Place the heel of your knife on the far edge of the stone, holding the blade gently but firmly with both hands at a 15- to 20-degree angle. Using even pressure, slowly drag the knife over the stone toward you down the length of the stone while simultaneously moving the knife such that the contact point moves toward the tip of the blade.

Here's a segmented angle guide: Super sharp, box cutter, kitchen knife use 7-15 degrees General kitchen knife, pocket knife 17-22 degrees Survival and hunting knife 22-30 degrees Axe and machete - 30-35 degrees Note: A smaller angle means a blade that will slice through soft materials (think tomato) but will be weaker.