Using the whetstone knife sharpener to sharpen your dull knife is probably one of
the smartest resorts to overcome the problem of not being able to cut. Although there are other sharpening tools available, whetstone is completely different and better in such a way that it does not grind away too much of the knifes blade. However you would need to spend some time learning and practicing how to correctly use the whetstone. It could take a period of time but once you master the skills, sharpening is exactly simple, cost-effective and saves time.
The act of sharpening a knife using whetstone is likely an action of average difficulty. The most you would only spend two minutes to make your knife sharp like a brand new one. First you should place the whetstone on a countertop or just on the cutting board. The coarse grit must be facing upwards and lay a wet paper towel below the whetstone to prevent sliding or slipping away. The hold your knife in one hand and put the edge against the stone with the cutting edge approaching the stone at approximately 22 degrees of angle. Then using the other hand, stabilize the movement of the knife along the whetstone.
By exerting moderate pressure, slowly slide the blade across the whetstone knife sharpener but making sure to cover the entire length of the blade and maintaining a good position for the blade to stay against the stone at a consistent angle. Perform the friction for about ten times and flip the blade over and repeat it for another ten times. Then check if the blade has got difference in its sharpness. When you are done, flip the stone over the finer side and continue the grind for both the sides of the blade for another ten times.
The final step to sharpening a knife using whetstone is by using the sharpening steel to hone the blade. Upon completion, rinse both the knife and stone and wipe the blade using clean towel to remove all the metal contamination. Remember that when you are using the whetstone it is important to sharpen in the same direction for all frictions. Although it sounds to be a wet stone, the whetstone is most effective when used in dry condition. Any presence of oil or water has the potential of causing metal particles to get trapped in the liquid thus the blade would be more ragged than before.