Is there still a place for using a butcher steel in my knife maintenance regimen?

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maximus83

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Nov 7, 2011
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I've been trying to educate myself lately on how to better maintain my knives. I've had a Sharpmaker for sometime, and just a day ago--thanks to advice from folks in this forum--I added a coarse/extra-coarse DMT stone for heavy sharpening and profiling work (to sort of complement the things that the Sharpmaker does not do as well).

Now I'm looking at the issue of edge MAINTENANCE. Basically as I understand it (please correct if I'm wrong), the goal is to maintain your edge so you can go longer between sharpenings, and the best tools for doing that are either some type of "steel" rod (or ceramic, or whatever), or stropping on leather or other surfaces using a compound.

I've read up on this a bit and I realize that stropping probably does a more refined finishing job on your edge. It appears that all around, stropping is the way to go for the best results with quality knives. At the same time, if a quality steel/ceramic type rod can be found that improves edge maintenance and is a bit more convenient than stropping (say, for kitchen knives), it MIGHT still be worth doing. For instance, if I can get my wife to take a steel and make 3 or 4 passes over it with her quality kitchen knives each time she uses them, that would be a lot better than nothing with those knives.

So this raises my question: Is there still a place for using a butcher steel/ceramic type of rod in knife maintenance? Does it add any value at all (such as convenience for maintaining kitchen knives)? Or, should I pretty much skip the steel type of maintenance, and just go with stropping for everything?
 
I used to be a "steeler". However, unless you are dealing with 56 or softer, thin kitchen knives, you may be harming your edge. If you're above 62 or so, you are definitely harming your edge.

So kitchen, maybe. Elsewhere, no.

IMHO - YMMV
 
For most of the utility/pocket/hunting knives currently made I'd say no. A ceramic hone will work better. For a kitchen knife of the cheaper variety I'd say they work quite well. Problem is a steel is only about 61 RC and as your knife steel approaches this hardness, say 58 RC and harder, they just don't work well. They're hard enough to raise a burr, but not hard enough to remove it. On a Kitchen knife with a RC of 54-56 you should get good results. With the exception of one or two times I've put my kitchen knives to a stone, I've maintained them for years using just a coarse and fine steel. These things get abused - kept loose in a drawer. I get them sharp enough to push through a tomato as long as its not too ripe.
 
I believe that one is a bit ahead of the curve using the fine SM rods for maintenence rather than a steel.

A steel can be useful for the very soft, low end knives that one purchases at a "big box" or department store, but personally, I would never consider using one on a quality knife.:thumbdn:
 
What is a SM rod?

Also related: For strictly kitchen knives (mostly for my wife's use to maintain them), I was thinking of getting an extra-fine ceramic sharpener by DMT (the 2200 mesh, 12" one). My thinking here was this: the extra-fine won't take much metal, and because it's super smooth and super hard, it should be able to do a good job of what you're trying to do, which is mainly to realign the edge, not sharpen it.

Does the extra-fine ceramic DMT sound like a good option for kitchen knife maintenance (easier than stropping, but better than doing nothing between sharpenings)?
 
maximus83 said:
What is a SM rod?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure he was referring to the SharpMaker rods.

Also related: For strictly kitchen knives (mostly for my wife's use to maintain them), I was thinking of getting an extra-fine ceramic sharpener by DMT (the 2200 mesh, 12" one). My thinking here was this: the extra-fine won't take much metal, and because it's super smooth and super hard, it should be able to do a good job of what you're trying to do, which is mainly to realign the edge, not sharpen it.

Does the extra-fine ceramic DMT sound like a good option for kitchen knife maintenance (easier than stropping, but better than doing nothing between sharpenings)?
Click to expand...

I've heard that the EF DMT 'steel' puts a pretty nice 'bite' on the edge, for kitchen knives. It will definitely remove metal, because it's still diamond, but obviously not as much as coarser diamond sharpeners. Just a couple or three passes on the rod with a kitchen knife should be plenty enough. I have read some some pretty positive opinions of DMT's EF kitchen sharpeners here. They also make a 'Diamond Vee' sharpener, which I think also utilizes the EF grit. Edit: Nope, sorry. That one uses coarse (325 Mesh/45 micron) grit.

Edit:
Disregard the reference to the diamond 'steel' above. I've now realized you referred to the DMT ceramic rod. It should do fine, although I think your Sharpmaker should do just as well. Only major difference would be the length.
 
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For most knives a butchers steel is an excellent way to maintain the edge. The only way to find out is use one and see how the knife(s) performs. When the butchers steel no longer produces the desired result then I do a regular sharpening. Use the sharpener of your choice between steelings.
 
I 'steel' my kitchen knives (and only my kitchen knives) before every use. I no longer use the smooth steel 'meatpacker's steel' that I had been using, finding that I prefer to use a borosilicate glass rod for the job, as it's considerably harder. (You can use the edge of a Pyrex baking dish or measuring cup if you don't want to buy a rod. Pyrex IS borosilicate glass.) The smooth steel rod did work very well though. There is a good reason all butchers and meat packers use them...

Here are the advantages I found:
With regular steeling my edges lasted MUCH longer between sharpenings
I always had a very sharp knife to do my prep work.
It was easier to get my wife to maintain HER knives so I didn't have to sharpen them as frequently either.

I put my kitchen knives on the EdgePro about three times a year. (That's all that's needed with this method.) They get touched up on a Spyderco Sharpmaker once a week, and 'steeled' before every use. Cutting ripe tomatoes is no problem at all.

I taught my wife the 'vertical' steeling technique, holding the rod with its end straight down on the counter. When she steels, she is running the knife down towards the counter away from her hand, rather than the traditional method holding the rod and slicing inwards towards the hands. She is no longer afraid to keep her knives sharp, and now she too steels before each meal's prep work.


Stitchawl
 
One area of maintenance where I still use a steel is in the kitchen.

I have an accumulation of old carbon steel kitchen knives. You can find them at thrift shops often for less than a dollar a piece. The are extremely thin and take a hair popping edge with very little effort -even from a steel.

Most of the time, I can get away with using the rim of my kitchen sink. :eek:

I dont use a steel for much else.
 
Using a steel on any knife over about 56 rockwell is asking for edge damage, particularly on Japanese blades or quality pocket knives. I'd advise the extra fine diamond steel if you're intent on using it on something other than garden variety soft German kitchen knives. Otherwise, stropping with diamond compound is probably a better idea.

I only use a kitchen steel on my Dexter's and Wusthof sets. I use boro silicate on my Japanese and handmade blades, then ceramic rods if the edge gets too far out of whack. By the point, though, my obsessive nature compels me to go back to my water stones and touch things up.

Just my 2¢
 
The purpose of a steel is to re-align the (microscopic) cutting edge. I use on every time I pick up a kitchen knife. I use a smooth steel on my Bob Kramer and I vary that with a more textured steel on my other knives. I carry a Schrade Honesteel when I hunt, and find it very useful to re-establish my edge.

Ceramic and diamond "steels" remove metal. I don't trust my steel skill to keep a constant angle, so I don't use them.

Watch any butcher. They use steels continually.
 
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