Tired of working with dull knives in the kitchen? A sharpening steel can help, as you can use it to sharpen the blades of your knives quickly and easily. We have summarized all the important information about sharpening steels in a checklist for you. In our product recommendations.
- The longer the blade of a sharpening steel, the longer knives you can sharpen with it. With a blade about 20 cm long, you can perfectly sharpen knives with a length of about 20 to 23 cm if handled correctly. For longer knife blades up to about 30 cm, you need a sharpening steel with a blade about 25 cm long.
- Sharpening steels are available with round and oval blades.
- The diameter of a round blade should be at least 1 cm, so that the contact surface of the knife edge is not too small.
- Oval blades generally offer a larger contact surface so that the pressure is distributed more widely when the knife is honed and the result is more even.
- The hardness of a sharpening steel blade must be higher than the hardness of the knife blade so that the sharpening steel will not be blocked by the knife.
- The hardness must be sufficiently high so that the fine-rough surface of the sharpening steel is not smoothed. Usually, sharpening steel blades have a hardness of at least 65 to 68 HRC (Rockwell hardness). The hardness should not be lower, as many knife blades also have a hardness of at least 60 HRC.
- Classic sharpening steels have, as the name suggests, a blade made of steel.
- A further development are sharpening steels with a ceramic blade. These blades have a core of steel and are coated with ceramic. Ceramic is very hard and wear resistant. However, ceramic is also brittle and fragile. A ceramic blade has a similar function to a whetstone. The knife blade is not only honed, but also very finely ground at the same time.
- Most sharpening steels are equipped with a handle made of plastic . It is important that the handle is ergonomically shaped so that the sharpening steel fits comfortably in the hand and can be held securely while sharpening the knife.
- Also important is that the handle is thickened on the side of the blade or has a so-called parry bar , which prevents the knife from hurting your fingers while sharpening.
Table of contents
Recommended Sharpening Steels
We have compiled the best and most interesting sharpening tools. You can find our recommendations for sharpening rays here.
Tip: You can find many great Turkey jerseys in our guide to Turkey jerseys.
The Best Sellers Of Sharpening Steel
In a list of bestsellers, we have compiled the most popular sharpening steels for you.
Tip: Fun drinking games for the next party can be found in our guide to drinking games.
Current Offers Of Sharpening Steel
You can find the best current offers on sharpening steels in this list.
FAQ About Sharpening Steel
How long does a sharpening steel last?
If a sharpening steel is only used to sharpen kitchen knives, a good quality sharpening steel can be used for several years. If used daily, a sharpening steel will last about 1 to 2 years.
How to sharpen knives with a sharpening steel?
The blade of the knife should always be pulled along the entire length of the sharpening steel at a 15° angle, alternating left and right. Make sure that you either wear a cut-resistant glove or that there is enough safety distance between the blade and your hand.
What is a good sharpening steel?
What makes a good sharpening steel depends on your individual preferences and budget. For Damascus knives or other high quality knives, a ceramic or diamond sharpening steel should be used. For stainless steel knives, an ordinary sharpening steel will do.
More On The Topic
Knives
- The 10 best damask knives – guidebook
- The 15 best chef’s knives – Guide
- The 7 best Swiss Army Knives – Guidebook
- The 8 best carving knives – Guidebook
- The 8 best outdoor knives – guidebook
- The 8 best cutter knives for do-it-yourselfers – Guidebook
- The 7 best pocket knives for children – Guidebook
- The 6 best carving knives for kids – guidebook