What is the right sharpening angle?
- Marina Menini
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The question of angle is usually the first one that comes up when people become interested in sharpening. Simple answers are often given: 13°, 20°, or another number depending on the knife’s origin. Yet these recommendations are rarely explained or justified.
There is no perfect angle that works for every knife. There is only an angle that is more suitable for a particular situation or for the specific condition of a kitchen knife. It is therefore a choice that depends on several factors, which we will explore below.
Low angle VS high angle.
The angle in question is the one formed between the blade and the stone during sharpening. It therefore determines the angle of the bevel on the blade.
To make the right choice, it is important to understand how the angle affects the bevel and what consequences this creates.
When the angle is low
By laying the blade flatter on the stone, the bevel surface becomes wider (diagram 1).
The first consequence is that sharpening takes longer, since a larger surface must be worked. The second consequence is a keener bevel. It allows for a more precise cut into food, but it is also more fragile.
The edge may bend, chip, or round over more quickly. A lower angle is therefore less suitable for long-term heavy use, for softer steels, or for cutting harder foods.
When the angle is high
On the contrary, by raising the blade higher on the stone, the cutting surface becomes smaller (diagram 2)
Sharpening time is reduced. The bevel becomes more open, creating a more durable and resistant edge. Compared with a more acute angle, it lasts longer and offers more protection, but could bring some resistance to the sharpness especially if the blade is thick.
Adjusting the sharpening angle over time.
Sharpening always removes material from the blade, so repeated sharpening gradually reduces the size of the knife over time.
Because a blade is generally thicker at the spine than near the edge, it will progressively become thicker behind the edge as it wears down.
If the sharpening angle remains unchanged while the knife grows thicker over time, cutting performance gradually declines.
It is therefore important to adapt the sharpening angle on the same knife according to how its thickness evolves.
Generally, the blade is laid flatter on the stone to compensate for the added thickness. In some cases, it is even possible to sharpen flat (0°) in order to thin the blade.
On the other hand, if your knife is new and very thin, it may be preferable to widen the angle slightly in order to strengthen the edge.
Adjusting the angle to food and cutting board.
The edge of a knife gradually dulls through contact with the food it cuts and the board it strikes.
The harder and more resistant the food, the more the blade is affected. The same applies to the hardness of the cutting board.
If the knife is used for cutting hard foods that require force (such as squash, pumpkins, or partially frozen foods), or for breaking down foods containing bones or fish bones, or if the board is made of hard material (even many wooden boards are not particularly soft), it is preferable to increase the sharpening angle to give the edge more resistance.
If you are considering changing your cutting board to preserve your knife edges, we recommend our very soft, natural and japanese hinoki wood boards.
Adjusting the angle for edge retention
Some periods in the kitchen are more demanding than others.
If you want to increase the durability and longevity of your edge, you should open the sharpening angle slightly.
It will require less maintenance than a narrower, more fragile angle.
Adjusting the angle to the steel
Kitchen knives can be made from very different steels, especially with varying densities and hardness levels.
Softer steels do not hold extremely acute bevels as well and often perform better with a more open angle.
You can therefore vary sharpening angles according to the nature of the steel in your blades.
Conclusion
The angle is ultimately a very personal choice, used to adapt the edge to different situations:
the thickness of the blade
desired edge life
what you cut
the characteristics of the steel
even the time available for sharpening
It can therefore be different each time, even on the same knife.
It is also worth remembering that when sharpening results are disappointing, the issue is rarely the angle itself, because there is truly no universally good or bad angle.
What matters most is being able to maintain the same angle consistently along the full length of the blade and on both sides during sharpening.
That requires practice and, above all, good methods—which you can of course learn during a sharpening workshop at DOMA.
All the text in this article is written by Marina Menini, your knife expert at the DOMA workshop. Marina will also read and answer all your questions. If you would like to know more or if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments!
At the DOMA workshop, we offer knife sharpening workshops on whetstones for all levels. Introductory group workshops are held every Monday evening. Individual workshops are available by appointment the rest of the week. You'll find all the information you need to book or gift a workshop on the "Workshops" tab of the website!
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