It is important to keep your sharpening stone in top shape so that it will always keep your knives sharp. Indeed, the small amount of time and effort that it takes to clean a stone will pay off in the long run because your knives will be always in the best shape.
This article will help you to learn about ways to clean a sharpening stone and, therefore, create a sharp edge on the chef’s knife.
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How To Clean A Sharpening Stone
What Are The Grit Sizes Of Sharpening Stones?
Sharpening stones come in different sizes. The grit is smaller if the number is bigger. The three different categories of sharpening stones are:
- Arato: This is a 200 to 800 grit coarse stone.
- Nakato: This is the 800 to 1500 grit middle stone.
- Shiageto: This is a 1500 grit or above finishing stone.
What Are The Types Of Sharpening Stones?
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There are different types of sharpening stones, including:
- Oil Stones: A type that can regularly be found in your back shed or at a hardware stores. They tend to cut slowly and the used oil can go rancid.
- Diamond Stones: These have the ability to cut fast but they can also cause damage. They are sharp and are at the Arato level. These stones can be used with or without lubricant.
- Natural Stones: They have a random grit size that gives them a long-lasting edge. These random grits make varying sizes of micro-serration on the blade which wears down at a different rate, providing there is longer edge retention.
- Ceramic Sharpening Stones: These are extremely soft and sharpen a lot faster, but some can also be very hard. For advanced users only.
- Synthetic Sharpening Stones: These are made of white fused aluminum grit that is suspended in resin.
What Are The Things Needed To Clean A Sharpening Stone?
You will need the following:
- Honing oil.
- Towel.
- Warm and soapy water.
- An old toothbrush, stiff nylon brush or rag.
How To Clean A Sharpening Stone?
If a sharpening stone has glossy gray streaks, then this indicates that some debris has built up on it.
Make sure that you put a towel under the sharpening stone while cleaning it to catch the excess particles.
You have to decide what you are going to use in order to clean the sharpening stone. You might use honing oil to sharpen the knife and clean the stone. This will offer lubrication while sharpening the stone. It keeps the metallic particles from getting embedded to the stone and reduces friction.
In order to clean the stone, apply a small amount of oil and then rub it in a circular motion down the length of the stone. You will see metal flecks rise up from the pores and once this happens you have to wipe the stone with a paper towel or rag. Now rinse the stone under running water and dry it with the rag or paper towel.
If you use water-based honing oil, you’ll need to clean the sharpening stone by using soapy, warm water. You could also use a green scrubbing sponge or an old toothbrush. Use the same circular motion along the length of the stone.
Warnings And Tips
- Using something to protect your hands from the small particles if you scrub the stone with your fingers. Be careful if you don’t have this protection.
- Do not drop the sharpening stone as it might break or chip it. Put the stone away after it has been cleaned.
- You can use water, petroleum-based oil or water-based oil on the sharpening stone, but make sure that you stick to the same type, as the porousness of the stone will make it difficult to change from the oil-based lubricant.
Be guided by this information, which will ensure that you clean your sharpening stone properly. You can also watch this video for additional information about cleaning a sharpening stone.
Learning the proper clean process could be a great help in ensuring that the stone and your knives are kept in top shape.
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