What Angle Do You Steel At??

[JDEEBLADE]

Everyone seems to have a different view of what angle you should use when you steel a knife. I know it can depend on the use of the knife whether it be butchering or heavy cutting. The Razor Edge system recommends 35 degrees how does this stack up?

 

[stich]

A steel is used strictly for realigning a previously sharpened edge that through work has rolled or otherwise been slightly dulled, so at the existing edge angle is correct. And only a few light swipes are needed. Ceramic and diamond steels actually sharpen, but they also use the existing edge angle.

 

[mete]

It depends on what your knife is used to , seriously. When I worked in my fathers kitchen and needed the knife steeled I let him do it . This after he would complain that if I did it I 'did it all wrong'.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

JDEEBLADE :

I know it can depend on the use of the knife whether it be butchering or heavy cutting.

This should influence mainly the angle at which the edge has been sharpened and its thickness. Steeling just has to be done at the same angle the knife was sharpened or greater. The larger the angle the faster the responce (pressure increases) which is why large angles are generally recommended. The downside to going very large with steeling angles is that it is easy to oversteel as the pressure can be very great and this will smear out the edge and vastly weaken it.

-Cliff