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The term is based on the word "whet", which means to sharpen a blade, [3] [4] not on the word "wet". The verb nowadays to describe the process of using a sharpening stone for a knife is simply to sharpen, but the older term to whet is still sometimes used, though so rare in this sense that it is no longer mentioned in, for example, the Oxford Living Dictionaries.
Knife sharpening is the process of making a knife or similar tool sharp by grinding against a hard, rough surface, typically a stone, [1] or a flexible surface with hard particles, such as sandpaper. Additionally, a leather razor strop , or strop, is often used to straighten and polish an edge.
There are many different kinds of honing oils to suit different needs. It is important to use the appropriate solution for the job. In the case of knife sharpening, motor oil is too thick or heavy and can over-lubricate or clog a sharpening stone, whereas WD-40 is too light an oil and will not carry the metal filings plus stone dust (collectively known as swarf) away from the stone, and clog it.
An oilstone is used with a lubricant. The stone is firm and flat, and this lubricant cools, lubricates and carries away waste from the workpiece. The lubricant is often oil, but water is commonly used too. A stone like this, used with water, is often called a whetstone (from "whetting", not from "wet"). A waterstone is quite different.
Push style sharpening jigs used to sharpen chisels and plane blades A push style sharpening jig being used to sharpen a plane iron on a water stone A side to side jig. A sharpening jig is often used when sharpening woodworking tools. Many of the tools used in woodworking have steel blades which are sharpened to a fine edge.
A honing steel on a cutting board Common steel for use in households SEM images of the cross-section of a blade before (dull) and after (sharp) honing with a smooth rod [1]. A honing steel, sometimes referred to as a 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 restore sharpness to ...
A collection of gemstone pebbles. Most of these stones, except four rough ones, were tumbled and polished. Tumbling of rocks as a lapidary technique for rock polishing usually requires a plastic or rubber-lined barrel loaded with a consignment of rocks, all of similar or the same hardness, some abrasive grit, and a liquid lubricant.
Other ground stone tools include adzes, celts, and axes, which are manufactured using a labor-intensive, time-consuming method of repeated grinding against a harder stone or with sand, often using water as a lubricant. These tools are often made using durable finer-grained materials rather than coarse materials.