Our favorite way to sharpen a blade is to use a whetstone—a rectangular block that works almost like sandpaper, helping to straighten and refine the cutting edge on the blade as you slide the knife across it.

What is the thing that sharpens a knife?

A honing steel, sometimes referred to as sharpening steel, whet steel, sharpening stick, sharpening rod, butcher's steel, and chef's steel, is a rod of steel, ceramic or diamond-coated steel used to re-align blade edges.

What is the best thing to sharpen a knife with?

A waterstone (or whetstone) is essentially a rectangular block of stone used to sharpen and hone the edge of a knife – or any other sharp steel tool, really. All the experts I spoke to agreed that using a waterstone is the best way to keep your knife in top condition, though it does take a little getting used to.