Honing steel recommendation

[Betz]

Are there any recommendations for a smooth or fine steel to use on higher-hardness knives, such as S35VN at 60 HRc, or AEB-L at 62 HRc? Is there enough differential to use my Wusthof steel which I understand is at 65 HRc?

 

[huelsdonk]

I would recommend a ceramic rod - you won't run into any hardness issues there. I have this one, and it works really well for quick touch ups.

 

[Betz]

I was considering that one, and after watching the video, am gravitating to the Idahone fine at 3000 grit vs this at 2000. I am an habitual honer, and was thinking if I could find a steel that would work with the harder knives, I'd feel a little better than taking a bit of steel off each time. Perhaps I'll need to touch up less often with the harder knives, -- not in hand, yet, so I don't know. Maybe I need to change my expecations....

 

[KnifeRep]

Is there enough differential to use my Wusthof steel which I understand is at 65 HRc?

I might be wrong and please correct me if I am, but Wusthof’s honing steels are no greater hardness than 59 HRC, their blade steel is no greater hardness than 56 HRC. If you can link to some written information that says differently please post the link.

All of Friedr. Dick’s best quality “Dickoron” series steels are 60 HRC except for one. I use two of them, a round Dickoron “Classic” with their regular sapphire cut then transition to an oval Dickoron “Polish” to finish. Another one for the final step is the square Dickoron “Combi” which has 2-sides of a fine sapphire cut and 2-sides of a polish cut.

If you want the hardest metal steel the Dickoron “Titan” is 63 HRC, but it only comes in a regular cut, no polish cut.

Here are all the F. Dick Dickoron steels, https://www.dick.de/en/tools-for-chefs-and-butchers/products/the-dickoron-family

 

[Betz]

This is where I found that Wusthof claims their honing steels are at 65 HRc: https://www.wuesthof.com/international/knowledge/honing-und-sharpening/honing/index.jsp

They also say that their blades are at 58 HRc: http://www.wusthof.com/news-and-events/press-releases/knife-knowledge-part-i

My understanding has always been that if the knife hardness is greater than the steel hardness, the knife could dig into the ridges or pattern of the steel if the angle isn't perfect, and potentially cause chipping.

A ridged or patterned steel does act like a very fine file, so is removing metal. I've not used a ceramic rod as a "steel" before, though I've had great success sharpening my current knives on a Sharpmaker. I was hoping to find a very high HRc, smooth steel to burnish the edge between strokes on a stone or a ceramic rod with the new ones set to arrive.

 

[KnifeRep]

Thank you for the links, having sharpened my wife’s 10” Wusthof Classic forged chefs along with a 8” F. Dick Premier Plus forged chefs side-by-side for the past 15 years I will say the F. Dick Premier Plus is slightly harder than the Wusthof Classic. F. Dick notes the steel they use in their Premier Plus series, X50CrMoV15, is 56 HRC.

You want the steel’s hardness to be harder than the knife’s hardness to avoid damage to both. For what you want to do I’d suggest you try the F. Dick Dickoron “Polish” or the “Combi”.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I use a burnishing tool, an oval rod at about 64 HRC, I believe. A cheap (probably free) alternative is a valve stem, likely available at any automotive machine shop.