smooth butcher steels - where?

E

edb

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Aug 30, 2002
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I've read a few times about how smooth steels are preferable to the textured/bumpy/whatever steels that seem more common. The one I have is inherited, and it has grooves. I've looked at a number of online sites at steels, but I can't tell for sure if any are just smooth. Almost all of the pictures seem to look like the steels have grooves.

I don't want to spend a whole lot, but aside from that, does anyone have any pointers to where I can find a "smooth-steel" steel?
 
F Dick kitchen cutlery still makes smooth (sometimes called slick) steels. They're expensive though, last I looked they were around $100.
 
Sundsvall beat me to it. Handamerican sells very nice smooth steels. All I've done to improve mine is put some Tru-Oil on the handles and epoxy the hanging ring in place. They're shipped unfinished and are a little rough. Other than that, great product.
 
The easier course is to use what you have. Just don't apply any pressure and you will have the same steeling effect as a smooth one. I sometimes use a pot lid to steel my knives.
 
http://catalogs.google.com/catalogs?dq=&hl=en&lr=&issue=24717&catpage=201

Click on the above link and you will have what you are looking for, I have had the F Dick one, the letter F polished steel, for many years and it works great. This is a professional quality butcher's steel and should last the rest of your life plus 100 years if properly cared for. The price is also very reasonable.

This outfit, Koch Supplies Inc, serves the meatpacking industry and is good to deal with.

Alex Penton
 
You can also check in restaurant supply stores or ask your supermarket butcher where he gets his.
 
Lee Valley Tools has a burnisher for less than $20 (Canadian). It's about 8" long, oval in cross section, R64 or harder, perfectly smooth. It is made to form a lip on scraping tools, but works perfectly as a steel. Nice wooden handle, too.
 
Sundsvall said:
www.handamerican.com has smooth steels in addition to sharpening and leather stropping equipment.
Click to expand...

Ditto!

As RR says, about the only thing needed is a bit of oil on the handle. The sheath they come with is made from HandAmerica's stropping leather, so you can strop after steeling.

There was a tutorial on steeling on the site, but it seems that Keith is re doing it and it's not there at the moment.

Outstanding quality AND made in the USA.

Rob
 
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