With any sharpening stone, coarseness or grit is measured with a number—lower numbers, like 220 or 320, indicate a stone is coarse and better suited for removing lots of metal to restore an edge that’s been damaged or neglected for years. Higher numbers—often 1,000 or higher—indicate a finer stone for polishing an edge. (These are the same measures that manufacturers use to delineate sandpaper.)
Our stone was 1,000 grit on the coarser side and 6,000 on the finer side—perfect for sharpening and polishing a dull knife. But again, you’ll need something coarser to restore anything with a damaged edge. We picked this combination because it’s the best-selling configuration on Amazon, and because we were starting with a knife that was dull but not damaged. A coarser, 400-grit stone for the Sharp Pebble is available for about $28.
You need to soak the stone in water for 10 to 12 minutes before sharpening, so you probably want to sharpen all of your knives in one shot.
That said, it put an edge on both of our knives that none of the electric or manual sharpeners could match, and I found the process relaxing, making it my top choice for cooks who are serious about sharp blades.Where to buy: Amazon, Sharp Pebble, Walmart
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