Sharpening Steel For Knives

A Sharpening steel is a rod of steel, up to one foot long

, rounded in cross section, with longitudinal ridges, applied for aligning metal from the microscopic edge of blades. Sharpening steel is highly useful in honing knives, and scissors.

The sharpening steel is made of hardened stainless steel with small ridges along the length in the rod. This provides continual pressure along the rod. These ridges form a mildly abrasive surface ideal for removing metal from a blade which has lost its edge, and become rounded. The rod usually has a handle which the tang is conventionally screwed into, cast over with a plastic handle, and/or glued onto. Usually, a hilt is applied to safeguard the user's hand.

In order to get the best results from the rod it is essential to follow the steps methodically. First hold the steel firmly in your left hand or against a counter top. With your other hand, hold the knife crossways against the steel with the back of the blade (the part nearest the handle) touching the steel. You're going to be pulling the knife backward, toward you, so you want to start with most of the blade in front of the steel. Run the knife down the steel smoothly, as if you were whittling a stick. Maintain the same angle as you go, and pull your hand away from the steel gradually, so as to evenly hone from the blade base to tip. Maintaining 22-degree angle, while gliding the blade gently along the shaft make sure you cover the entire length of the blade, keeping the blade at that 22-degree angle the whole time. Do this step 10 times and repeat the same on the other side.

Make sure your sharpening steel is at least as long as the blade you are honing. For instance, if you are using a 10-inch chef's knife, your knife steel should be no shorter than 10 inches as well. Also remember, After using the sharpening steel, rinse and carefully wipe the blade dry with a towel so that any tiny metal filings on the knife's edge don't end up in the food you're about to work with.

Steels are maintenance tools used to assist keep an already sharp blade from degrading and not sharpen a dull knife.

If your knives are dull, pitted, or you see visible nicks on the cutting edge, bring your blade to a professional for resharpening. It should be noted, that the ridges on sharpening steel rods will wear thin over time.

by: Mark Peterson.

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