Advice on a Kitchen Steel

I personally prefer a completely smooth carbon steel rod
I worked sushi for awhile there, and it was honestly what I reached for almost as often as the knives themselves
I'll keep the knives as sharp as possible during the work day, occasionally tossing them on a 12k grit stone, but there isn't always the time
If I feel the edge dragging at all in the fish, a couple passes on the rod gets it cutting again
 
I just cook at home but I've had a simple set of 3 Wusthof knives for good 30 years (original Grand Prix) that came with their steel which I use to hone the blades as needed. While I use a couple different methods to sharpen the knives (Sharpmaker and Spyderco med and fine bench stones both of which work great for me), I've found their steel honing rod does a good job keeping the edges in line. I've never looked further for knives or steels but as said, I just cook at home and my knives aren't heavily used. But over 30+ years, they work as well as one would hope.
 
I am a newbie myself and my experience is very limited. However, I use a ceramic rod daily and I think it is important to note that a ceramic rod is very different from a steel steel that is it abrasive and is not much different than a sharpening stone while a steel rod is not abrasive. It is important to remember since a ceramic rod not just aligns the edge but sharpens it. It develops burr (it may be a micro burr but it is still developed). It means that you need to make sure that you deburr after sharpening on a ceramic rod. I found that stropping on a simple piece of printer paper over a granite countertop improves sharpness substantially compare just using a rod.

I have very little experience with a steel rod despite that I have two. I saw many people here discuss which brand steel is better. I wonder how one steel can be better if all it is a stick of iron which almost does not remove a knife's steel and just use as a stiff surface to press against to correct a blade's edge?

Again, I am sure that the more experience members here will correct my observations.
 
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