How to Sharpen Cangshan Knives: 16 Degree Whetstone Steps

Sharpen Cangshan knives at about 16 degrees per side, the angle Cangshan uses on most of its lines. A whetstone gives the best result: coarse side until you feel a burr along the whole edge, then both sides on the fine side, then strop or hone. Hone between sharpenings to keep the edge going longer.

Having a good set of knives is one of the critical things affecting your performance in the kitchen. There are many great knives available today, and Cangshan knives are among the best. If you own a professional-caliber Cangshan knife, you need to make sure it’s sharp and in excellent condition to enjoy its full performance. In this article, we will look at how to sharpen Cangshan knives. We will go through the fundamentals, methods, and tools needed.

You can maintain the sharpness of the blade for a long time if you regularly use honing steel. Honing steel keeps knives’ edges aligned and helps maintain their quality. However, you still need to sharpen your knives after a while. Therefore, it is good to know how to sharpen a knife when the time comes.

When you take diligent care of Cangshan knives, they can last for many years. Besides that, it’s crucial for ease of use. Having a dull knife requires you to use more force when cutting through something. In addition, it is more dangerous to use a dull knife than a sharp one. There are different methods for sharpening a knife, such as pull-through sharpening or the manual sharpening of the edges. Let’s take a look at these methods. You can also check our Cangshan knives review.

Manual Sharpening

Manually sharpening a knife involves grinding the blades against a unique surface. This surface consists of a coarse, gritty material that removes the dull metal and creates a new, sharp edge. There are other tools you need to use while sharpening your knife manually. You should know why and how to use them for the best results.

Manual Sharpening Tools

• Whetstone

A whetstone is a sharpening stone graded by grit. You can use it to sharpen cutting tools, including the Cangshan knives. A combination stone is double-sided, with a coarse grit (around 1000) on one side for setting the edge and a fine grit (3000 to 6000) on the other for refining it. Soaking stones need 10 to 15 minutes in water before use; splash-and-go stones only need water on the surface, so check the instructions for yours.

• Knife Blade Oil

Water is the lubricant on a water stone; don’t put oil on it. Oil belongs on the knife afterward: white mineral oil is the best one you can use for knife maintenance. It is non-drying, non-toxic, odorless, colorless, and flavorless. A thin coat protects a carbon or high-carbon blade from moisture, thus extending the life of your knife.

• Polishing Cloth

We always recommend using a soft, non-abrasive micro cloth to clean and polish your knife after sharpening it. The polishing cloth will leave your knife with a sleek and streak-free result.

How to Manually Sharpen Your Cangshan Knives

Step #1. Set the Whetstone

Soak the whetstone if it is a soaking stone, or wet its surface if it is splash-and-go. Put it on a damp towel or a non-slip base on a flat surface, coarse side up, so it can’t slide. Keep the surface wet with a splash of water while you work. After that, you can start the process.

Step #2. Find the 16-Degree Angle

Most Cangshan knives are sharpened at 16 degrees per side, so that is the angle to hold. An easy way to get there: stand the blade upright on the stone, tilt it down halfway, then halfway again, and you’re near 22 degrees; tip it a touch lower for 16. On an 8″ chef’s knife, 16 degrees means the spine sits roughly half an inch above the stone. Coloring the edge with a marker shows whether you are hitting the very edge: after a few strokes, the ink should be gone right down to it.

Step #3. Sharpen

Hold the handle in your dominant hand and rest two or three fingertips of your free hand on the side of the blade, close to the edge. With the edge facing away from you, push the blade across the stone at your angle, then draw it back with lighter pressure. Work in sections from heel to tip, following the curve of the belly by lifting the handle slightly as you reach the tip. Keep the angle steady; a consistent angle matters more than the exact number.

Step #4. Create the Burr

While sharpening a Cangshan knife, you will notice a burr forming on the side of the edges. This burr indicates you are on the right track. It is difficult to see the burr, but you can feel it by drawing your thumb gently off the edge (never along it) on the side opposite the one you sharpened. Keep working the first side until the burr runs the whole length of the edge, then do the same on the second side. Switch to the fine side of the stone and finish with lighter strokes, alternating sides, five strokes each, then three, then one, until the burr is gone. A few strokes on a strop or a honing rod finish the job (see my guide on how to strop a knife).

Pull Through Sharpening

You will need a pull-through sharpener to sharpen your Cangshan knives with this method. It is a device with metal slots made of tungsten carbide. These slots can be either adjustable or fixed at an angle.

This method is more comfortable since it includes fewer steps and fewer variables. Pick one with a slot close to 15 degrees, since most Cangshan edges are 16; a 20-degree slot slowly changes the edge to a thicker one. Cangshan’s warranty does not cover damage from sharpening methods it doesn’t recommend, so check the care card for your line before using a pull-through.

The first thing to do is ensure that the sharpener is firmly held and secured on a flat surface. When it is safely secured, you can start sharpening your Cangshan knife. You must start with inserting the heel into the slot.

Following that, pull the knife back from the heel to the tip with light, even pressure. You should never push the knife or saw it back and forth, and always follow the blade’s curve so the slot stays in contact with the edge. You can repeat this process 8 to 10 times, depending on how dull your Cangshan knife is.

Conclusion

We explained two different methods to sharpen a knife. Pull-through sharpening is a comfortable way you can learn more quickly. On the other hand, manual sharpening may not be the easiest method, but it gives better results and removes less steel. You can try and see what works the best for you. Not sure your knife needs it yet? My guide on whether your knife is sharp enough has simple tests, and my take on whether Cangshan knives are good covers the steels behind each line. In addition, you can always take your knife to a professional knife sharpener if you don’t feel comfortable either way.