Sharpening
Our range of knife sharpening supplies includes whetstones (including sets and accessories), honing rods, and leather strops.
Whetstones are a sharpening stone that is used primarily by professional chefs or knife enthusiasts to sharpen knives and other cutting instruments (razors, etc.). Whetstones, as the name indicates, requires lubrication to work (most people will use water or oil) and will come with recommended instructions for your particular brand or product. They are designed to sharpen edges efficiently and retain that edge for longer.
Honing rods are more typically seen in commercial kitchens, and are used to sharpen the edge of your knife. They come in a range from fine to ultra-fine grit steels and are an ideal sharpening solution for Japanese knives (coarse steel honing rods are not recommended for Japanese knives) or other types of chef knives.
Leather strops is a strip of leather or other material that can be used to sharpen knives, though these are more typically used to sharpen an old-fashioned shaving razor. The leather polishes the metal and removes any burr from the edge to make it more crisp and sharp by rubbing the blade along the leather (with or without an abrasive compound applied). It is designed to be a more subtle sharpening tool, and is especially useful for general upkeep of your blade for better edge retention and taking care of minor damage.