Does Knives and Stones offer a knife sharpening service?

Yes. Alongside the whetstones and care products we stock, Knives and Stones sharpens Japanese knives by hand on whetstones, so you can either learn to sharpen your own edge with our tutorials or send a blade in for restoration.

Japanese Knife Sharpening & Care

Q: How do I keep a Japanese kitchen knife sharp?

Sharpen on a whetstone rather than a pull-through sharpener or a honing rod, both of which are too coarse for thin Japanese edges. A 1000-grit stone such as the Naniwa Chosera 1000 maintains most knives; add a 3000-grit or higher finishing stone for a keener edge, and wipe carbon-steel blades with a little food-safe mineral oil between uses to prevent rust.

Q: How do I keep a Japanese kitchen knife sharp?

Sharpen on a whetstone, hone gently between sharpenings, keep the stone flat with an Atoma plate, and dry/oil the blade to prevent rust.

Everything you need to keep a Japanese kitchen knife sharp: how to sharpen on a whetstone, which grit to buy, rust and patina care, and how to fix a chipped or dull edge.

Start here

What do you want to do?

Four short guides, written and filmed by us.

Technique

Sharpen on a whetstone

Freehand sharpening step by step — setting the angle, raising a burr, and finishing the edge.

Stones & grit

Which whetstone & grit to buy

Which stone to start with and what each grit is actually for.

Care

Rust, patina & care

Keep a blade from rusting, live with a patina, and lift stains safely.

Repair

Fixing a chipped or dull edge

Why an edge chips or goes dull, and how to grind it back on a stone.

Watch

From the Knives and Stones workshop

Our own sharpening and care tutorials — tap to play.

Shibata Bitey Finisher Sharpening Stone Compared Under the Microscope

Which 1000 Shapton to buy? The Professional (Kuromaku) vs Glass vs Rockstar

Naniwa Chosera 1000 vs Shapton Kuromaku 1000, the result will surprise you.

Knife Rust Prevention the Cheap Way, Tsubaki (Camellia) Oil Alternatives

Restoring a badly sharpened Japanese knife: the cause and the fix. You probably seen one before

Fixing a Japanese Knife Chip, Cheap as Chips

Japanese Kitchen Knife Sharpening Tutorial - Part 1 Free Hand Sharpening

Knife Sharpening Tutorial: a sharp knife does not mean it can cut, knife thinning explained

Sharpening Mistake: Counting How Many Strokes

Sharpening Stone for Less than $5 and Actually Works?

The Naniwa Chosera 800 and 1000 Sharpening Stones Compared

DIY Board Wax (Butter) with Beeswax, Mineral Oil and Coconut Oil

HOW TO USE: Koyo Sunlite Polishing Paste (Blue for Steel)

Questions about this

How do I keep a Japanese kitchen knife sharp?

Keeping a Japanese knife sharp comes down to four habits: sharpen on a whetstone when the edge slows down, realign the edge gently between sessions, keep your stone dead flat, and dry the blade the moment you finish so it never sits wet.

Most home cooks only need a medium grit to start. At Knives and Stones the safest beginner anchor is the in-stock Naniwa Chosera 1000, ideally as part of a 400/1000/3000 ladder, plus an Atoma diamond plate to keep the stone flat. A flat stone is the difference between a knife that gets sharp and one that does not.

Care and sharpening are one system: a freshly sharpened edge still rusts if you leave the blade wet, and a neglected stone gives you a rounded, uneven edge. The four spoke pages below take each step in turn.

✓ Verified by Knives and Stones · James Zhang · Reviewed 3 Jun 2026

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