The hardest part of learning to sharpen on a whetstone is holding the same angle on every stroke. These two guide rails clip onto the spine of a knife and rest on the stone, holding the blade at the low angle Global and other Japanese knives are sharpened at, between 10 and 15 degrees.
The set has two sizes. The larger guide fits wide blades such as chef’s knives and santoku, and the narrow one fits slicers, utility knives and other thin blades. Global notes that guide rails like these help beginners keep the correct angle on a whetstone, and they let a cook learn the feel of that angle before sharpening freehand.
For maintaining the edge between stone sessions, Global recommends a ceramic or diamond rod such as the Global Ceramic Sharpening Rod. Cooks who would rather skip stones entirely can use the Global 2-Stage Ceramic Water Sharpener.
