The water stone

Sharpening stones are the way to get the maximum sharpness out of your scissors.

Depending on the sharpening angle, you determine how much material is removed from the blade and how thin it becomes - the narrower, the sharper.

One of the biggest advantages of water stones is that you can use your high-quality scissors to thin them out. What does that mean?

If you have sharpened your scissors often, you will notice that the height of the blade becomes smaller - and wider. With the water stone you can make the blade narrower and thereby improve the edge retention of the scissors.

You can also use the water stone to sharpen and grind all straight scissors.

What you should consider:

Grinding stones come in different grit sizes - coarse and fine grit.

You use coarse grits for rough or pre-sanding, to clean up unevenness or to make minor “repairs” on the blade.

You use fine grits for the main grind when you sharpen your scissors or to polish the blade.

Coarse grain sizes fluctuate between 100j and 500j.
Fine grain sizes for the main grinding are between 500j and 2000j.
The “polishing grain” starts from 3000y.
And now comes the but:

Most grain sizes are given according to the Japanese scale (J). There is also the European standard (F).

Most grain sizes are measured according to the Japanese standard. There is no “official” comparison table, so it is difficult to compare European and Japanese waterstones.

You can read how to use a sharpening stone in the article “Sharpening scissors: How you can make your scissors extremely sharp”.

Advantages

• different grinding angles possible
• different grinding phases possible
• is suitable for all straight blade types
• makes even the dullest blade sharp again
• Available in a combination package with double-sided grit for coarse and fine sanding
• A smear forms on the surface, enabling fine and precise work

Disadvantages

• it is rather complex
• it requires some practice