Sharpening guide

Which angle should you use?

Most kitchen knives take the 20° face. Use 15° only for thin Japanese-style blades like a santoku or gyuto. Here is how to tell in a few seconds.

Quick check: Japanese-style blades are noticeably thinner and lighter than a Western chef's knife, and usually say Japan on the blade or the box. If yours is chunky and heavy, it takes the 20° face.

The quick rule

20°Most knives
Everyday kitchen knives

Chef's knives, paring knives, utility knives, and boning knives. Heavier, thicker blades: if you can't name the style, it's this one. A 20° edge holds up well to daily chopping.

15°
Japanese-style blades

Santoku, gyuto, nakiri, and other thin Japanese-style knives sharpened evenly on both sides. They come from the factory with a finer edge, and the 15° face keeps that thin edge instead of blunting it back to 20°.

Not sure which you have? Use the 20° face. If a knife came in a standard knife block or a regular kitchen store, that is its face. Almost every knife in a typical Western kitchen takes it.

Once you've picked a face

The knife held on the magnetic angle block while the sharpener rolls along its edge

Stand the knife against the face you chose, sharp edge up. The magnet pulls the blade flat against the molded face and holds the angle for you through every pass. From there, just roll.

Stick with one face per knife. Each session builds on the last edge instead of starting over, so the knife comes back sharp in fewer passes.

If you do switch a knife to the other face, the first session takes a few extra passes while the edge reshapes. After that it's back to normal.

Three kinds of knives to keep off the sharpener

It's made for regular straight-edged steel knives, the kind you would sharpen on a stone. Skip these three:

  • Serrated blades. The disc rides over the teeth instead of reaching into them.
  • Ceramic blades. They are not magnetic, so the base cannot hold the angle.
  • Single-bevel Japanese knives (yanagiba, deba). These are sharpened on one side only, so the back of the blade is flat. Sharpen these by hand.
The Willow & Stone Rolling Knife Sharpener

Still not sure about a knife? Email us at support@willowandstonewares.com, tell us what it is and we'll tell you which face.

See the sharpener