Before use, the whetstone should be completely soaked in water for about 10 minutes. Please make sure that a light film of water is always visible on the surface of the stone during grinding. By doing this you ensure the knife edge is sufficiently cooled.
I. Blades ground on both sides
a. Place the whetstone lengthwise in front of you on the work surface. Place the knife in front of you with the edge facing you at an angle of 45° to the grindstone and lift it off at a grinding angle of 15° to the grindstone.
b. Start grinding at the tip of the blade. Apply a little pressure so that there is no gap between the whetstone and the blade.
c. Push the knife away from you over the grindstone with light pressure and then pull it back towards you over the grindstone without pressure. Continue in this way, moving your fingertips towards the handle as you pull the knife towards you, thus moving the knife towards the handle, until you have sharpened the entire edge. Repeat this sharpening process depending on the condition of the knife. Experience shows that at least five passes are necessary for this.
d. Turn the knife over and repeat the sharpening process with the same number of repetitions.
e. Rinse the knife and the whetstone thoroughly with clean water.
II. Blades ground on one side
a. Place the whetstone lengthwise in front of you on the work surface. Hold the knife in front of you with the edge facing you at an angle of 45° to the grindstone and place it with the sharpened side in the lower part of the grindstone.
b. Start sharpening at the tip of the blade. Apply a little pressure to the edge with your fingertips so that there is no gap between the whetstone and the blade. The grinding angle results from the original grind and should not be changed if possible.
c. Push the knife away from you over the grindstone with light pressure and then pull it back towards you over the grindstone without pressure. Continue in this way, moving your fingertips towards the handle as you pull the knife towards you, thus moving the knife towards the handle, until you have sharpened the entire edge. Repeat this sharpening process depending on the condition of the knife until a small burr* can be felt. Experience shows that at least five passes are necessary for this.
* Definition: A burr is an extremely fine layer of metal that is formed during the grinding process on the side facing away from the whetstone.
d. Turn the knife over and place the hollow-ground side of the blade flat on the whetstone. Push the knife over the whetstone with a little pressure until the burr* can no longer be felt. Alternatively, you can also remove the burr with a nylon brush or newspaper.
e. Rinse the knife and the whetstone thoroughly with clean water.
