# Should I use a whetstone to sharpen my knives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-use-a-whetstone-to-sharpen-my-knives/987399 "2023-07-22T21:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-use-a-whetstone-to-sharpen-my-knives/987399/2 "2023-07-22T21:49:47Z")
You may find some useful thoughts in this recent thread: > [@When and why did we forget how to sharpen?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-we-forget-how-to-sharpen/986833): > > I have taken up hand tool woodworking in the last couple of years and keeping your tools sharp is a critical skill. As such, there’s a whole bunch of ink spilled (and products for sale) w.r.t. this. However, if you look into the old books about this, e.g. Moxon’s and Roubo’s texts, books about the Dominy family, etc., very little is mentioned about sharpening. The consensus seems to be that how to sharpen was such common knowledge that there was nothing to be said about it. Is this accurate … --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-use-a-whetstone-to-sharpen-my-knives/987399)._