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  7. The 7 Best Sharpening Steels – Guidebook

The 7 Best Sharpening Steels – Guidebook

SaleComparison winner of the editors HENCKELS Fine Edge Pro Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel

The 7 Best Sharpening Steels – Guidebook

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.

Checklist for Sharpening Steel

Blade Length
  • 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.
Blade Shape
  • 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.
Blade Hardness
  • 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.
Blade Material
  • 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.
Handle
  • 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.

We have compiled the best and most interesting sharpening tools. You can find our recommendations for sharpening rays here.

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The Best Sellers Of Sharpening Steel

In a list of bestsellers, we have compiled the most popular sharpening steels for you.

# Preview Product
1 HENCKELS Fine Edge Pro Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel HENCKELS Fine Edge Pro Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel
2 Utopia Kitchen 10 Inch Honing Steel Knife Sharpening Steel Sharpening Rod - Black Utopia Kitchen 10 Inch Honing Steel Knife Sharpening Steel Sharpening Rod - Black
3 Winware by Winco Stainless Steel Winware Sharpening Steel, 12-Inch Winware by Winco Stainless Steel Winware Sharpening Steel, 12-Inch
4 ARCCI Diamond Knife Sharpening Steel Rod 10 Inch, Professional Kitchen Diamond Knife Blade Sharpener Rod Stick, Knife Honer Steel for Honing Knife Blades, Chef Knives and Shears ARCCI Diamond Knife Sharpening Steel Rod 10 Inch, Professional Kitchen Diamond Knife Blade Sharpener...
5 Knife Sharpening Set:4-in-1 Knife Sharpener,9 Inch Carbon Steel Professional Knife Sharpening Steel with Honing Steel,Honing Rod,Easy to Hold & Use for Kitchen Knives,Gardening Tool Knife & Scissors Knife Sharpening Set:4-in-1 Knife Sharpener,9 Inch Carbon Steel Professional Knife Sharpening Steel...
6 Knife Sharpener Rod,12' Honing Rod Commercial Grade Knife Sharpening Steel Rod Adopt 66HRC Hard Alloy Steel Material With Rosewood handle for Kitchen Knives and Hunting Blade Sharpening (12'') Knife Sharpener Rod,12" Honing Rod Commercial Grade Knife Sharpening Steel Rod Adopt 66HRC Hard...
7 Serrated Knife Sharpener, Pocket Knife Sharpener with Retractable Diamond Sharpening Rod, Knife Sharpening Steel Rod Tool for Kitchen Outdoor Repairs Polishes Restores Serrated Stick Tools Serrated Knife Sharpener, Pocket Knife Sharpener with Retractable Diamond Sharpening Rod, Knife...
8 F Dick 7598135 Dickoron Sharpening Steel 14'L sapphire cut round F Dick 7598135 Dickoron Sharpening Steel 14"L sapphire cut round
9 WÜSTHOF 10' Sharpening Steel WÜSTHOF 10" Sharpening Steel
10 Orange Ninja Knife Honing Rod 10-inch with Adjustable Angle Guides 17° & 20°- Premium Quality Sharpening Steel Sharpener to keep Kitchen Knives Sharp Orange Ninja Knife Honing Rod 10-inch with Adjustable Angle Guides 17° & 20°- Premium Quality...
11 KINTIF Honing Steel 12 inch Sharpening Steel, Professional Knife Sharpener, High Carbon, Fine Lines, High hardness, knife sharpening Honing Rod KINTIF Honing Steel 12 inch Sharpening Steel, Professional Knife Sharpener, High Carbon, Fine Lines,...
12 Cutluxe Honing Rod, Sharpening Steel for Kitchen Knives – 10' Honing Steel – Full Tang Ergonomic Handle Design – Artisan Series Cutluxe Honing Rod, Sharpening Steel for Kitchen Knives – 10" Honing Steel – Full Tang Ergonomic...
13 KESSAKU Sharpening Honing Rod - 10 inch - Dynasty Series - High Carbon Stainless Steel - G10 Garolite Handle KESSAKU Sharpening Honing Rod - 10 inch - Dynasty Series - High Carbon Stainless Steel - G10...
14 Knife Sharpening (a) With Sharpening Steel [b] With Kitchen Sharpener Knife Sharpening (a) With Sharpening Steel [b] With Kitchen Sharpener
15 Stainless Steel Professional Knife Sharpener Tool Sharpening Machine Kitchen Accessories Grinding Stainless Steel Professional Knife Sharpener Tool Sharpening Machine Kitchen Accessories Grinding
16 AccuSharp 9' Professional Knife Sharpening Stainless Steel - Honing Rod Butcher Steel w/Rubber Handle - Sharpens, Restores & Realigns Kitchen Knives & Cutting Tools Blades - Lightweight & Durable AccuSharp 9" Professional Knife Sharpening Stainless Steel - Honing Rod Butcher Steel w/Rubber...
17 Diamonds Sharpening Steel, 8 Inch Professional Extra Fine Oval Knife Sharpener Steel Rod Kitchen Diamonds Coated Honing Steel for Chefs Honing Butcher Knives Diamonds Sharpening Steel, 8 Inch Professional Extra Fine Oval Knife Sharpener Steel Rod Kitchen...
18 Sharpening Sword on Steel Combat and Rescue Sharpening Sword on Steel Combat and Rescue
19 Dexter 30505: 12' Sharpening Steel Dexter 30505: 12" Sharpening Steel
20 WÜSTHOF 10' Diamond Sharpening Steel WÜSTHOF 10" Diamond Sharpening Steel

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Current Offers Of Sharpening Steel

You can find the best current offers on sharpening steels in this list.

SaleBestseller Nr. 1
HENCKELS Fine Edge Pro Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel
HENCKELS Fine Edge Pro Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel
Maintains sharp knives between professional sharpenings; Use every other time knife is used
$20.00 −25% Amazon Prime
SaleBestseller Nr. 2
Professional Carbon Steel Black Knife Sharpening Steel, Black 12 Inch
Professional Carbon Steel Black Knife Sharpening Steel, Black 12 Inch
Steel rod is made of carbon steel and plated with nickel-chrome.; Ergonomic, easy-to-grip polypropylene handle with hanging hole.
$18.99 −32% Amazon Prime
SaleBestseller Nr. 3
SaleBestseller Nr. 4
SaleBestseller Nr. 5
HENCKELS J.A International Accessories Sharpening Steel, 10-inch, Stainless Steel
HENCKELS J.A International Accessories Sharpening Steel, 10-inch, Stainless Steel
10"; Keeps blade honed between sharpenings.; Safer knife; Using a sharpening steel each time you use your knives will keep the edge aligned
$46.50 −40% Amazon Prime
SaleBestseller Nr. 7
HENCKELS Forged Synergy Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel
HENCKELS Forged Synergy Sharpening Steel, 9-inch, Black/Stainless Steel
Fabricated from high-quality German stainless steel; Modern double-rivet handle with a stainless steel backing gives comfort in style
$41.50 −40% Amazon Prime
SaleBestseller Nr. 8
ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Double Cut Honing Steel
ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Double Cut Honing Steel
Double cut honing steel; Manufactured in Japan; Manufactured in Japan
$100.00 −30% Amazon Prime

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.

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