Steeling

I've never really used a steel until recently, when I acquired a burnisher (Rc 64+) for that purpose. It's basically a steel rod, mirror polished, and very hard. The other day I was using my CS Voyager tanto around the yard, cutting up fallen branches, trimming the tomatoes, opening the mail, cutting tomatoes and veggies. By the end of the day the edge, still sharp (AUS8 is good stuff, IMHO), felt a little ragged, so I pulled it lightly across the steel at a 90 degree angle both sides two or three times... and the hair popping edge came back! Note that this technique is a bit different than whisking the edge lengthwise along the steel as you may have seen some show-off chefs perform. A long-time knife vendor in Edmonton advises that the right way is to pull it lightly across the steel at a right angle, which gives you better control of the angle. It works.
 
C

Columbo

Joined
Feb 1, 2000
Messages
418
Alberta Ed,

I like the idea of a good steel. They aren't as destructive to the blade as a sharpener. The Schrade steel with the leather sheath seems like it might be good. What do you think of them? My blades are of 1095, AUS-8, and ATS-34, all in the Rc 56-59 range. I have also found the AUS-8 to be quite good.

Cordially,

Dave

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Dave
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If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
 
I like the results I get form steeling knives between sharpenings. I agree with the recommendation to do so with precision movements rather then rapid careless stokes. Thanks for a good post Ed.
 
I'm trying to picture this. I take it you mean the long axis of the knife is at right angles to the long axis of the steel. You still have to get the angle of the edge to the steel right, and as with hand sharpening, that is what tends to vary as you flip the knife from one side to the other.

I agree that being careful and precise is better than too casual and sloppy, but otherwise I don't see what difference it makes if the long axis of the knife is exactly perpendicular to the steel.
 
It's just that it's easier to maintain the desired angle when you pull the knife blade across the steel at a 90 degree angle (or whatever), rather than holding the steel vertically and slicing down on either side, which is how I've seen it done. Safer, too, since you're not cutting down toward your hand. I have no experience with the Schrade steel, but any smooth steel harder than the knife blade should work. Someone on this forum suggested heat-treating drill rod (D2?)to make a steel.
 
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