I've read a few sharpening FAQs, including the one here, but I still have some questions about the differences between the various methods of getting an edge on a knife.
My questions run along the lines of what is actually, physically, happening to the knife. I gather that idea behind sharpening with a stone is to remove metal from either side of a blunt edge until the two meet. Frequently I read people referring to using a steel to 'realign the edge'. Does this differ from sharpening? If so, how? Does stropping accomplish the same thing as steeling? How would you know when to use each technique?
Probably the difference is in the amount of metal removed, or in the quantity removed with each pass, but I wanted to be sure. I have a Henckels kitchen knife that I use every day that has only been steeled. It seems to stay quite sharp, so I'm thinking maybe I sharpen my other knives too much and should just be steeling them.
My questions run along the lines of what is actually, physically, happening to the knife. I gather that idea behind sharpening with a stone is to remove metal from either side of a blunt edge until the two meet. Frequently I read people referring to using a steel to 'realign the edge'. Does this differ from sharpening? If so, how? Does stropping accomplish the same thing as steeling? How would you know when to use each technique?
Probably the difference is in the amount of metal removed, or in the quantity removed with each pass, but I wanted to be sure. I have a Henckels kitchen knife that I use every day that has only been steeled. It seems to stay quite sharp, so I'm thinking maybe I sharpen my other knives too much and should just be steeling them.