There are many different types of whetstones to choose from including Arkansas whetstones, fine grit whetstones, course grit whetstones, extra fine grit whetstones, extra course grit whetstones, diamond whetstones, benchstones, pocket stones, and ceramic whetstones. Pick your favorite or try out several to see which style works best for you.

Whetstones at eBladeStore.com make great gifts. From avid outdoorsmen, to cooks and crafters, everyone needs to keep sharpened knives for all their cutting needs.

Oil Stones, Water Stones & Diamond Stones

Pros & Cons

Select The Right Bevel Angle For A Knife or Tool

Here’s a quick guide for putting the best bevel angle on your knife or other bladed tools. Sharpness and durability are the two factors when deciding on a sharpening bevel angle. Generally speaking, the lower the angle, the sharpener the edge. But, it will also become less durable – hence, be more prone to chipping. If you’re not sure, a 20-25 degree angle is a safe starting point for most knives.

There are many different electric sharpeners to choose from including Chef’s Choice electric sharpeners, Tru-Hone, Smith’s Sharpeners, and Firestone. All electric knife sharpeners come with easy to follow instructions for use. Keeping your knives sharp makes cutting jobs quicker, easier, and much safer.

Electric Knife Sharpeners at eBladeStore.com are the perfect choice for chef’s knife sharpeners, commercial knife sharpeners, professional knife sharpeners, diamond knife sharpeners, and smaller, more compact versions for home sharpening needs. They make perfect gifts for everyone that ever uses a knife.

Manual knife sharpeners include sharpening steels, diamond sharpening steels, ceramic knife sharpeners, v sharpeners, diamond hone sharpeners, serrated knife sharpeners, pocket sharpeners, knife sharpener aligners, two stage knife sharpeners, three stage manual knife sharpeners, knife sharpening kits, knife sharpening systems, and sharpening files. Most are designed to require no oils or water.

Choose different types of manual knife sharpeners for people on your gift list! Pocket sharpeners are great for anyone that works with utility cutting and fit easily into a compact tool box or shirt pocket. Diamond hone sharpeners create quality edges every time and knife sharpening kits are the perfect knife maintenance item to have in any garage, kitchen, or tooling area.

Knife sharpeners keep your knives sharp for safety and top performance! Choosing a knife sharpener is easy at eBladeStore.com. We carry the most popular styles and brand names available like Chefs Choice sharpeners, Lansky, DMT, EZ Lap, Tru-Hone and more. Whether you are choosing a new knife sharpeners for your kitchen, utility room, work, or for your hobby knives, there is something for every type of material and blade style.

Ceramic Knife Sharpeners

Ceramic material has the hardness of glass which is much harder than steel. But unlike glass, ceramic is abrasive. And it is this combination of abrasive hardness that makes ceramic such a good knife sharpener. To use it, draw the knife across the tube away from the handle. Keep the knife at about a 20 to 30-degree angle. Two or three minutes on each side and your knife should be sharp enough to shave with. As with other ceramic sharpeners, it will become darkened with the steel it removes. But it cleans up easily with cleanser and water.

Diamond Knife Sharpeners

A knife sharpener made with industrial diamonds is a great choice for knives and tools that need a sharp edge. Diamonds have a relative hardness of 10. Diamond knife sharpeners come in different styles of grit, we would suggest a variety for your different sharpening needs. You can choose from:

• Extra Coarse – This coarse is perfect for outdoor tools, or dull knives that need aggressive removal of metal. It works great on axes, machetes, even lawn mower blades!
• Coarse – If you desire a cutting fast action without worrying about edge refinement, then this is the most often used grit for utility tools and kitchen knives.
• Fine – A fine grit restores a fine edge to any knife or tool that is slightly dull. It’s also a great finishing grit to use to create that smooth edge refinement.

Diamond sharpeners are a perfect choice to sharpen a ceramic knife, but you must remove all scratches caused by the diamonds. Scratches act as stress risers and can cause the brittle ceramic blade to fracture. Use the finest grit possible to create a smooth finish.

Knife sharpeners are a must have item for any knife owner, whether it’s kitchen knives or hobby, outdoor knives. Buy yourself a great knife sharpener, and give your loved one the gift of one today. You will no longer have to endure the frustration and danger of working with a dull knife.

Knife Sharpening Steels

Butcher steels are the long steel rods used by chef’s to maintain an edge on kitchen knives. Butcher’s steels are also available with ceramic or diamond-coated rods. The steel will not grind a bevel so you’ll need some other tool to do that. Most chefs use bench stones for grinding. Steels will allow you to keep the knife sharp between grindings. We recommend you use one in your kitchen and give your blades a couple of swipes on each side every time you use them.

AccuSharp Knife Sharpeners

Accusharp Sharpeners are made for ease of use for anyone that enjoys quality and convenience. They are perfect as hunting knife sharpeners, pocket knife sharpeners, even axes, machetes and most garden tools. Even makes sharpening serrated blades a snap! There are a variety of AccuSharp sharpeners for every use. They are made of diamond honed tungsten carbide and last for years of good use. These are great gifts for military, police, fire, and search and rescue workers to carry with them as having a sharp knife could mean the difference between life and death.

Lansky Knife Sharpeners

Lansky knife sharpener systems were created to give knife owners a convenient carry kit. They all contain a coarse, medium , and fine hone, a multi-angle knife clamp, honing oil, and guide rods. It also comes with easy to read instructions, you can be sharpening like a pro in no time!

Knife polish and knife lubricants are imperative supplies for knife care and maintenance.  Whether you have a growing knife collection, a high quality kitchen knives set, or just a favorite utility knife, taking a little extra time to clean, polish and oil your knife will help prevent rust and assure your knives will stay in the best working and display condition for many years of good use.

Knife Polish For a Variety of Applications

At eBladeStore.com you’ll find premium metal, sword, and knife polishes, knife lubricants, and cleaners containing the highest quality ingredients with corrosion inhibitors and oils for a variety of applications.  Our synthetic lubricants contain corrosion inhibitors, lubricity additives and mist suppressants.  All oil lubricants are performance proven and can be used on both ferrous and nonferrous metals.

How To Polish Your Knives

Keep your knives in tip top condition by keeping the blades dry.  Wipe fingerprints, residue and moisture off after each use with a soft all cotton cloth or chamois. This is particularly important with blades made of high carbon steel after each use.  The best clothes to use for this is:

• Tuf-Cloth. The Tuf-Cloth offers revolutionary protection against rust, friction and wear for knives, firearms and all kinds of sports gear. The Tuf-Cloth provides long lasting, lint free cleaning, lubrication and protection.
• Miracle Cloth. The Miracle Cloth is an all purpose polishing cloth that replaces a full shelf of liquid, paste and powder cleaners. Ideal for home, shop or office. Over 1001 uses.

Tarnishing or oxidation is a normal property of carbon steel and cannot be avoided. This normal oxidation or tarnish actually helps protect the knife from rust and will have blue gray tones, rather than rust red tones.  Applying a couple drops of any quality knife lubricant or silicon treatment to the blade with a soft all cotton cloth after each use will provide excellent protection.

Knife Lubricants Suggested by Knife Professionals

The following lubricants are suggested for use as the top lubricants for your personal knife care:

• Hi-Slip Grease Synthetic. This synthetic is specifically designed to perform from -65° to the hottest desert temperatures. Lubricates and protects all types of metals including titanium, even under high load. Net 12 cc. Syringe applicator.
• T12 Oil. T12 oil is a quality lubricant and rust preventative oil. It reduces friction, wear, corrosion and debris attachment. 2 oz. aerosol bottle. Made in U.S.A.
• Smooth Kote Dry Lubricant. This is a dry lubricant and bore treatment. A revolutionary, fast-drying blend of solid lubricants. Provides a smooth, durable non-stick surface, replacing oils and silicones. 1/2 oz. bottle with precision applicator tip.

Knife Care Tips

More industrious cleaning should be done at least several times a year, or more often for high use knives.  Here are some tips:

• Clean stainless steel blades in dishwashing liquid and warm water, not hot! Rinse well and allow to thoroughly air dry.
• Clean carbon steel blades in warm water and baking soda, rinse well and dry thoroughly immediately.
• Apply knife lubricant to folding blades at the hinges of the blade.
• Apply knife polish with and buff to the blades original shine.

Check your knives often for possible trouble spots. If you see tarnish or oxidation develop with reddish tones, this is the start of rust and should be cleaned as quickly as possible. If any stains appear, try removing the stain or tarnish with a standard metal cleaner, such as Metal Glo, or a good knife polish. Blades of most stainless steels used in knives are not rustproof but are rust or stain resistance. So therefore stainless steel blades should still be kept clean and wiped dry after use.

When not in use, store knives and leather sheaths separately because leather does absorb moisture and can rust your blade. Tanning salts and acids present in the leather can rust or tarnish steel. Keep leather sheaths limber with leather preservative or mink oil.

Knife Polishes Suggested by Knife Professional

Super Premium Polishing Paste

A direct replacement for Metal Glo and Simichrome polishing pastes. The Super Premium Knife Polishing Paste is a premium quality polishing paste which removes oxidation, tarnish, surface rust, water spots, tars and oils-leaving a brilliant protective coating that lasts for months. Use to clean, protect and polish knives, jewelry, guns, cookware, silverware and more. This Super Premium Knife Polishing Paste is packaged in a 1.75 ounce tube. Made in the USA.

Polishing Paste 12 Pack

A premium polishing paste, perfect for cleaning and polishing any metal surface. Can be used to polish stainless and carbon steel, brass, gold, silver, chrome, copper and many other hard surfaces. Each tube contains 1.75 oz. (Not recommended for anodized, gun blued, or other thin plated surfaces, such as blade etches. Comes with Merchandiser Stand.

Metal Glo – Single Tube

Metal Glo Premium Polishing Paste (1 tube is 1.75 oz.) is perfect for cleaning and polishing any metal surface! Can be used on stainless and carbon steel, brass, gold, silver, chrome, copper, and many other hard surfaces.Made in USA.

Knife Polishes and Lubricants Care Kits

For convenience, eBladeStore.com offers some outstanding knife care kits that contain everything you need to clean and polish your knife, sword, or tools in one easy kit.  The Case Knife Care Kit offers everything you need in a convenient carrying kit and The sword cleaning kit is specifically for swords and a great gift for sword collector.

Polishes and Lubricants should be in every household and sports kit that carries knives, stock up today at eBladeStore.com!

USE: Custom knives are designed for sportsmen and collectors. The edge is designed for cutting, not hacking wood or prying bone. Throwing a knife, that was not designed for this purpose, may also cause damage. Speciality knives can be designed for this purpose.

STEEL: All carbine and tool steel blades, and most damascus, will stain when cutting meat or other organic materials. This staining is due to the acid content and will not cause damagae to your blade. Stains can be removed by polishing. If any rust appears, remove with a fine abrasive paper, or fine steel wool. With each use of your knife, wash clean and dry completely and lubricate.

STAINLESS STEELS: Most stainless steels don’t need much care. Just wash and keep dry.

HANDLE: Natural woods benefit from an occasional rubbing with danish oil. Wipe off excess.

SHEATH: Clean with leather soap. Do not use any oils on the leather, as this will soften the molded shape of the sheath.

STORAGE: If you will not be using your knife for a period of time, remove it from the sheath. Leather contains acid that could stain your blade or excellerate rusting. Store in a display case or wrapped in a soft cloth.

SHARPENING: All knives require sharpening after prolonged use. It is recommended that your blade be kept well honed at all times, a sharp knife is safer to use than a dull one.

Check your knives often for possible trouble spots. If you see tarnish or oxidation develop with reddish tones, this is the start of rust and should be cleaned as quickly as possible. If any stains appear, try removing the stain or tarnish with a standard metal cleaner or polish. Blades of most stainless steels used in knives are not rustproof but are rust or stain resistance. So therefore stainless steel blades should still be kept clean and wiped dry after use, especially many of the new high carbon stainless steels like ATS-34, and CMP-T440V.

Folding knives require special care.

* When not in use, store knives and leather sheaths separately because leather does absorb moisture and can rust your blade. Tanning salts and acids present in the leather can rust or tarnish steel. Keep leather sheaths limber with leather preservative or mink oil. What is green verdigris?

* Folding knives require special care. Keep the locking device on folding models clean and free from debris. An occasional drop of light oil at each joint will assure smooth blade action in opening and closing. Each blade should click open smoothly and snap shut. This opening and closing is what the old timers called “Walks and Talks” well.

* Keep knives sharp. A sharp knife is safer to use. A sharp knife requires minimal effort to cut and therefore has less a chance of slipping. The secret of proper sharpening is to do it regularly. Use a sharpening steel, or other mechanism frequently. If you have difficulty maintaining an edge on knives, have them professionally sharpened.

* Never sharpen blades on a power-driven grinding wheel, which can burn the temper from the blade. This is the type of high-speed grinder found in many home shops.

Moisture and fingerprints are the
prime villains to avoid.

* Remember that knives are cutting tools and blades are very sharp. Therefore, please exercise caution when handling your knife. And, never use your knife as chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or hammer. If your knife is a good one then a chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or hammer will cost less than a knife replacement anyway. Do not pound on the back (spine) of the blade. Keep sharp knives well away from the reach of young children.

* Always cut with the edge moving away from you. Knives can have sharp razor edges so handle all knives with care and respect. Do not use for throwing unless specifically produced for that purpose.

* If you carry a pocket knife in your pocket with coins or keys you will scratch the handle and bolsters. The same is true if you put all your knives in a cardboard box stacked one atop the other, they will all get scratched, which reduces their value.

The storage room for your knife collection
should be low in humidity and cool.

* Knife Collection Care: Remember to take excellent care of your collection, as you are the curator during your lifetime for future generations to enjoy. Moisture and fingerprints are the prime villains to avoid. Check your collection periodically and keep your knives in a dry location. A good rule to follow is to make sure the room that you store your knives in is comfortable for you to stay in, then it is more likely to be a good storage place for your knives. The storage room for your knife collection should be low in humidity and cool. Avoid areas with a high relative humidity or a great shift in temperatures. (Relative humidity can be high in attics and basements, especially if they are unheated or uninsinuated. Moisture from condensation can come into contact with your knives if they are stored in such areas.) If you live where it is humid use silica gel or other desiccants (a drying agent) to help keep your knives dry by placing them in a strong plastic bag that has no holes and can be closed tight. Use desiccants for short-term storage only. Make an asserted effort to wipe your knives at least once a month. Your collection can lose value very quickly if you allow your knives to deteriorate from lack of care and maintenance.

*

To clean or not to clean your vintage knives:
First, a word of caution: If you think your knife has significant value, consult a professional. Many valuable objects (knives included) are damaged each year by people using the wrong preservation or cleaning techniques. If you are going to clean your own knives, practice on common knives until you get the hang of things.

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Kitchen Knife Upkeep: Good kitchen knives can be a major investment, but if properly cared for they can last a lifetime. Cleaning knives after each use will keep them in the best condition and promote food safety. Mild soapy water cleans without damaging and washing by hand only takes a minute and really takes care of your knives. Never use a dishwasher for cleaning your good knives (kitchen or other wise). Doing so could possibly remove the temper from the edge and render the blade soft so it will not hold an edge. When cleaning your knives make sure that the blades don’t touch or bump other objects. The water jets in the dishwasher can knock your knives into other hard objects. Remember that the precision ground cutting edge may be damaged if it strikes other cutlery, pots or pans.

Always use an appropriate cutting board

* Always use an appropriate cutting board in the kitchen to get the most out of the sharpness of your knives. Use an cutting board material easy to clean and that is soft. We recommend natural wood or synthetic chopping boards like soft polyethylene. Never use glass, ceramic, metal, marble or any other hard surface as a cutting board as this can have an damaging effect on your knives. When chopping foods that have a tough or waxy exterior (such as bell peppers), chop with the waxy side down, as the more tender inside flesh is easier on knife blades.

* Knives require a safe dry storage place, and a knife block is perfect for storing knives. Knife blocks will prevent injury and protect the blade from being damaged.

* Cross-contamination is a major food-safety concern. Bacteria transferred from knives and work surfaces, such as cutting boards, to other foods can lead to food poisoning. Mild soapy water cleans and sanitizes if you wash your hands, the cutting board and the knife. We advocate thorough and consistent cleaning for knife upkeep and food-safety!

* Keep your wood cutting board clean and oil as needed. Do not use vegetable oil as it will go rancid. Use mineral oil or oil sold to be safe to protect and seal your wood cutting board.

Article by Copyright ©Byron Rogers, visit http://KnifeWebGuide.com for more original content like this