Sharpening Fine Knives

A knife cuts because two finely ground faces meet in an edge. In use, this edge becomes dull or bends, and sharpening means restoring it. Waterstones are a particularly gentle way of doing so: the stone is used with water, removes material evenly and hardly heats the steel. They have their origins in Japanese craftsmanship, where knives and tools are traditionally sharpened on waterstones. A sharp knife works more precisely, needs less force and is therefore also safer than a dull one. How long an edge lasts and how it can be sharpened depends greatly on the type of steel, which is also part of this workshop.