Knife sharpening "revisited"! To stone or steel?

[BBQ Fish]

I guess in reading past posts, it lead me to realize that maybe only a few actually stone their knives? And really, how many uses their steel/ceramic stick for a quick touch up?
I guess i ask because for many years i would quickly whip out a steel every so often to get what i thought a "finer edge". But then after a while, i realized something (too much time on my hands as a teenager) how accurate am i just flailing at a percieved angle of (let's say for argument sake) 20 degrees?
Well, after i started pondering for a while, and at a time when kitchen knives and archery wasn't a threat in school... i talked to my science teacher and was able to put my knives under a microscope. To my dismay, 20 degrees was further from that knife than i am to the moon!
So i started to put the steel on the table with a towel under the tip, which did help, but i started realizing i was actually still doing more harm than good.
Untill one day in shop class, (wow that sounds funny )when i was sharpening chisels and other tools i then reailized, i have a knack with this stoning stuff. So there i was, now head of all metal and wood shop tools and tooling i brought an older set of knives in to see what i can do.
With the basic and some new stones my teacher had ordered, i was able to keep a stronger and longer edge on the knives, and depending on work load, i could wait a week or so before i'd have to hone the blade again!

Now i use A combination of stones consisting of mostly all ceramic, in grits of 120 to 30,000. (Not all used for kitchen knives though)

If you have been using a steel all your life, by no means stop using it, because i'm just an average guy with different expierences. It's just like some knives do better for some than they do for others, and i guess that goes for sharpening methods as well.

Peace

 

[jennyema]

Steels really only hone the blade -- they aren't for actualy sharpening.

I usually steel before every use of my knives. And usually before putting them away.

I have a stone that I use but I am very lazy so I get my knives professionally sharpened twice a year. They are in dire need right now but I havent found a convenient time to take them in.

 

[CharlieD]

Unlike different types of knives sharpening of all of them is pretty much scientifically based operation. And there is a reason for stone as well as the steel. Stone is to sharpen; steel is to maintain the strait edge. If your knife is properly sharpened and it is a good knife you will need to repeat sharpening only every so often. (If you have to sharpen your knife every week, throw it away immediately and get your self a decent one.) On the other hand you should always use your steel before using the knife.

If you are able to look at the edge of knife under the microscope you’ll see that edge is not there, that is of course if knife is sharp. If it is dull you’ll see some what flat surface. Now what happens when you sharpen the knife – you remove that flat surface. What happens when you use the still? Here we have to ask first what happens with knife during the use. The edge of the blade been so thin, practically non-existent, starts to wobble, it’s like piece of paper the slightest move and the edge is bent to one or the other side. And now you have a little saw, or surface that looks like an edge of a saw – wobbly. And here comes the steel, by sliding the edge of a knife on the surface of the steel you straiten that edge and now knife is actually starts to cut, rather than sawing the food (whatever it might be). Use both, take care of using properly.

 

[BBQ Fish]

Unlike different types of knives sharpening of all of them is pretty much scientifically based operation. And there is a reason for stone as well as the steel. Stone is to sharpen; steel is to maintain the strait edge. If your knife is properly sharpened and it is a good knife you will need to repeat sharpening only every so often. (If you have to sharpen your knife every week, throw it away immediately and get your self a decent one.) On the other hand you should always use your steel before using the knife.

If you are able to look at the edge of knife under the microscope you’ll see that edge is not there, that is of course if knife is sharp. If it is dull you’ll see some what flat surface. Now what happens when you sharpen the knife – you remove that flat surface. What happens when you use the still? Here we have to ask first what happens with knife during the use. The edge of the blade been so thin, practically non-existent, starts to wobble, it’s like piece of paper the slightest move and the edge is bent to one or the other side. And now you have a little saw, or surface that looks like an edge of a saw – wobbly. And here comes the steel, by sliding the edge of a knife on the surface of the steel you straiten that edge and now knife is actually starts to cut, rather than sawing the food (whatever it might be). Use both, take care of using properly.

I do understand what your saying, however, i am just not good with a steel. Besides, i've grown so accustomed to stones/wet stones, i can't see mysenf using a stick hone again.
And it's not that i was sharpening every week or so, but honing the blade.
Looking through the microscope at the "edge" was like looking at 70 degree on one side and 40 degree angle on the other for me.