necessary to maintain the edge of your knife and ensure its longevity!

• Honing should be carried out regularly after several uses with a honing steel, to maintain a straight edge.
• While sharpening should be carried out less frequently to restore a dull edge using a whetstone (180/800 or 2000/6000), which cannot be corrected by honing.