Using your steel

[Caine]

From a knife manufacturer's web site: How to Use Your Sharpening Steel

 

[buzzard767]

From a knife manufacturer's web site: How to Use Your Sharpening Steel

Holy cow. An unabashed advertisement for some company's products, and mostly bad information at that. Spend a couple bucks and buy an old book on Amazon - The Razor Edge Book Of Sharpening by John Juranitch, first printing 1985. Learn about steel edges, how to sharpen them, and how to keep them that way. One caveat, his saying "keep your blade under a 25-degree angle.." is conservative. I have carbon steel blades forged prior to WWII that I keep at 15 degrees with zero problems whatsoever. VG-10 and powder steels commonly found on present day Japanese cooking knives can be easily taken to a 10 degree angle.

Take your precious Forschners to a professional sharpener (no, I'm not one of them) and have your edge reprofiled and ask him how you should take care of them. Or, be satisfied with an edge that is the equal of a Kia relative to a Ferrari. The difference in your hand is amazing.

Buzz

 

[BlueCat]

Well, I don't know diddly about Chef Pepin, but I just read his sharpening advice here. Most of the info is okay but some is incorrect.

Steeling is only done properly when the angle of the blade to the steel matches (exactly) the angle of the edge to the blade. If you have an axe-like edge of 25 degrees like you get from the Henckel factory you have to maintain a 25 degree angle. Simple. Now, if you slide your expensive Shun Elite blade down the steel at 25 degrees, whoops, you have just rolled, and probably ruined, the 16 degree edge angle set at the factory.

1. Place the end of the steel on a surface and keep it absolutely verticle.
2. Match the angle
3. Lock your wrist
4. Pull or push with your arm only, maintaining the angle with the locked wrist.

Again, simple. All it takes is a little knowledge and a little practise.

This business about watching some TV chef slashing away this way and that is absolute garbage. That would be for show only. Most big time chefs have their knives sharpened professionally anyway. Find those guys at bladeforums and knifeforums, where pros hang out.

Sorry if I sound somewhat harsh, but there is a lot of bad info being spread.

Buzz

Well, in fact, you do sound a bit harsh, particularly when you think that I watched some TV chef "slashing away, this way and that" and am some sort of hack because of it. I saw him, not on TV, but demonstrating on a website, the way he uses a steel. Of course I'm sure he has his knives sharpened professionally. We were talking about how to use a steel. He was very specific, just as you were about the proper angles to use, etc., and he also said to keep your wrists locked and to move from the shoulder, so as not to alter the angles. No need to badmouth anyone.

Oh, and to answer my own question, I guess that my knives are in pretty fine tune, but the way I sliced the bejeebers out of my finger about an hour ago, just barely running my hand over it to remove some onion that was on the blade. No need to sharpen that one with the stone yet. And yes, I do my own sharpening, with my own sharpening stones, because I'm not a "big time chef."

BC

 

[AllenOK]

I agree it doesn't matter if you pull or push. I for one push one side and pull the other. But what is important how often you use one. I suggest using every time before using your knife. That will keep knife from getting dull, and also will help decrease need for sharpening.

I see I'm not the only person that does this.

I hold my steel at a 45 degree angle, in my left hand, with the cross-guard parallel to my arm (this ensures that the knife, should it slip off, will strike the cross-guard, and not my hand). I hold my knife in my right hand, and place the right side of the blade, at the "toe" or "heel" of the blade, onto the left side of the steel, and draw the blade down the length of the steel, ending at the tip. Then, I place the left side of the blade, at the tip, on the right side of the steel, and draw up and away. Usually, I only need 3 strokes to hone my knife.

 

[ironchef]

Bottom line is, it's not how you hold your steel, it's the angle which is the most important. With that being said, having a sharp knife is one of the most important kitchen tools to have. With a dull knife, when you're quickly chopping something like scallions, you won't be able to make clean cuts and you'll get some large pieces that look like an accordian. With a sharp knife, you can mow through a bunch of scallions and get thin shavings. I needed to prep for dinner so here's something to give you an idea of what I mean. The sound in the video is off for some reason. It was okay when I did it but when I uploaded it, the video for some reason is moving slower than the sound is going. When the sound stops is when I finished cutting the scallions, not when the video shows it:

Click here to watch How-sharp-is-your-knife

But on the flip side, you're better off having a dull knife and knowing how to cook rather than having sharp knives but very little culinary skill whatsoever. That's kind of like having a fast car and driving like your passenger is Miss Daisy. It's like saying, "Look my knives are so sharp I can cut through ice! Would you like some Hamburger Helper or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner?"

 

[buzzard767]

Bottom line is, it's not how you hold your steel, it's the angle which is the most important. With that being said, having a sharp knife is one of the most important kitchen tools to have. With a dull knife, when you're quickly chopping something like scallions, you won't be able to make clean cuts and you'll get some large pieces that look like an accordian. With a sharp knife, you can mow through a bunch of scallions and get thin shavings. I needed to prep for dinner so here's something to give you an idea of what I mean. The sound in the video is off for some reason. It was okay when I did it but when I uploaded it, the video for some reason is moving slower than the sound is going. When the sound stops is when I finished cutting the scallions, not when the video shows it:

Click here to watch How-sharp-is-your-knife

But on the flip side, you're better off having a dull knife and knowing how to cook rather than having sharp knives but very little culinary skill whatsoever. That's kind of like having a fast car and driving like your passenger is Miss Daisy. It's like saying, "Look my knives are so sharp I can cut through ice! Would you like some Hamburger Helper or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner?"

Excellent post. Here's some stuff from an Internet acquaintance of mine. Notice the polished blade, like a mirror. All his knives are like that and he does it himself. Most of his knives are carbon steel, thinly profiled, and polished like the devil. Anal. A man after my own heart. By the way, he's a chef, not a home cook like me.

chop chop YouTube - a Cleaver Lunchtime with C-Dawg

cut cut YouTube - paper shredding movie

 

[buzzard767]

Here's another one of Curtis's vids. This time with a chef's knife. The guy is fun to watch. BTW, nobody's perfect - he has cut himself.....

YouTube - Akitada Hontanren

Buzz

 

[college_cook]

I think the statement that a grooved steel removes metal is incorrect. The only way to remove metal from a blade is through the use of an abrasive; something with grit. A grooved steel doesn't have any grit, so how would it remove metal?

The only steels that CAN remove metal are those studded with diamond dust, which acts as a very light abrasive, and lightly sharpens your blade while it hones it.

My very favorite steel to use is a diamond steel, oval-shaped.

 

[buzzard767]

I think the statement that a grooved steel removes metal is incorrect. The only way to remove metal from a blade is through the use of an abrasive; something with grit. A grooved steel doesn't have any grit, so how would it remove metal?

The only steels that CAN remove metal are those studded with diamond dust, which acts as a very light abrasive, and lightly sharpens your blade while it hones it.

My very favorite steel to use is a diamond steel, oval-shaped.

Why do you "think" grooved steels remove no metal? It's the grooves that do the work. Put another way, show me diamond dust on a file.

Buzz

 

[keltin]

Well, this has turned out to be an interesting thread! It seems that for steeling its all about different strokes (pun intended) for different folks.

I prefer to hold the steel near horizontal push away because it is more comfortable and I can maintain the proper angle more effectively. But I must admit, I am impressed when I see chef’s pull the knife down the steel with lightening fast movements.

When I said serrated in my original post, I meant a serrated knife like a bread knife.

Grooved steel does remove metal, especially if you have a heavy hand. It basically acts like a file.......and when you look at a file you see it is just steel with grooves. But, if you don’t lay on the knife while using grooved steel and instead use light pressure at the proper angle, you’ll be fine.

As for sharpening your knives, here’s a very comprehensive site with everything you ever wanted to know....and more.

 

[AllenOK]

Grooved steels DO remove some metal. Hone your knife with a grooved steel, then, using a damp cloth or paper towel, wipe the steel. You'll see the dark metallic "dust" that gets ground off. Heck, wipe your knife, and you'll see some on there as well.

I used to have a honing stone, two-sided, and man-made. It was like a block of compressed jeweler's rouge, in two different grades. I could polish an edge with that stone to a razor sharpness. In fact, if I used that stone, a steel would actually dull the knife. I'm kicking myself now for loosing it.

 

[college_cook]

Hone your knife with a grooved steel, then, using a damp cloth or paper towel, wipe the steel. You'll see the dark metallic "dust" that gets ground off. Heck, wipe your knife, and you'll see some on there as well.

This is what I do when I use my diamond steel, and also with a sharpening stone, and there's always a streak of dark gray dust. I've never had that with a grooved steel before, though.

Like I said, I prefer my diamond steel, as it slightly sharpens as it hones, but if for example, I've recently sharpened my knife on a stone and don't feel the blade needs the extra help from the diamond steel, I'll use my original grooved steel that I bought when I bought my knife. I've always been under the impression that the grooves were more effective at re-aligning the more serious dings that you might find at the edge of your knife.

 

[buzzard767]

This is what I do when I use my diamond steel, and also with a sharpening stone, and there's always a streak of dark gray dust. I've never had that with a grooved steel before, though.

Like I said, I prefer my diamond steel, as it slightly sharpens as it hones, but if for example, I've recently sharpened my knife on a stone and don't feel the blade needs the extra help from the diamond steel, I'll use my original grooved steel that I bought when I bought my knife. I've always been under the impression that the grooves were more effective at re-aligning the more serious dings that you might find at the edge of your knife.

You're fighting hard, College, but you are incorrect. Right off hand there are only two things I can think of that realign blade edges, SMOOTH steels made of tool steel, and smooth glass, think wine bottle or the edge of your baking dish. That's it!!!!!

Everything else with edges or abrasives cuts metal. Period!!!!! It's the EDGES of the grooves on the grooved steels. It's the EDGES of the bits on milling machines. It's the EDGES of the tools associatied with metal lathes. It's the diamond dust. It's the gritty stones. Even silver polish removes precious silver from your spoon with the edges of the grit contained therein.

EDIT - Those teensy little diamond dust particles are also edges, millions upon millions of them. Very hard and lots of edges. That's why they cut so fast, way too fast for me. I use a diamond stone for only one purpose - to flatten my Japanese water stones.

Okay?

Buzz

 

[buzzard767]

What brand of protractor do you use to meausre the angle of your blade in relation to the steel?

My "protractor" is actually one of my sharpeners. For my most exacting work I use an EdgePro. Read about it and see it in action here.

The way I measure is an age old sharpeners technique called the magic marker trick. Take a magic marker and run it along the edge and bevel. Now set the angle of the stone at approximately what you think is on the knife and lightly brush the edge with the stone. If the entire edge is wiped clean, congratulations, you've hit the jackpot. If not, remark, readjust, and try again until it fits. Once attained, read the angle on the pivot which has marks at 10, 15, 18, 21, and 24 degrees. It is not linear but you can interpolate.

Now, if a neighbor wants his knives sharpened I don't bother with the EdgePro because as with free handing on stones it is just too time consuming. For that, I use paper wheels whereon I can take an edge with the sharpness of an eraser to a jeweler's rouge polished razor in less than two minutes. But that's another story.

Buzz