Best Whetstone Reviews 2023

No matter how badly you need an item, the cost is one of the most important considerations. For most product categories, there is always an expensive version, and a less expensive or budget-friendly version. Usually, the more features a product comes with, the higher the price expected, and vice versa. So you'll need to have a budget range to work with.

This review covers products from both the expensive category, and those that are more budget-friendly with more basic features and designs. Rest assured, however, that if you pick one from our review, you’ll be getting a top-quality product from a reputable manufacturer.

The featured whetstones range in price from $29.99 to $157.16. Although you might be tempted to purchase a cheap whetstone, it's probably not your best bet. It'll just wear out or break quickly and you'll end up buying another, which is more expensive than just buying a decent quality whetstone in the first place! So make a smart purchasing decision and get yourself a reasonably priced whetstone from a reputable manufacturer.

Modern-day whetstones have come a long way from the simple stones that were used in ancient times. One very important factor to look for is the type of lubrication used by the whetstone. Other important features to look out for when choosing a decent whetstone include:

• Smooth and uniform sharpening surface
• Number of sharpening surfaces available
• Grit size of the sharpening surface or surfaces
• Material of the sharpening surface, which may be corundum, aluminum oxide, plastic, diamond or natural stone
• Total size and weight of the whetstone

A good whetstone should have an even sharpening surface, and be strong and resilient enough to withstand the friction from sharpening edges for an extended time. A whetstone with dual sharpening surfaces is preferable to one with only one surface. The reason isn’t far-fetched - it saves you some bucks and space.

You might want to look for one with a grit size that will effectively sharpen and hone your knives and other tools as you require. Grit sizes range from fine to coarse and some sizes in between. Depending on your primary need for the whetstone, the grit size of the whetstone should be one that will perform and deliver on the required job.

The material of the sharpening surface is another important factor that directly affects the performance of the whetstone. A natural stone whetstone has the advantage of being natural, but it may have some inconsistencies that are inherent in things that are natural, impeding its performance. A diamond stone whetstone is more preferable because it gives more precision and a razor-sharpness to your edge, with minimal or no wear to the stone. There are also good synthetic sharpening surface materials with different attributes. A whetstone’s material is the biggest determinant of its weight given a particular size.

Equally important is the size of the sharpening surface. You need a whetstone wide enough to comfortably accommodate and sharpen a good number of different-sized instruments, but not so big that it becomes difficult to move it around or store it.

A whetstone with an uneven surface will most likely end up deforming your knife edge. Therefore, you need to ensure the surface is even before you commence work, or you can “grade” the surface with the grading stone that comes with some whetstones. A plastic base or stand for the whetstone also makes it easier and safer to use, as it offers more stability while sharpening. It also helps in protecting the stone. There are whetstones that come with a trough to collect the lubricator as it drops, so you don’t end up with a messy workplace and additional clean-up process.

Whetstones come in different sizes for different users. If you know that you’ll use yours mainly for fairly large tools, you’ll undermine the performance and ease of use of even the best whetstone if you pick a small size more suitable for small tools. If, on the other hand, you pick a very large size when you’ll only use it for small tools, you’ll end up losing the portability that comes with a smaller whetstone.