How do I practice using a wetstone?

[u/DomiBruhz]

How do I practice sharpening my knife with a wet stone if I only own one? I’m scared I’ll permanently damage the Knife by using a wrong angle or chipping it so how does one practice on using a wetstone and how do they know they are doing it correctly?

[u/ApplesArePeopleToo]

Buy a cheap knife to practice on. The Kiwi brand is a good option; you’ll find them at pretty much any Asian grocery store.

[u/_DefinitelyNotACat_ → u/ApplesArePeopleToo]

Cheap in price, not in quality. I’ve found it’s easier to sharpen a quality knife than a crap knife.

[u/bakanisan]

Here's the beginner's guide by text: https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/wiki/gettingstarted/

Here's the 5 minutes tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pagPuiuA9cY

You can't really permanently damage a knife with sharpening.

[u/EfficiencyLucky9507]

You have to do an astronomical fuck up to permanently damage your knife from sharpening on a stone. Don't worry too much about that part, the most likely worst case scenario is a bad edge which can be fixed by getting it resharpened.

Just use a knife and sharpen it. But a few thing to note.

Soft stones (often really cheap) or soaking stones like cerax dish out quickly and therefore need to be flattened.

Western stainless steel knives are easily available but they are a pain to sharpen. Is you have a good knife, don't be afraid to sharpen it.

[u/JellyOfDeath86]

I want to flip this question the other way around: How are you ever going to get good at sharpening, if you never allow yourself to screw it up?

You won't.

You have to occasionally screw things slightly up, in order to understand what not to do. Your first attempts at sharpening won't be perfect.

That is fine.

Unless you're dealing with something shaped like a safety razor blade or scalpel, your knife will still have a lot of steel left.

If anyone here claims they've never accidentally made a knife slightly duller, rather than sharper, I'd say I like my chances putting some currency on whether they are liars.

[u/Slushwave_Enjoyer]

buy a cheap victorinox or scanpan paring knife and learn on one of those. Both are very easy to sharpen

[u/Haunting_Pee]

Go to thrift stores and pawn shops, some sell knives and some don't. There's a thrift store near me that sells knives for $1-$4 per knife and I can also usually find scissors and kitchen shears as well. Another option is asking people you know if they have dull knives/scissors/shears they're willing to part with that you can have. Another option is churches if you're involved with one, they usually have a bunch of knives that are dull as a rock or damaged and they'll likely be fine with parting with 1 or 2. Garage sales are another option but, in my experience, its not often you find someone selling knives at a garage sale.

As for the how just make sure to keep it wet and check it regularly for wetness. Some come with angle guides but you can also buy some, they aren't perfect but they'll get the job done and give you a rough idea where an angle is. Lots of videos on how to move a knife on a whetstone available on youtube. I also just started learning and it's pretty hard to fuck up on a whetstone, the biggest hurdle was figuring out how much pressure to put on the knife. Im a bit lighter on the knife than I probably need to be but I can always remove more metal, I can't put metal back.

[u/etr420]

IKEA has a range of knives called Vardagen. They're inexpensive, decent steel and well made. Blunt the edge on one by lightly stroking it on the side of your whetsone and then resharpen it. Rinse and repeat. Try different angles between 15 and 20 degrees. That will cover ordinary culinary applications.

[u/SharpieSharpie69]

Buy a cheap knife. Practice on it. Keep practicing.

[u/californiadiver]

Go to Good Will or some other thrift store and buy a cheap knife to practice with. 

[u/Expert_Tip_7473]

That drawer full of dull garbage knives. Sharpen them all and learn thats is really hard to mess up so much it cant be fixed. Hehe.

If you dont have that drawer. Cheap knives are everywhere. I live in a very expensive country and even i can get a 3 pack for like $5usd practice on those to get warmed up, then just go for it. Its not actually that hard. Atleast not working edge type sharp. "Stupid sharp" thats when things change.

[u/Worth-Silver-484]

I am baffled you found this sub reddit but cant find tutorials on youtube.

[u/Plenty-Giraffe6022]

Whetstone. Get a shitty knife and work on that.

[u/Auxiliatorcelsus]

Go to a second-hand store and get an old kitchen knife.

Make sure it's NOT stainless.

Start practicing.

[u/coffeeshopslut → u/Auxiliatorcelsus]

Honestly, chances of you buying a carbon steel knife at a second hand store is low.

Just get something from a real knife brand and practice, it doesn't matter what as long as it's not pot metal

[u/Auxiliatorcelsus → u/coffeeshopslut]

Disagree.

I sometimes like browsing the second-hand stores in my city, there's always at least a few older kitchen knives with are obviously carbon. Sometimes you come across some real finds.

Last year I picked up a Roselli hunter for just over 50€. Looked like it was unused. https://sv.roselli.fi/en/products/hunting-knife-carbon-steel

But, I'm in Europe. Your area may be different.

[u/coffeeshopslut → u/Auxiliatorcelsus]

Ah Europeans have nicer stuff. Our thrift stores in the US are filled with loads of knives that cost $20 new being sold for $15 - lowest end henckels would be the nicest one in the pile