Best Custom Knives and Factory Knives

How To Use A Whetstone

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June 7, 2022

Knowing How To Use A Whetstone, Or Sharpening Stone, Can Restore A Dull Blade And Should Be Part Of Regular Upkeep For Your Knives.

There are many inexpensive ways to sharpen your knives at home, but nothing feels the same as sharpening your knives on a whetstone. Used for centuries around the world to keep an edge on everything from swords to kitchen knives, the whetstone is an intimate, precise way to maintain your knife’s edge and bring it back to life.

The “whet” in whetstone has nothing to do with being wet or any type of moisture. It comes from the Old English term “hwettan” which means “to whet or sharpen.” Coincidentally, most whetstones do need some type of moisture for top performance. In all cases, this means water or oil. However, a majority of stones you’ll find in stores or online–particularly for kitchen use–will be waterstones.

Oil Stone Vs Waterstone

Honestly, in some cases, there is no difference.

The preference of lubrication–water or oil–is left up to the user. Both will do the same job, swarfing the surface of the stone so it does a better job sharpening.

However, there are other cases where one or the other must be used with a particular stone. Natural sharpening stones, for instance, mostly use water. Rub them down with oil and you’ll render them useless.

Manufacturers will spell out whether your particular whetstone is water, oil or both.

The main difference between whetstones that use oil and whetstones that use water is that waterstones are softer so the old abrasive material breaks off faster than an oil stone. This means you’re sharpening on fresh stone material more consistently.

Waterstones are also less messy and easier to clean vs oil stones, which adds another point in the bucket for waterstones. Waterstones also come in more grit varieties than oil stones.

Oil stones, especially those made of novaculite, are a traditional sharpening stone, and many are quarried in America, specifically in Arkansas.

Differences In Grits

You’ll see stones of all types come in a variety of grits. The lower the number, the more coarse the grit. The more coarse the grit, the more material gets removed with each pass of the knife.

For at-home sharpening, grits in the range of 1,000-8,000 should be more than enough. However there are stones that come as coarse as 120 and as fine as 30,000. Consider these specialists and stick to the common grits for most jobs.

Whetstone Accessories

While there are many gizmos and accessories out there to help with your whetstone sharpening, there are two that stand above the rest. You can see them in the photo at the top of this article.

The first is the stand for your whetstone. This should come with the stone when you purchase it. You do not want to lay your stone directly onto your table or countertop. It can slide, and mixing sliding things with sharp knives is a recipe for losing a finger.

The second is that little thing to the right of the stone. It looks like a chip clip, but it’s actually an angle guide. Some will clip onto the top edge of your knife while others might need to be strapped to the stone itself. Either way, the angle guide will help set your sharpening angle and allow you to maximize each pass of the blade across the stone.

I’ve used a 1000/6000 waterstone for years to keep my kitchen knives sharp. You can find plenty of quality 1000/6000 whetstones online for under $40. But having the stone doesn’t account for much if you don’t know how to use it. I pulled out my sharpening set up to help give you a step-by-step breakdown of how to sharpen your knives with a whetstone.

Step 1: Get Your Equipment

Ready to start sharpening? Hold up a minute. You’ll need more than a whetstone and your knife.

In addition to the obvious tools for the task, I start with a whetstone stand, a container of water and a spoon (you heard right).

There are special notes on a couple of these items.

The water container is to prep the whetstone and should have some specific attributes. I want a deep container so the stone can sit in it and fully soak. These babies are thirsty, so you can’t just dab water on one and expect it to work.

Here I’m using a baking dish, but a plastic tub or kitchen sink work equally as well.

The spoon … no, you’re not taste testing your knife’s edge. It’s there to literally spoonfeed the stone more water during sharpening to clear off the shavings.

Step 2: Soak The Whetstone

Here’s the speedbump of the process.

As mentioned, whetstones require a good soaking before use. This isn’t a splash-and-go process.

Plan to let your stone sit fully submerged for a good 10 to 20 minutes before it’s primed for use. There’s a simple way to tell it’s good to go.

Plunge that baby into water and you’ll see it bubble like an aquarium aerator. Quite literally, this is the stone drinking up water in its microscopic pores and displacing air in the process.

As time goes on, fewer and fewer bubbles pop out of the whetstone (see the above picture). When it’s none or next to none, you’re good to go.

Step 3: Secure The Stone

OK, this sounds obvious. But it must be said–you must secure your wetstone before sharpening.

Not only does this stave off a tongue lashing from your significant other, ensuring you don’t scratch up the counter or dinner table. It also keeps your digits from getting cut up.

In most cases, you’ll have a holder that, well.. holds the stone. If you don’t, never fear, a towel or rag makes a dandy impromptu stone holder.

Whatever the case may be, make certain your stone isn’t going anywhere before you actually begin sharpening.

Step 4: Determining The Sharpening Angle

Rubber, you’re almost ready to meet the road!

Before you actually start scraping away precious material to create a fresh sharp edge, you need to determine exactly what angle to sharpen at.

Some knives require a somewhat uncommon angle to sharpen. This is spelled out in the owner’s instructions if this is the case. Lose those, check the company’s website, these vital specs are usually there.

However, in most cases–a vast majority–20 to 25 degrees is the best angle to achieve a good cutting edge. And you don’t even need a protractor to determine this pitch.

Think of it this way, the edge pointing straight down at the stone is at 90 degrees. Tilt the blade halfway down, now the blade is at roughly 45 degrees. Tilt the knife halfway again and, there you are about 22.5 degrees–a sweet spot for a good edge.

Or you can go the easy route and use an angle guide, mentioned earlier in the article.

Step 5: Course Sharpening

Start with the lower grit, which in this case is 1,000. It takes off more material and gets the edge almost all of the way back to razor sharpness.

Usually, I do 10 passes on each side of the blade, but I fully sharpened my knives a few weeks ago and just did two here as a demonstration.

Keep the blade angled between 20-25 degrees to get the best possible results.

Step 4: Turn The Stone Over & Sharpen With The Finer Grit

I finish with the fine grit, 6,000 on my whetstone.

You’ll notice each time I pass there’s some new metal shavings on the stone. That’s the swarf. It’s fine for your knives if you leave the swarf on the stone as you sharpen, but you can also wash it away with some extra water.

Again, like the coarse grit, I usually do 10 passes on each side of the knife.

Step 5: Wash Off Your Knives & Clean Up

Once you’re done sharpening you should rinse your blades and wipe them dry with a towel. Once your knives are accounted for, give your water container a thorough cleaning. I used a baking dish, and it’s important to fully clean it so you aren’t ingesting microscopic metal shavings.

For the stone itself, I double check that it’s secure in its holder and leave it out overnight to let the water evaporate out of it. Once it’s completely dry I put it back in its spot in the drawer.

And there you have it, a simple, straightforward guide showing you how to sharpen your knives using a whetstone.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Mike Ableson.

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Fish Knives Combine Form & Function

Joe Kertzman

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April 19, 2013

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Here’s plenty of proof that a fillet knife can be put to extreme use, and still be a work of art.

The following is written by Tom Carpenter, and reprinted from the June 2013 issue of BLADE® Magazine.

Filleting fish under wet, sometimes salty conditions isn’t the kind of work or environment you want for your best knives. So you might suffer through with a mass-produced imitation of the real thing. But there’s no need to use an inferior tool. Consider the fish and fillet knives of Phil Wilson, Todd Kopp, Kevin D. Cross and John Cammenga of White River Knife & Tool. First, let’s get right down to the fish knife fundamentals.

Knifemaker Phil Wilson’s “Shelter Cove” fillet knife (left) sports a 7-inch N690 blade, a fiddleback-maple handle and red spacers. He says a fillet knife should have some flexibility and be ground thin.

The basic features that make for a functional and efficient fillet knife are: a comfortable, secure grip that won’t slip and slide in your hand while doing wet, slimy chores; a sharp blade that is relatively thin and flexible for precision work, and holds an edge; and materials that can stand up to abuse like moisture, blood, and frequent washing and drying.

Wilson, Kopp, Cammenga and Cross craft fish and fillet knives that fit all these criteria and more. Here’s where they put their focus.

Working under the business name Seamount Knife Works, Wilson has been making fillet knives for almost 30 years. “A simple design is best,” he says, “clean and smooth without a lot of holes and crooks and crannies to get packed up with gunk. A good finger guard and a butt end on the handle prevent slippage under wet and slimy conditions.”

As far as the stainless-damascus blade Kevin D. Cross used for his bird and trout knife (left), the maker says there is a segment of sportsmen who appreciate a beautiful and functional knife. The piece also includes a desert-ironwood handle and bronze bolster. His list price: $400. (Hoffman photo)

As for blade material, “stainless steel is mandatory,” stresses Wilson. “I have used 440C, 154CM, AEBL, CPM-S90V, 12C27, CPM-S60V, CPM-S30V and CPM-154. Yes CPM-S90V—it still makes an awesome fillet knife, but now I feel it is overkill for the application. Given proper heat treatment, they all make a good fillet knife. These days I am using CPM-154, CPM-S30V and N690 mostly. These steels are in pretty much the same category for edge holding and ductility. A [reading] of 60 HRC seems to be the best target hardness for all of them.”

Blade characteristics are important, too. “A fillet knife should have some flexibility and be ground pretty thin,” says Wilson. “I like a springy feel in the first half of the blade from the tip back. Flex is a function of the blade geometry rather than hardness or steel grade.

Mike Mooney’s “Coho” model (left) won Best Fillet Knife at the 2011 Professional Knifemakers Association Show. It sports a 6-inch CPM-S30V blade, a dyed and stabilized redwood burl handle, and a 416 stainless steel bolster. (Buddy Thomason photo)

“Blade lengths from 6 to about 9 inches will handle most fillet work,” he adds, “and also double as boning, slicing and carving knives in the kitchen. Edge holding on a fillet knife is not quite as important as on a hunting/utility knife. A fillet knife can clean a box of fish and then get touched up at home or on the boat later. So a little lower hardness can be traded off for some added ductility on a thin, flexible blade.”

Non-Slip Grips

Handle material is critical. “I’m using mostly canvas Micarta® handles,” states Wilson. “An option is G-10. Both are naturally non-slip and do not soak up moisture.”

Kopp earned “Best Fillet Knife” honors at the 2010 Professional Knifemakers Association Show with his damascus fillet knife. He strayed from traditional stainless steel for his award-winning knife, opting instead for a damascus of 1084 and 15N20 carbon steels.

John Cammenga of White River Knife & Tool offers wood-handle fillet knives like this model (left) with a SM-100 blade and tiger-maple handle. Cammenga explains, “At the BLADE Show and SHOT Show, we introduced the world’s first fillet knife made with a blade of SM-100, a corrosion-proof alloy. This particular custom measures 63 HRC on the Rockwell hardness scale, features a 3/16-inch-thick spine and is still flexible! It is a ‘step-up design’ where the handle is notably higher than the cutting edge. The knife was designed by Steve Geelhoed, and while the original is not for sale, replicas sell at $750 each.”

“I used carbon steel on this because it holds an edge better than some of the stainless steels,” Kopp explains. “It does, however, require more care than stainless blades.”

The attractiveness of the damascus pattern is certainly inviting. “Yes, it’s kind of unique seeing a damascus blade on a fillet knife,” he admits. And what about function? “My brother used it on a fishing trip,” Kopp relates, “filleting 30 or so fish with it, and he was pleased with its performance. In fact, I think it outperformed an electric fillet knife!”

Maker of the Best Fillet Knife at the 2010 Professional Knifemakers Association Show, Todd Kopp chose a 7.5-inch damascus blade and sambar-stag handle for this particular model (left). Note the small details like how he carved the 416 stainless steel buttcap to match the natural grooves of the stag. The maker’s list price: $475. (Buddy Thomason photo)

Cammenga runs White River Knife & Tool, a family-owned business with a full array of fillet knives in its line. “A strong case can be made for many great alloys available today,” he says. “We chose 440C for our Limited Production and Custom Finished versions in 2013. This high-carbon, stain-resistant steel retains our hand-sharpened, leather-honed edge for a very long time. It also provides reasonable corrosion resistance.”

Cammenga uses wood handles on the fillet knives. “The wood is stabilized and will not shrink, swell, or absorb blood or oil,” he explains. “We also offer a cork handle with a wooden pommel. The cork handle with a 6- or 8-inch blade will float [if the knife is dropped in the water]. Also, our unique ‘step-up design’ helps to keep the handle [and knuckles] a little farther off the cutting area, a nice feature when filleting on less than ideal surfaces.”

Flexible On Flexibility

Cammenga says he thinks blade flexibility on fillet knives is largely a personal preference. “At the 2013 SHOT Show, we received some comments that our blades could be a little more flexible, and some that they could be less flexible,” he recalls. “Our current offering tends to be more rigid on the 11-inch blade, moderate on the 8- inch blade and more flexible on the 6-inch.

“That which makes a good knife makes a good fillet knife.”

Bird and trout knives certainly fit in the fillet knife family. Cross uses straight stainless steel on some of his knives, but adds a beautiful twist to others.

“Yes, actually I use both straight stainless and stainless damascus, depending on the customer,” Cross remarks. “With exposure to the water, the stainless aspect is important. As for stainless damascus, it looks a bit classier and there is a segment of sportsmen who appreciate a beautiful and functional knife to go with their Parker shotgun or Sage reel.”

Bird and trout knives have to pull double duty. How does damascus steel perform on the fishing half of that equation? “This knife works well for its appointed tasks,” he concludes. “But as with any short blade, there is not a great deal of flex. It is certainly possible to make the blade thin and flexible, though.”

Cross’s bird and trout knife employs bronze fittings. “Bronze is tough, and stain and corrosion resistant, especially to salt water. It is harder than brass, develops a nice, warm patina, and is easy to care for.” Function plus beauty: just the things knife lovers tend to value.

You make fillet knives do their work under tough conditions. But don’t suffer with low-quality knives. Craftsmen such as Wilson, Kopp, Cammenga and Cross have proven that you can combine function and form in beautiful fish knives.

Best M9 Bayonet Options For The Civilian Enthusiast

Mike Ableson

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September 27, 2022

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On a rifle or in close quarters, the M9 Bayonet has kept its edge for nearly 30 years.

The M9 bayonet was first issued by the United States Army in 1986. It partially replaced the M7, which was first issued during the Vietnam War. The M9 is slightly longer than the M7 and has been manufactured by multiple different makers including Buck and Ontario Knife Company. The M9 has a bigger, thicker blade than the M7, and some versions come with serrations.

The M9 is compatible with the M16 series of rifles as well as the M4 carbine. It’s also a high-quality fighting and utility knife, and, unlike many other bayonets, the M9 can also be fitted to a shotgun. In this case, specifically the Mossburg 590.

The M9 is used by multiple militaries and some police forces throughout the world from the armed forces of Singapore and Thailand to the Netherlands army and the security forces in Abu Dhabi.

Can I Buy An M9 Bayonet Today?

Yes, you absolutely can buy an M9.

Ontario Knife Company still makes the bayonet for commercial sale, and several other companies make versions of the knife. It’s important to remember that you need to keep your local knife laws in mind before buying an M9.

States and countries may ban the ownership and carry of the knife, most time due to the length of its blade. However, it oftentimes also gets the switchblade treatment and is classified as a “dangerous knife”–a vague and ominous distinction meant to scare old ladies and small children.

Ontario Knife Company M9

Ontario Knife Company has been making knives in New York State since the late 19th century. During that time, the company has become a regular maker of arms for the United States Armed Forces.

The OKC M9 is a beautiful knife. The clip point is just over 7-inches long and made from 420M steel. The thermoplastic nylon handle provides excellent grip without adding too much weight, and the nylon sheath keeps everything secured.

This is a knife that looks and feels like it’s ready for anything. It shines through its simplicity with quality construction. It’s easy to see why the U.S. military continues to issue the OKC M9 today.

MSRP: $223.75

Snake Eye Tactical M9 Bayonet

This M9 from Snake Eye Tactical is vastly different from the OKC version in numerous ways. Combined with its sheath, this M9 is more multi-tool than the Ontario version.

The 8-inch stainless blade has a large fuller made from stainless steel. The majority of the spine is a sawback blade to provide more versatility to the knife, namely the ability to saw through thick wood. The sheath has a built-in sharpening stone, and a section of it can be used as both a flathead screwdriver and a wire cutter.

Yes, it’s an M9 but this piece can be used for much more than a traditional bayonet. It’s also much less money than the OKC variety, so if you’re interested in the M9 this is a great entry point.

MSRP: $39.95

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A Knife for Every Room: Curating the Ultimate Home Collection

Jason Fry

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December 22, 2025

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A Knife for Every Room: Curating the Ultimate Home Collection

Is the assortment of knives in your house as appropriate as it should be?

At one time I thought I wasn’t a knife collector. I am a knife enthusiast, knife user, knifemaker, knife writer, maybe even a reluctant knife expert, but not a knife collector.

Back when I thought that way, I looked around and noticed I had a dozen knives within arm’s reach, plus the tools in the kitchen, plus the customs of my own and a few from others, plus all the factory knives. Turns out I had nearly 100 knives, which means I’m definitely a knife collector, or at least an accumulator.

In my usual ADHD stream-of-consciousness fashion, my next thought was, “I wonder if I have a knife in every room of the house?” followed immediately by thoughts of which kind of knife would go in each room. Come along on my imaginative journey as we explore the idea of a knife for every room.

Kitchen

The kitchen is intuitive. Most people have knives there, whether the knives are economy store cheapies, a mishmash random drawerful accumulated over years, a matching production set, or even dedicated custom household cutlery. On my imaginary journey, I can afford the good stuff, like a damascus chef’s knife from bladesmith Salem Straub. But that’s too easy. Why not a whole knife-fork-and-spoon-damascus set, like one from Nate “Tuna” Grant?

Garage

The garage isn’t too tough either. My first thought was a utility knife of the replaceable-blade variety. In the past few years there’s been innovation in the custom knife world when it comes to replaceable blade knives, but for utilitarian and “I can use this and not be sad if I scratch it,” I think I’ll go with the Civivi Elementum that uses standard box cutter blades.

Living Room

The living room has the fireplace mantle, which is a great place to display a custom sword. If I were feeling medieval, I’d choose something like a hand-and-a-half piece from Ryan Breuer. Conversely, if I were feeling loud and Japanese, I might choose a fine bright katana like one from David Goldberg with an epic hamon.

Study

Along with studies, game rooms are also great for storing knife collections. Avid bowie collector Chris Nolen keeps his collectibles in a game room display designed by his son-in-law, replete with a statue of Jim Bowie and slide-out drawers that hold around 10 bowies each. (Chris Nolen image)

The gentleman’s study is dark, filled with books and memorabilia—the perfect place to store and display the “real” knife collection. Personally, I’d like a collection of custom bowies. I’d include pieces like a fully forged integral mosaic model from ABS master smith Mike Quesenberry, or an exquisite collaboration like The Knifemakers’ Guild award-winning piece by Nick Orr and Bailey Bradshaw. Or maybe I’d go rustic like ABS master smith Lin Rhea’s Preacher Bowie named after a mountain man. I’d round out the room with an engraved silver cigar-cutter-and-match-box set by Travis Payne engraved by Matt Litz for when the guys and I want to relax with a puff.

An engraved silver cigar-cutter-and-match-box set by Travis Payne engraved by Matt Litz for relaxing with a puff among friends would round out the author’s dream study. (Matt Litz image)

These days most tend not to receive letters, only junk mail and bills, and most of the junk mail goes straight to the trash unopened. But if I had a home office and I received good mail, I’d have to open it with a custom letter opener like one in a set from Deon Nel. He made a matching set of 16, so I bet he could spare one.

Outdoors

The backyard isn’t exactly part of the house, but that doesn’t exempt it from being a part of the author’s imaginary knife journey. If you have a standard grill, consider something like a san-mai brisket slicer from Dan Tompkins. (SharpByCoop image)

The backyard isn’t exactly part of the house, but that doesn’t exempt it from being a part of my imaginary knife journey. For those with a standard grill, you might consider something like a san-mai brisket slicer from Dan Tompkins. Or if you’ve got a fire pit, don’t forget Will Stelter’s damascus and mammoth ivory marshmallow fork. Or if you live in the woods, you might want a forged axe like a laminated wrought iron one from Nick Bachtel.

Bedroom

Bedroom knives are a bit of a stretch. Personally, I have my hunting knives in my bedroom closet. If I were rich and fancy, though, I’d have to have a pillow dagger—you know, the dagger you keep under your pillow just in case. I’m reminded of the scene in The Princess Bride when Buttercup pulls out a fine stiletto in the bedroom, and the great Dread Pirate Roberts line that goes with it: “There is a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.” If I were Dread Pirate Roberts, I might give my lady friend something like a poignard by Jamie Bishop, or even something dainty and feminine like a fine small piece from ABS master smith Veronique Laurent. For under my personal pillow, I’d go with something extravagant like an art dagger from the Sobral Brothers.

Bathroom

Bathrooms are for hygiene and sometimes that takes a knife. If you want to clean your fingernails or pull a splinter in style, I recommend something like a fine collaboration between ABS master smith Dionatam Franco and Evan Nicolaides. The pearl scales will shimmer in the vanity lights, and there are enough tools included to take care of many different tasks. Or if you want to play “Mack the Knife” in a dark alley then come home and comb your hair, Rick Lala can hook you up with his two-tool blade/comb folder.

How Close Are You?

You may not have a knife for every room, but I suspect that many BLADE® readers come very close. Here’s to improving the quality of your knife collection—even the bedroom knives!