Culinary sharpening steels

eyeeatingfish

eyeeatingfish

Joined
Dec 9, 2003
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I have a spyderco triangle sharpening set, and i like it but I was thinking about getting a sharpening steel for the kitchen knives. Some arereally cheap and some are really expensive, well over $50. Does one need to spend a lot of money on a sharpening steel or are most created equal? I can understand the daimond ones costing more but just a quick search on cooking.com yields ones from $15 all the way to $100 Granted handle material and design will make the price sway a little but does this matter or are the expensive ones not worth it? The material often just says stainless or carbon steel.
 
I use a sharpening steel in the kitchen. I have used several over the years. I have not noticed any price / performance relationship.

All you are doing with a steel is straightening the edge of the blade. So IMO you don't need anything fancy. I think what you see with the price range is somebody charging extra because the sharpening steel handle matches those of the rest of the fancy knife set he sells.

Just my opinion.
 
Get one that has a smooth, flat, polished surface. The ribbed steels tend to break down the edge. There is not much practical difference between them. I like the Friedrich Dick polished Dickeron ones particularly.
 
Look for a Mercer Tool steel they are cheap and really good at knocking the blade back in line.

-If your looking for a diamond steel go with Forschener but know that they take alot of metal with them on every stroke. After about three years a 10inch will look like a filet knife.
 
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Probably not much difference, but some modern steel knives may be harder than the steel, so pay attention to that.
 
Does it really matter if the blade is a couple points harder than the steel? I mean, the edge deflects in the first place cutting things not as hard as a steel (I hope) Steel is harder than my fingers (barely :cool:) and I can bend baling wire.
 
Jeff Clark said:
Get one that has a smooth, flat, polished surface. The ribbed steels tend to break down the edge. There is not much practical difference between them. I like the Friedrich Dick polished "Poliron" ones particularly.
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Well Jeff you beat me to the punch on that one :D I have 3 different German F. Dick steels and the one I use the most is the one you have recommended and that being the Polished "Poliron" smooth steel. I use it and the Dick "Multicut" the most but I probably use the smooth "Poliron" probably about 80% of the time. Now I used to have the grooved, oval shaped "Dickoron" you made mention of but I find that the ultra-smooth "Poliron" does a really slick job.

I don't know what they coat the F. Dick steels with but with all of the work I've done with it you still can't even hardly tell I've ever used it. In a way I am surprised that Frederich Dick's steels, knives and professional culinary equipment doesn't get mentioned on this Forum any more than it does. Because the quality of Frederich Dick's tools is nothing short of SUPERB :thumbup:
 
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