A whetstone is a tool used to manually sharpen knives and other knives to restore their sharpness. Although knives are an essential tool for professional chefs who use them as work tools, there are many people who have never had one in their hands in their daily lives.
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Is sharpening necessary?
Why do you need to sharpen your knife in the first place? The secret lies in the condition of the cutting edge.
If you zoom in on the cutting edge of a new knife or a well-sharpened knife, you will see that it has small but sharp serrations that resemble a saw.
On the other hand, if you look at the edge of a knife that has been used without sharpening, the jagged edges will disappear and the blade will become straight. Since the edge of the blade is not sharp and is rounded, it is difficult for the blade to dig into the food, making it feel less sharp. This is the state where the knife is no longer sharp. No matter how carefully you use a knife, the edge of the knife will gradually wear out due to the impact caused by hitting the cutting board. Keep in mind that deterioration in sharpness is something that will always happen if you use a knife. Image 2 If you cook with a dull knife, the fibers of the vegetables will be crushed and water will come out, leading to a loss of freshness, and when you cut the meat, the juices will come out and the flavor will be lost along with it. A dull knife not only causes stress while cooking, but also has the major disadvantage of impairing the freshness and taste of the ingredients and making the food look bad.
In order to eliminate these disadvantages, the maintenance that you can do yourself is "knife sharpening."
Speaking of knife sharpening? When you think of knife maintenance at home, many people probably think of sharpeners (simple sharpening machines). It is an attractive maintenance tool that is easy to use and can be used as soon as you need it. However, the sharpness restored with a sharpener is temporary and does not require proper maintenance, so we recommend using it as an emergency measure. We talk about this in more detail in our blog article: All About Whetstones: ``The Difference Between Sharpeners and Whetstones'' (blog article URL), so if you're interested, please read that as well. To restore the sharpness of your knife and make it last longer, try using a whetstone! However, when it comes to whetstones, there are many different types, including grain size, size, and price, so it can be difficult to know which one to pick up. "I'm concerned about the sharpness of my knife, but I don't have a whetstone..." "I'm buying a whetstone for the first time and I don't know which one to choose..." For those of you, TOGIBU will deliver [First-time whetstone set] is. TOGIBU recommended! ``First-time whetstone set'' As the name suggests, this whetstone set is prepared for those who are using whetstones for the first time. Just soak it in water for about 5 minutes before use, and you can use it without having to add water while sharpening. What's more, you can purchase a set that includes a ``resurfacing whetstone'' necessary for whetstone maintenance and a ``whetstone case stand'' that can replace a whetstone stand, all at a great price. Two types of sets are available. 1. If your knife is no longer sharp, "First whetstone set - Coarse whetstone/medium whetstone" Add to cart Set contents: "Medium whetstone" perfect for everyday knife maintenance "Rough whetstone" for sharpening knives with chipped edges ” ``Resurfacing whetstone'' for whetstone maintenance The set includes not only the ``medium whetstone (#1000)'' necessary for daily maintenance, but also the ``rough whetstone (#220)'', which can be used to clean frozen or You can safely clean a knife whose blade has chipped after cutting hard ingredients. 2. If your knife is no longer sharp, get your first whetstone set - Medium whetstone/finishing whetstone Add to Cart Set contents: Medium whetstone, perfect for everyday knife care Finishing whetstone, for sharper blades Maintenance of whetstones In addition to the ``Resurfacing Whetstone'' and ``Medium Whetstone (#1000)'', the ``Finishing Whetstone (#3000)'' is included in the set, allowing you to slice tomatoes without crushing them, or sharpen the edges when cutting sashimi. You can create a blade with sharp edges that allows you to cook food more deliciously. *Role of whetstone by grain size* Coarse (Whetstone) Grain size #120 to #600 →Has strong grinding power and is mainly used for repairing chipped blades. Medium (Whetstone) Grain size #800 to #2000 →With moderate grinding power, you can use it on a daily basis, such as when you feel that your knife is not sharp. Finishing (grinding wheel) particle size #3000~ → The grinding force is relatively weak, and the cutting edge can be polished. Indispensable when a sharper cutting ability is required. 〇Set contents: ``Resurfacing whetstone'' Because the part of the whetstone that is often used tends to wear down, no matter how skilled you are, the center will end up with a dent. If you sharpen with a concave center, you will not only not be able to sharpen as expected, but also cause the blade to lose its shape, so you need to adjust the whetstone to a flat surface. The tool used to correct the surface plane in this way is called a "resurfacing whetstone," and it is a whetstone that everyone who owns a whetstone should have. 〇 Set contents: ``Storage case stand'' The ``storage case stand'' can store whetstones together and can be used as a whetstone stand when sharpening knives. The non-slip rubber on the bottom of the case stand keeps the whetstone head in place and prevents it from slipping, and allows you to sharpen at a convenient height. If you are unsure of what kind of whetstone to buy, please start sharpening your knives with TOGIBU's [First-time whetstone set].