Using a steel to "put the edge back on"

comet

comet

Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
258
OK, I have had a Henkels steel rod for 20 years. Every time I try to use it to touch up the blade, I seem to ruin the edge. I have tried to watch my butcher use his steel. He seems to push the knife away from the steel. In reading the instructions from Henkels, they say to hold the steel errect and push the knife towards the steel (i.e like you would sharpen on a stone.)

So my question is, do you guys use the steel? If so do you have tips on using it? I don't want to pull out the sharpmaker ecvery time I want to put the edge back on my kitchen knives.
 
most of my maintainance is done with the chakma (very small steel). This keeps them plenty sharp for chopping. I just run the chakma along the blade a few times every time I chop through a branch. I haven't tried a steel for my more delicate blades.

Frank
 
If the steel is grooved or ribbed you need to use it lightly. It should remove neglegiable material (it is not a file) and will only restore an edge that is lightly dulled. They work best on the relatively soft steel of kitchen knives.

I would use it the way your butcher does if your steel is ribbed. I would use it very lightly or and only a few strokes. The edge restoration is not major, but it leaves an edge that slices very well. Use the steel just before you do your cutting. The steel bends edge dings back into allignment and they tend to creep back to crooked with time. You need to start with a sharp blade and steel it after every few times you use it. If it ever gets significantly dull the steel won't work and you'll need to use an abrasive hone.

If your steel is perfectly smooth you have the option of running the blade along it edge-first. I do most of my steeling edge-trailing, even with my smooth steel.
 
First of all avoid the ribbed ones. They just tear up your blade and do more harm than good.

A steel isn't for removing material. It's only to stand the edge back up after it starts to fold over. Use a smooth one and it really doesn't matter which way you use it. Personally, I go slow starting from the handle of the steel and go spine-first down and away from the handle. Just maybe 3 times each side.

If your knife is dull a steel won't help.
All a steel does is keep a sharp knife sharper longer.
Don't expect to use your knife until it gets dull and then use a steel to get it sharp again.
What you have to do is sharpen the knife with your Sharpmaker and then get in the HABIT of steeling your knife before EACH time you use it. The knife will stay sharper much much longer.
 
Jeff Clark :

If the steel is grooved or ribbed you need to use it lightly. It should remove neglegiable material (it is not a file) and will only restore an edge that is lightly dulled. They work best on the relatively soft steel of kitchen knives.
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I use mine fairly hard on the soft knives so it acts as a file. I sharpen them once or twice a year to recut the edge bevels, and for the rest of the year they just get the butcher steel. I usually do a couple of passes edge trailing to align the edge, and then a few edge first to recut a new set of microteeth.

Fulloflead :

First of all avoid the ribbed ones. They just tear up your blade and do more harm than good.
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This depends on the knife. On really hard knife blades, a grooved steel can actually be cut by the edge and then both get damaged. However most kitchen knives are very soft 48-52 RC, and the grooved steel can easily restore or even reset the edge without damage.

For a lot of cutting filed edges have very high performance, this was discussed a few years back on rec.knives by Mike Swaim, which is what lead to the revolution on the internet of coarse edges for more slicing bite.

Comet, your problem is most likely that the angle on the edge of the knives is too steep and thus it is difficult to steel properly. Try increasing the angle of the blade to the hone and see if it helps.

-Cliff
 
In the Kitchen I usually hold my steel horizontal and draw the knives across as when freehand sharpening, I find it easier to hold the angle that way, or I hold the steel at an angle and draw the knife horizontally, which is how I normally sharpen with hones. Either way the steel is fixed against the counter, not just held freehand in the air.
 
For someone who isn't used to a steel, I always recommend putting the tip of the steel on a table, so that the steel is stationary and vertical. you stroke along each side of the steel to hit both sides of your knife. This is so that you have angle control, which is one of the most important aspects of sharpening.

I use this method somethimes, but I also use my Razor Edge folding steel (that producks kicks butt!) and I "free hand" on my steel with the steel in my left hand, pointing horizontalish. But I spent 2 summers working in a hog plant, so I got a lot of practice steeling! Just for interests sake, we used Victorinox knives that Rockwelled to around 51 (I had some tested by Phil Wilson) and we used f.Dick smooth steels.
 
Originally posted by fulloflead
First of all avoid the ribbed ones. They just tear up your blade and do more harm than good.
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Maybe if you order the cheap kind, but the high quality steels that Hand American makes are so finely grooved, that you almost can't tell it by looking at it. I have a half groove, where only one side of the steel has grooves, and they had to notch the end of the steel on the side of the grooves so it is easily identifiable. The other side is as smoothe as glass. Very high quality, and a very good company to deal with. They also make awesome leather hones.

Mike
 
i bought a diamond 'steel', do you use it instead of a plain/grooved steel, does it basically do the same job? . . . or do you use it for different reasons - putting an edge on etc?
 
The diamond rods are abrasive hones and will not align an edge as much as just resharpen it. They produce an edge which will last much longer than one produced by a steel, but they do remove more material. The loss of material however isn't a serious concern because the diamond rods sold for such uses are typically fine grit (600 or so). For soft kitchen knives a steel is usually of benefit as the edge rolls quickly on such knives and they respond very well to steeling. The diamond rod can work well here, but isn't a huge improvement over the grooved steel. For harder knives the diamond rods are usually better choices because those knives are used to cut more abrasive material and the edge can wear as well as deform.

-Cliff
 
The ceramic rods are much the same, just usually a lot finer than the diamond ones. The ceramic rods are mainly used to create a highly polished edge which is very suitable for push cuts. The diamond rods give a much more aggressive edge which does well when slicing.

-Cliff
 
I really have come to like a coarser edge for my kitchen knives. I have found that the smooth steels seem to give me a finer edge the more I use them. I rarely use it anymore. Anyone else notice this with coarse edges and smooth steels?
 
As the knife blunts the teeth lose their bite due to wear and fracture, so even though after the steeling the edge is in proper alignment, the microteeth are not at optimal formation so the aggression won't be back to that of a full sharpening. Now you can polish with a smooth steel, there is also an inherent burnishing effect which was documented by John Juranitch who took photographs of steeled edges showing a smearing out effect which refined the edge finish, but as long as you go light with just a pass or two to straighten the edge, this effect is small.

-Cliff
 
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