Good sharpening steel for maintenance of kitchen cutlery,plus opinels and victorinox saks....

[lonestar1979]

i have f dick steel that has been used for 20years,but its used up and doesnt do its job well anymore.It was a fine grit steel.What are some options that arent too expensive ,but work well,for aligning and touching up kitchen blades of western style ,around 55rc,I like toothier edge so assume steel with coarser grooves would be better.Theres many steels online,from dirt cheap to 200$or more options,theres victorinox steel that eve seen,around 25$now and was thinking about getting it...Ps.Should i maybe get a cerramic or fine diamond steel-rod instead?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I recently purchased one of the Victorinox steels. I've liked it. It's a 'combination cut' steel that has both finely grooved portions and also smooth portions. For the types of cutlery you mention - anything in that range of hardness - it works well. The grooved sections aren't real aggressive at metal removal and, obviously, the smooth sections serve more as a burnishing or polishing finisher. I've noticed the steel leaves a bit of polish on bevels too. For the money, I think it's a good product.

I typically set edges on my kitchen knives with an India stone (Fine). And I do sometimes enhance or touch up those edges on a medium (brown) or fine (white) ceramic. But for the immediate dressing up of the edge before use in the kitchen, or for some alignment after I've used them, that Victorinox steel fills a nice little niche there. Victorinox does 'finesse' very well - and that's what this steel is about.

Edited to add:
If you do like a toothier bite, then a medium ceramic would do well there. And the India stone I mentioned, a bit more so, in the 360-400 range.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Friedrich Dick really is the premier manufacturer of butcher's steels. You also might try restoring the one you have. It's not quite the same as the original cut, but using a suitable grade of sandpaper (or better, emery cloth) can be wrapped 'round the steel and the steel drawn through it to create linear scratches.

 

[lonestar1979]

Friedrich Dick really is the premier manufacturer of butcher's steels. You also might try restoring the one you have. It's not quite the same as the original cut, but using a suitable grade of sandpaper (or better, emery cloth) can be wrapped 'round the steel and the steel drawn through it to create linear scratches.

Ill try that,the one i have,similar priced ones go for 200$+

 

[lonestar1979]

I recently purchased one of the Victorinox steels. I've liked it. It's a 'combination cut' steel that has both finely grooved portions and also smooth portions. For the types of cutlery you mention - anything in that range of hardness - it works well. The grooved sections aren't real aggressive at metal removal and, obviously, the smooth sections serve more as a burnishing or polishing finisher. I've noticed the steel leaves a bit of polish on bevels too. For the money, I think it's a good product.

I typically set edges on my kitchen knives with an India stone (Fine). And I do sometimes enhance or touch up those edges on a medium (brown) or fine (white) ceramic. But for the immediate dressing up of the edge before use in the kitchen, or for some alignment after I've used them, that Victorinox steel fills a nice little niche there. Victorinox does 'finesse' very well - and that's what this steel is about.

Edited to add:
If you do like a toothier bite, then a medium ceramic would do well there. And the India stone I mentioned, a bit more so, in the 360-400 range.

Ive seen victorinox steel on sale too....was thinking of getting it,have never been dissapointed in any of their stuff.Thats my favorite knife brand too!

 

[Khromo]

I use a 12" ceramic Messermeister rod in the kitchen. It was less than $50. My knives are about 63 HRC, and they get used a lot.

I have a few good steels from the old days, but they require more patience than I have. This blade steel doesn't seem to want to move for the typical steel steel! The ceramic rod gets two to five strokes per side tops when the blade stops shaving, and the edge is good for a few weeks of serious use. I don't have to put these knives on a stone for a gentle touch-up more than two or three times a year at most, and that includes steak knives that have a hard life.

This ceramic rod is noticeably more aggressive than a typical steel, and with softer steel it might take some getting used to.

 

[Reaper AL]

I have been using the F Dick oval sapphire cut steel and find it does a great job on my kitchen knives I also have and use the F Dick smooth steel and that works well to straighten the edge with a couple of passes on a horsehide strop. I usually only go to my stones 1 or 2 times a year.