Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone Review

This double-sided model put an edge on both of our knives that none of the electric or manual knife sharpeners CR evaluated could match

I wouldn't wish a dull knife on my worst enemy. As the primary cook in my house, and a former chef, I jumped at the chance to assess eight knife sharpeners as part of Consumer Reports’ Outside the Labs program. I sized up each sharpener by repeatedly dulling and then sharpening two of my favorite knives from our recent chef's knives test: the J.A. Henckels Forged Premio 8-Inch Chef's Knife, which is a German-style knife, and the Global G-2 8-inch Chef's Knife, a Japanese blade.My pick for knife enthusiasts who are willing to put in the work to keep their blades sharp is the Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone, $40. For thousands of years, sharpening stones were the only option for sharpening knives, and in my opinion, they remain the gold standard for anyone who finds knife sharpening fun and wants total control. They require a fair amount of skill—users control the sharpening angle as you drag the knife blade across the stone, alternating sides as you go. A separate tool called a bevel gauge—available at home centers and hardware stores—can help you get the angle exactly right. You use a coarse stone for restoring a really dull blade, then progress to a finer stone for polishing the edge. The Pebble Premium is double-sided, with a coarse and fine side on the same stone.

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

• Best Knife Sharpeners for Chef's Knives• Chef's Choice Model 15XV 3-Stage Professional Electric Knife Sharpener Review• Wasabi Knives Iki Ruixin Pro Sharpener + 4 Whetstone Set Review

This product evaluation is part of Consumer Reports’ "Outside the Labs" reviews program, which is separate from our laboratory testing and ratings. Our "Outside the Labs" reviews are performed at home and in other native settings by individuals, including our journalists, with deep subject matter experience or knowledge and are designed to offer another important perspective for consumers as they shop. While the products or services mentioned in this article may not currently be in CR's ratings, they might eventually be tested in our laboratories and rated according to an objective, scientific protocol.

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Paul Hope

Paul Hope is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.