Ray Mercer has been sharpening knives, chisels, garden tools, and just about anything else with an edge for more than 25 years. What began with an old oilstone on his grandfather’s workbench eventually grew into a serious interest in whetstones, sharpening angles, steel types, stropping compounds, and the small differences that separate a truly sharp edge from one that simply feels sharp.
Friends and family know Ray as the person who will quietly pick up a dull kitchen knife, disappear into the garage with it, and return it sharper than when it was new.
For WhetGuide, Ray focuses on practical sharpening techniques and product testing. He prefers recommendations based on repeated use rather than packaging claims, paying particular attention to cutting speed, stone wear, feedback, ease of flattening, and how well a stone performs with different steels.
His philosophy is simple: sharpening shouldn’t be mysterious. With the right stone, a consistent angle, and a little patience, almost anyone can learn to put an excellent edge on a blade.
Areas of experience
- Whetstones
- Kitchen-knife sharpening
- Pocket knives
- Woodworking tools
- Stropping
- Stone flattening
- Edge maintenance
- Sharpening technique
Guides by Ray
- Honing rod vs whetstone: you probably need both
- How to sharpen a serrated knife
- How to use a whetstone, step by step
- Is Work Sharp a good knife sharpener? Yes, if you pick the right one
- Knife sharpening angle chart: the right angle for every knife
- Sharpening stone grit chart, explained
- Spyderco Sharpmaker review: who it's for and who should skip it
- The best electric knife sharpener for your knives
- The best honing rod: ceramic, steel or diamond?
- The best knife sharpener for Japanese knives
- The best knife sharpener for beginners, matched to your knives and your patience
- The best knife sharpener for kitchen knives
- The best knife sharpener for pocket knives
- The best knife sharpening system for every kind of knife owner
- The best leather strop and compound for knives
- The best whetstone set for beginners
- Tormek T-1 vs T-2 vs T-4 vs T-8: which Tormek should you buy?
- Whetstone vs diamond stone: which should you sharpen on?
- Whetstone vs knife sharpener: which should you actually buy?
- Work Sharp vs Lansky: which guided sharpener should you buy?
Every guide shows how it was researched. See how we research and our affiliate disclosure. Questions or corrections? Contact us.