# Alternative to a steel



## Pdksays (Feb 4, 2017)

Hi all, I'm a chef and I'm putting my knives through their paces on a daily basis. I'm looking for a good alternative to a steel for honing while in the kitchen. I don't have time or the space to go back to a whetstone to strop during the day and I hate using a steel on my knives especially my higher hardness ones. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a stropping alternative that they've found works well? Cheap or diy would be super appealing to me. 

Thank.


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## panda (Feb 4, 2017)

use a fine ceramic steel

but if you only want to strop, plain cardboard works. or folded up parchment paper.


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## gic (Feb 4, 2017)

Get a xf/xxf diafold from DMT and stroke it across the knife?? <$35


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## Benuser (Feb 4, 2017)

A 3k Chosera would do the job, can be used dry. Just a few edge trailing strokes, and a few deburring ones as well. Otherwise, a great ceramic rod is the Sieger LongLife. There's some learning curve with it. You need a very light touch and an hectic environment is not the best to get used to it.


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## fatboylim (Feb 5, 2017)

Dry strop on a whetstone works well. Arashiyama 6000 is my choice based on great reviews here.


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## daveb (Feb 5, 2017)

I've kept a splash and go stashed at work. If I'm losing the edge on tomatoes etc, a few strokes and put it away, work for me.


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## Sharpchef (Feb 5, 2017)

I am a chef too,....

I think it is necessary to know wich knifes you use at work...

My amount of sharpening is about once a week a touchup using special Gizmos ... By using very hard tungsten alloyed steel knifes....
or the other way around old Solingen Beaters that are sharpened freehand once a month on 800 grit and refined with 2 different steels DICK Dickoron and DICK Polish... That works well for me.

Greets Sebastian.


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## Pdksays (Feb 5, 2017)

Mostly using a konosuke HH gyuto, a yahiko gyuto, a cck mini cleaver, and a kanehide honesuki.


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## Marek07 (Feb 5, 2017)

Benuser said:


> A 3k Chosera would do the job, can be used dry. Just a few edge trailing strokes, and a few deburring ones as well. Otherwise, a great ceramic rod is the Sieger LongLife. There's some learning curve with it. You need a very light touch and an hectic environment is not the best to get used to it.


lus1:
Definitely a light touch if using the Sieger.


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## Keith Sinclair (Feb 5, 2017)

Shapton Pro slash & Go


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## Sleep (Feb 6, 2017)

Barber hone from JNS. I got one as a freebie and wasn't sure what to do with it. But it works well for touch ups and doesn't take up much room in the knife box.


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## tubes (Mar 31, 2017)

Pdksays said:


> Mostly using a konosuke HH gyuto, a yahiko gyuto, a cck mini cleaver, and a kanehide honesuki.



Is the Yahiko the new R2? If so, thoughts?


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 1, 2017)

"or folded up parchment paper."

Or a strip of balsa.

Newspaper, especially on unalloyed carbon steels


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## Sharpchef (Apr 1, 2017)

Buy an old Fleamarket Razor strop one like this:

http://messer-machen.de/schaerfmittel/polierpaste/marktuebersicht-zur-gratentfernung/lederriemen/spannriemen-chromoxid/spannriemen-chromoxid.html

And glue some sanding paper 600 grit on one side and Lapping Film with your favorite grit (like 3my or 1my) on the other, works well in a crowded area  .

Greets Sebastian.


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## Benuser (Apr 1, 2017)

Marek07 said:


> lus1:
> Definitely a light touch if using the Sieger.



And have the angle a bit lower than when it bites, as always.


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## ABranson (Apr 4, 2017)

Is a strop really a replacement for a steel though? Especially like, if you have a ceramic steel, it doesn't seem like it behaves like a strop. And I feel like stropping is more delicate than steeling... agree or disagree?


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 4, 2017)

@Abranson I think one has to view loaded and unloaded strops as different beasts, just as ceramic hones are to honing steels...


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## Sharpchef (Apr 4, 2017)

ABranson said:


> Is a strop really a replacement for a steel though? Especially like, if you have a ceramic steel, it doesn't seem like it behaves like a strop. And I feel like stropping is more delicate than steeling... agree or disagree?



For sure not!

I lately made some tests... You can steel any knife (except high hardened HSS and japanese steels.) 

First SC125(Catcheside Cutlery HRC 65) with 8k Finish:





10times DICK Polish Rod Steel:




After this 10times Saphierzug/Dickoron:





Anybody will see the difference i guess....

What happens if i will use a pasted strop is counterproductive in the same way. You will round the edge, and therefor this is much more work for the next touchup, as it is with steeling.

But with steeling i can hold the knife sharp for a longer time, but you have to do this slowly with no force/pressure and gently, especially at the impact on the steel.

greets Sebastian.


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## Benuser (Apr 4, 2017)

Not so sure about how to interpret those photos.


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## Kippington (Apr 4, 2017)

keithsaltydog said:


> Shapton Pro slash & Go





daveb said:


> I've kept a splash and go stashed at work. If I'm losing the edge on tomatoes etc, a few strokes and put it away, work for me.



I'm in this camp. A properly thinned knife on a splash-and-go gets resharpened just as quickly as it takes people to steel a knife. I guess the downside is you need to do this at a sink.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Apr 5, 2017)

"You can steel any knife (except high hardened HSS and japanese steels.) "

I guess on KKF that is like saying you can roast any elephant except the kind that has a trunk 

Could this all be more about "using a steel carefully while aware of the edge angles etc" vs "beating the blade into submission with the steel like a showoff döner cook on speed"?


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