This steel is very nice for the price. The length is fine for nearly any knife and the material itself is of a suitable hardness for correcting cutting edges. The handle is easy to hold, and it has a nice heft and balance. Exactly what I would expect from a Henckels product.
Now, a brief clarification: A steel will absolutely not "sharpen" your knife. It doesn't have a grit so much as the steel used is much harder than the knife. (If you have a dull edge you can run it along the finest steel for hours and not get a sharper cutting edge.) What it does do is simply correct the angle of the knife's edge that tends to get bent to either side during normal use. When you run the leading edge of the knife down the steel in the correct manner, a sharp edge should go back to the appropriate angle. If you have a dull blade, you need to hone a new edge. (For that you may consider using a professional sharpening service. this can be a little tough for a novice...sorry!) Once that is done, use your steel each and every time you pull your knives from their home to keep the edge at peak usability.
Keep in mind that you could sharpen a spoon to a razors edge, it just won't keep it for long. Better knives hold an edge for much longer due to the quality of the materials and their hardness. Few of us need an exquisitely expensive set of knives. Just buy a nice set for a good price and keep on using a good steel!
I have Henckels knife which I enjoy using.
I did try other brand's sharpening tool, but it just wasn't as good as original Hanckels. This thing is made in Germany!
Since I paid good sum of money for my knives, it was worth extra money to buy good sharpner. And this really is great price. I saw similar Henckels sharpner at Target for $25.
I am very happy.
It is what it says it is and is great for putting that finished edge on knives. About 6 or 7 passes on each side keeps my wifes favorite kitchen knife razor keen. Also used it on my pocket knife, cuts through boxes like butter.
I recently took a cooking class where I learned how to use a sharpening steel and how effective they are in putting a good edge on you knives. (a few light strokes on each side of the blade at a 20 degree angle is all it takes) My wife can't believe how sharp our knives are now. This was an excellent steel with a molded handle. While not a pretty as the "matched set" this is very functional and our knives don't even notice the molded handle either. I ended up buying another steel for my daughter and now she has sharp knives as well.
This product will not sharpen dull knives, but it will keep sharp knives in great cutting condition much longer. I did not know anything about this type of product before my purchase, but research (and now experience) has shown me that a sharpening steel will remove the burs to keep the cutting edge straight and smooth so the sharpness of the blade does what it does. I notice a big difference if I use my knives a few times without using this product, and then after a few swipes on both sides of the blade they are like new again.
I got this brand since it was a gold box item for me, but I'd recommend any sharpening steel that is at a good price. I can't imagine you'd see much difference in results from different brands, the knives are what really matter.
I've already went through my kitchen knives and touched them all up with a nice edge. This is a fine quality steel. I owned a professional steel already, but it was quite old and I really like the balance of this one better!
How much can you say about a piece like this?
It's a nice size (shorter than most I've used).
It's easy to handle, and my knives (Victorinox Cutlery 6-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle and Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife ) are ready to cut after a quick honing.
For sharpening, I love this tool (and so does Cook's Illustrated):
AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener
Have used it over a year. Like the hanging loop. I sharpen with a Tormec wet grinder, then do a final touch-up with this steel. This steel has micro grooves, so a light touch works best. My old Remington 10" carving knife maintains a razor edge with this steel between uses. A final pass with the Global diamond rod ensures a very fine edge. And the price is right.'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
