# what do you guys use for between your sharpening sessions



## r0bz (Dec 11, 2021)

*what do you guys use for between your sharpening sessions for knives with relatively soft steel (55-58 HRC Rockwell) in order to keep them sharp
what do you use and why?

(a) grooved steel honing rod?*
(*b*) *a smooth steel honing rod?
(c) you strop on your whetstone ?
(d) you strop on leather 
(e) you strop on cardboard 
(f) you use a ceramic honing rod?*
(*g) you use something else
also, some members of the forum have said that honing steel creates an edge that won't hold is it true ?
the information I've seen on that is contradicting some folks say after using honing steel the edge won't hold
and some folks say that the honing steel only aligns the edge and is perfectly fine for soft metal knives and that it has only a positive effect
what are your opinions on that as I am pretty confused about what is right and what is wrong?*


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## Nemo (Dec 11, 2021)

I use the knife between sharpening sessions 

More seriously, if the edge loses it's bite I might try stopping on diamond loaded felt or balsa. Or on a dry fine stone (very light edge leading strokes work well if you have decent angle control).

If the edge isn't refreshed in a couple of strokes, or if the resulting edge rapidly deteriorates, it's time to go back to the stones.


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## r0bz (Dec 11, 2021)

Nemo said:


> a dry fine stone


why do you use it dry when you can put some water on it ?


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## stringer (Dec 11, 2021)

Here's a picture of pretty much everything I've tried for touch up stones. Most of these are natural stones. I use them in hand. My 3 favorites are:
1. Aizu
2. Washita
3. Coticule


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## branwell (Dec 11, 2021)

r0bz said:


> what do you guys use for between your sharpening sessions for knives with relatively soft steel (55-58 HRC Rockwell) in order to keep them sharp
> what do you use and why?



Some good suggestions in the thread above. Will add.........

The Rockwell numbers you posted are in the range where a "Steel" is aproperate as a first line of maintiance. When the knife feels a little off, give it a few passes on the steel which will straighten the edge using momentum. Steels are awesome in that they remove very little if any metal. 
As to comments saying a steeled edge wont last long, they are true in that a steeled edge wont last as long as a fresh edge, but because they remove so little if any material, the extra life a steel will give an edge ( and the knife as a whole ) and the speed at which they do it can be a nice trade off.

When that stops working, a ceramic rod can be great to return the knife to functional. It differs to a "Steel" in that its actually abrasive and will remove fatigued metal. It will also return "Bite" to the edge. If you use one of these, make sure to start right at the heal so you don't end up scalloping the blade over time.

Alternatively stones could be used. As a general rule, knives in that rockwell range will work well with edges in the 600 to 1000 grit range. To touch up, just use the higher grit stone. If the edge has damage, use a lower grit ( 220 ) to remove the damage and then progress to the higher.


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## Giovanny Torres (Dec 11, 2021)

I've used honing rods for more than 10 years in a professional kitchen and I'm still to see a knife with the deformations on profiles that ppl show online or even microchips.
Maybe that happens when you go crazy like Gordon Ramsay?
Now I use a ceramic rod on all my knives no matter rockwell scale just for quick touch ups, I sharpen on whetstones once the rod is not working anymore (that's when you need it too often).

I'm not saying is the right thing to do, I think what people suggest here is better (leather strop, whetstone strop, etc), but in a professional environment is what works best for me.


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## r0bz (Dec 11, 2021)

branwell said:


> Some good suggestions in the thread above. Will add.........
> 
> The Rockwell numbers you posted are in the range where a "Steel" is aproperate as a first line of maintiance. When the knife feels a little off, give it a few passes on the steel which will straighten the edge using momentum. Steels are awesome in that they remove very little if any metal.
> As to comments saying a steeled edge wont last long, they are true in that a steeled edge wont last as long as a fresh edge, but because they remove so little if any material, the extra life a steel will give an edge ( and the knife as a whole ) and the speed at which they do it can be a nice trade off.
> ...


I have stones and I sharpen the knife with them
but between sharpenings in order to get optimal edge, i used the honing steel but now I am confused again they say that its bad for the knife to use a honing steel and you say it's okay to use the honing steel


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## branwell (Dec 11, 2021)

r0bz said:


> I have stones and I sharpen the knife with them
> but between sharpenings in order to get optimal edge, i used the honing steel but now I am confused again they say that its bad for the knife to use a honing steel and you say it's okay to use the honing steel


On some hard thin Japanese knives, a honing steel could chip them ( Think Shun ). Apart from that, given hard steel is not very prone to rolling or mushrooming, a rod will do little for them.

On the softer steels you reference in your post, they are in the ideal range for a steeling rod as they aren't prone to chipping but are prone to rolling and mushrooming.


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## Nemo (Dec 11, 2021)

r0bz said:


> why do you use it dry when you can put some water on it ?


Using a wet stone will remove more steel, which I think of as "sharpening". Then you are more likely to need to deal with a burr, which makes it a much more involved and time consuming process.


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## Knivperson (Dec 11, 2021)

stringer said:


> Here's a picture of pretty much everything I've tried for touch up stones. Most of these are natural stones. I use them in hand. My 3 favorites are:
> 1. Aizu
> 2. Washita
> 3. Coticule
> View attachment 155578



Thats interesting stringer, how come you use them in hand? I would have way better angle control with just one of the two moving.


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## stringer (Dec 11, 2021)

Knivperson said:


> Thats interesting stringer, how come you use them in hand? I would have way better angle control with just one of the two moving.



I've come full circle. One of my earliest childhood memories is fishing with my great grandfather and he showed me how to sharpen a pocketknife in hand with some spit on a small pocket stone. When I started cheffing I did the scrubbing push pull motion thing for years. I still do thinning this way with a stone holder, but 90% of my sharpening is apex touchups in hand now. Even with work knives. I started getting back into sharpening in hand when I started getting into straight razors a few years ago. It feels very natural to me.


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## streak (Dec 11, 2021)

I made a large strop that lives on the kitchen counter.
Every knife gets stropped after use and before storing for next time.


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## inferno (Dec 11, 2021)

r0bz said:


> *what do you guys use for between your sharpening sessions for knives with relatively soft steel (55-58 HRC Rockwell) in order to keep them sharp
> what do you use and why?
> 
> (a) grooved steel honing rod?*
> ...




i dont use jack ****, i use the 3k for ss and the 4k-8k for most carbon steels. and when they dull i simply gop back to these stones. shapton glass/pro


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

inferno said:


> i dont use jack ****, i use the 3k for ss and the 4k-8k for most carbon steels. and when they dull i simply gop back to these stones. shapton glass/pro


isnt 3k stone too high for stainless steel knives between 55-58 rockwell ?


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## Scooter (Dec 12, 2021)

Less experience than most here but I use a smooth steel on my German knives and find it keeps them sharp enough for 6-8 weeks vs 2 weeks with no honing. With my carbon, it make much less difference and I don't bother, though it lasts 6 weeks without the honing. This is for fairly heavy home use.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

Scooter said:


> Less experience than most here but I use a smooth steel on my German knives and find it keeps them sharp enough for 6-8 weeks vs 2 weeks with no honing. With my carbon, it make much less difference and I don't bother, though it lasts 6 weeks without the honing. This is for fairly heavy home use.


what are the carbon ?
you mean knifes with a high rockwell hrc ?
what brand of honing steel do you use ?


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 12, 2021)

I started a little experiment a few years back, where I use a 6.25" Victorinox petty/utility/sandwich knife for vitually everything,,, but, mostly for slicing. I use this knife at least 5-6 times daily, and I've yet to sharpen it on stones, nor make repairs, and there's zero trace of recurve. For the first two years, I basically used an Idahone ceramic rod exclusively, and in the last year or so, I have to do the occasional touch-up on a steel. I NEVER allow that knife to get dull, and at the first hint that it won't glide through tomatoes on the first stroke, I give it a quick touch-up on the rods, and I'm back in business. Cuts through newsprint in a smoooooth and tear-free slicing action from tip to heel,,,

When I was a kid (14) it was always my job at Christmas and Thanksgiving, to sharpen my mother's carving knife, and carve the turkey or ham. I was the only one in the house who could get that Sheffield Steel knife to cut anything, and I always used a honing steel, because it was all we had. I used to get that knife razor sharp.I've been using steels since 1962,,,, or,,, 59 years. Don't believe everrything you read about steels and hones; a lot of it is "theoretical". and by the way, I get nicely convexed edges. I also use trailing edge strokes exclusively. In the last three years, I've stropped the Vic with green compound on a paddle-strop perhaps twice in all that time,,,, and lately, I'll often simply grab a dish-towel that's hanging on my oven door-handle, and dry-strop the blade. Works fine for me.

I've got tons of sharpening gear; Norton water-stones 4-stone set, about 10 Shapton Glass stones, Naniwa Green Brick of Joy, Naniwa flattening stones Shapton Diamond Glass lapping plate, several Atoma diamond plates, Norton Crystolon, stones by King, a Tormek wet-wheel grinder, and lots more. It's not from lack of gear that I choose the steel and ceramic rod on the Vic. I've also got roughly 20 knives,,, Japanese and Western. I'm itching to end my experiment with the Vic so I can try some of my newer stones, but I simply don't need to, and I have an element of curiosity in seeing how far I can go without a true sharpening session on stones.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

@Bobby2shots 
thank you very much for your very informative comment and for the wonderful story!!!!

I have a few questions if you don't mind


Bobby2shots said:


> touch-up on a steel.


you mean a steel honing rod yes?



Bobby2shots said:


> I also use trailing edge strokes exclusively.


edge trailing strokes on the steel honing rod?
I use edge leading strokes on the steel, do you know what is the advantage of edge leading vs edge trailing strokes on a honing steel?



Bobby2shots said:


> and there's zero trace of recurve.


sorry for my English but i couldn't find on the internet what a recurve on the knife means


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> @Bobby2shots
> thank you very much for your very informative comment and for the wonderful story!!!!
> 
> I have a few questions if you don't mind
> ...



No he's talking about a ceramic honing rod. I like these too. Much better than steel.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

stringer said:


> No he's talking about a ceramic honing rod. I like these too. Much better than steel.


he was talking about both a ceramic honing rod and a steel honing rod


Bobby2shots said:


> I give it a quick touch-up on the rods





Bobby2shots said:


> and I always used a honing steel,



I wanted to know what rod was he referring to in that sentence: "touch-up on a steel."


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> I wanted to know what rod was he referring to in that sentence: "touch-up on a steel."



He was talking about using a metal steel when he was a kid for his mom's carving knife.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

stringer said:


> He was talking about using a metal steel when he was a kid for his mom's carving knife.


yes but in the sentence below I think he is referring to a honing steel made out of steel and not a ceramic one this is what I wanted to know from him
is he referring to a honing steel made out of steel or
a ceramic rod made out of ceramic



Bobby2shots said:


> For the first two years, I basically used an Idahone ceramic rod exclusively, *and in the last year or so, I have to do the occasional touch-up on a steel.*


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> yes but in the sentence below I think he is referring to a honing steel made out of steel and not a ceramic one this is what I wanted to know from him
> is he referring to a honing steel made out of steel or
> a ceramic rod made out of ceramic



There are lots of ways to do this stuff. You won't find two people who agree 100% about everything. People have different knives, experiences, perspectives, and needs. Try some stuff out and see what works for you. There should be plenty here for you to develop a gameplan. If it ends up being steel rod with ridges that gets your rocks off then that's fine. No one will judge you.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

stringer said:


> There are lots of ways to do this stuff. You won't find two people who agree 100% about everything. People have different knives, experiences, perspectives, and needs. Try some stuff out and see what works for you. There should be plenty here for you to develop a gameplan. If it ends up being steel rod with ridges that gets your rocks off then that's fine. No one will judge you.


again i was trying to understand the phrase .... what was he referring to
I do my experiments...


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> again i was trying to understand the phrase ....



Ok. I'm just trying to help you understand. Not trying to offend. I have two ceramic rods and a traditional steel. They all still get used in certain circumstances. There's nothing wrong with them. Just most of the time I think there are better options.


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

stringer said:


> Ok. I'm just trying to help you understand. Not trying to offend. I have two ceramic rods and a traditional steel. They all still get used in certain circumstances. There's nothing wrong with them. Just most of the time I think there are better options.
> 
> View attachment 155684


I am very curious may I ask what is the scenario you use the steel honing rod?


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> I am very curious may I ask what is the scenario you use the steel honing rod?



Sure. I used it to true the edge of cheap soft steel knives for coworkers knives during the middle of shifts or banquet carving events when there wasn't time or opportunity to do much of anything else. And when I knew the knives would be in terrible shape do there wasn't much point in trying to do something more effective. So I guess to me using a steel honing rod is kind of like an emergency tracheotomy. It might work great to get you through a tough moment. But I wouldn't want to come to rely on repeating the operation to sustain breathing for any length of time.


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## BoSharpens (Dec 12, 2021)

I sharpen customer's knives; Cutco, Calphalon, Wustoff, Henckels, Shun and lots of others. I can tell in an instant on looking at a blade with a reverse S curve shape that the owner is using a steel rod like they do in the Brazillian restaurant "for show" in front of the table before slicing of pieces of meat of a large shank. They literally whack the knife edge with the steel making a bunch of noise for show with the blade in the air. Craaazzzeee.

Some people see that and tell themselves and think "Even I can do that" and go home and whack the edge making lots of noise like in the Brazillian restaurant with the steel rod and it seems like it sharpens OK; at least in the beginning.

That type of use results in more pressure near the heel which takes off more metal there than the tip and eventually results in the S shaped edge, which ruins the knife if done for a long time. Every holiday season I see one or two boxed carving sets that have been used for a decade or two that have been steeled into a Arab Simitar shape that can't be repaired.

One other thing that happens, is the person runs the steel "straight down the edge" in one spot on the steel causing chips to fill up the little V's in the steel and then the steel bounces down the blade creating a godawful bumpy mess on the edge. I use my NIkon microscope to check out some edges where odd things 'pop-up.' Edge cracks toward the spine, corrosion, inclusions from manufacturing the blade, rust, sharpening grit size, grit direction and such are readily seen and are instructive.

I know from watching videos that rods (metal or ceramic) can sharpen if used carefully and lightly, but I just cringe at the results I see, so I don't use them. Then again, I'm not in a hurry in a commercial kitchen.

Me personally, I use small hard and soft Arkansas stones on the edge to quickly get a razor edge back. I use a red or green Sharpie mark on the edge so I know exactly where I am taking off metal. I move the stone gently down the edge moving from spine toward the edge continuously, evenly, and with almost no force to hone the edge. Then I strop on a towel. Seems to work. Once a year it goes down on the diamond lap to even up everything a bit.


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## matchplay18 (Dec 12, 2021)

There is lots of great advice Your first thoughts the sanctity of the knife preservation. Keeping a keen edge between progressions. A nice hardened steel and some very diligent strops great place to start. Straighten the apex keen the edge minimally intrusive.. If that is not enough go next to your strop. Careful not to rollback or foil the edge. Depending on the steel of the knife I will touch up on a Shapton 15,000 An ideal scenario never let your knife get to dull. You might not get the blistering edge of a full progression. But to preserve the knife maybe be content with a good utilitarian touch up.. My two cents just adding to the collective


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## r0bz (Dec 12, 2021)

matchplay18 said:


> A nice hardened steel


what do you mean by a hardened steel ?
a steel honing rod ?


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## Scooter (Dec 12, 2021)

r0bz said:


> what are the carbon ?
> you mean knifes with a high rockwell hrc ?
> what brand of honing steel do you use ?



My ss knives are Wusthof. My "carbon" is a Blenheim Forge Gyuto (blue steel #2 core) and, recently added, a Togashi ss clad white #1 Nakiri. I don't know the rockwell numbers for any of them but my humble sharpening skills can get the carbons noticeably sharper than the Wusthofs, and the edges last longer, so I suspect they are significantly harder. 

My steel is a Victorinox. I had a hard time finding smooth steels in google searches but the phrase "smooth butcher steel" seems to find some. My thinking was that if honing was mostly to straighten bent and mushroomed edges, than I'd rather have a smooth steel and not take off metal unnecessarily. But maybe a mild abrasive like a ceramic rod would hone and sharpen slightly to give a better touch-up edge. 

I've found honing, like stropping I suspect, to be easy and fast and I don't mind giving my ss knives a quick onceover when I'm done with them.


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## stringer (Dec 12, 2021)

Robz,
If you're getting good results with your steel rod then keep using it. A gentle touch will help you to avoid serious issues.

I think you would like ceramic hone quite a bit. And you could use it as an intermediate step. When your steel rod stops working, try the ceramic rod. When that stops working go back to your stone. They are pretty cheap. Mac makes a white one that's available for $30USD in the states. Idahone is another reliable option. They make them in different grits. I prefer finer ones.

Another option is to get a piece of soft Arkansas. This is a natural stone that can be used splash and go and is very cheap. Quicker than having to soak a soaking stone. Plus it can refresh the apex without raising much of a burr.


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

r0bz said:


> @Bobby2shots
> thank you very much for your very informative comment and for the wonderful story!!!!
> 
> I have a few questions if you don't mind
> ...



I hope that helps. Click on where it says "click to expand" to see my responses to your questions.


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

r0bz said:


> yes but in the sentence below I think he is referring to a honing steel made out of steel and not a ceramic one this is what I wanted to know from him
> is he referring to a honing steel made out of steel or
> a ceramic rod made out of ceramic
> 
> ...



Rubz, sometimes using a "fine" ceramic rod alone, is not enough,,,,, the ceramic rod is actually a "sharpening rod",,, it actually removes metal., but, very little metal. Since the honing rod is cylindrical, the point of contact where the cylinder meets the straight blade-edge is ultra-tiny. With a steel however, you can press the side of the steel against the wider side of the bevel, and sort of "scrape out the bumps" (for lack of a better term).

The 'steel" however, is not used so much for the removal of metal, but rather, for straightening the edge. Most people refer to this as straightening the "teeth". In actuality, there are no 'teeth",,,, just tiny fluffs of metal that are so tiny that you can't see them with the naked eye.

I vary the pressure I use depending on which rod I'm honing or sharpening with. Generally, I use much lighter strokes when using the ceramic rod.


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## r0bz (Dec 13, 2021)

Bobby2shots said:


> Rubz, sometimes using a "fine" ceramic rod alone, is not enough,,,,, the ceramic rod is actually a "sharpening rod",,, it actually removes metal., but, very little metal. Since the honing rod is cylindrical, the point of contact where the cylinder meets the straight blade-edge is ultra-tiny. With a steel however, you can press the side of the steel against the wider side of the bevel, and sort of "scrape out the bumps" (for lack of a better term).
> 
> The 'steel" however, is not used so much for the removal of metal, but rather, for straightening the edge. Most people refer to this as straightening the "teeth". In actuality, there are no 'teeth",,,, just tiny fluffs of metal that are so tiny that you can't see them with the naked eye.
> 
> I vary the pressure I use depending on which rod I'm honing or sharpening with. Generally, I use much lighter strokes when using the ceramic rod.




I use the honing steel and get decent results but from what @Benuser said about when you use a steel honing rod *"*With little pressure you create a wire edge, a special case of a burr, on top of the old edge. Very sharp, until it comes into contact with the board and folds over the edge, which is instantly blunt like a butter knife, or breaks leaving a moonscape-like edge behind*"*


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

r0bz said:


> I use the honing steel and get decent results but from what @Benuser said about when you use a steel honing rod *"*With little pressure you create a wire edge, a special case of a burr, on top of the old edge. Very sharp, until it comes into contact with the board and folds over the edge, which is instantly blunt like a butter knife, or breaks leaving a moonscape-like edge behind*"*



That could be the case if you're referring to honing "after" sharpening on stones. In my case, I'm not sharpening my Victorinox on stones,,, I'm using only the steel or ceramic rods. By using a trailing-edge stroke, I'm also sort of stropping as I sharpen, simply by varying the tilt-angle of my rods.


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## r0bz (Dec 13, 2021)

Bobby2shots said:


> That could be the case if you're referring to honing "after" sharpening on stones. In my case, I'm not sharpening on stones,,, I'm using only the steel or ceramic rods. By using a trailing-edge stroke, I'm also sort of stropping as I sharpen, simply by varying the tilt-angle of my rods.


what I do is hone on the steel rod with edge leading until it isn't working anymore only then 
I go to do a full sharpening at my 800 gritstone


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## r0bz (Dec 13, 2021)

stringer said:


> Here's a picture of pretty much everything I've tried for touch up stones. Most of these are natural stones. I use them in hand. My 3 favorites are:
> 1. Aizu
> 2. Washita
> 3. Coticule
> View attachment 155578



when touching up on stones I find it a lot easier to do it with edge trailing strokes will it work as well as what you are doing with edge leading ?


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## Michi (Dec 13, 2021)

For softer steels (Wüsthof, Zwilling, Victorinox, etc.), I get by with using a honing rod (grooved steel) for quite a long time (weeks or months, depending on use). Eventually, the edge won't come back to life again with just the honing rod, so then I re-sharpen them, usually just on a 1000-grit stone, followed by a few passes on a strop loaded with green compound.

I don't ever use a honing rod with harder steels. Chances are that the knife is harder than than the honing rod, and I'd end up just taking chips out of the edge.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Dec 13, 2021)

@r0bz,

Let's try a different approach...

You already know what you use and how you use it right? And you know the results you get from that process. Now you're wondering if there might be a better way.

So, put your honing rod away. Pick a different method to test, say edge trailing on the back of a a belt, cardboard or newspaper. Use that media (or whatever you choose) in place of the honing rod and stay with it until you feel you need to sharpen the blade again. Then ask yourself if it performed better or worse, how you liked using it, etc. You said you already know how to sharpen so if dulls quicker, no big deal.

You can keep trying different things, go back to your rod if you want, or just adopt something new.

The point is to* go try stuff*. You have a baseline to compare to so go see what you discover.


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## r0bz (Dec 13, 2021)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> @r0bz,
> 
> Let's try a different approach...
> 
> ...


I tried to touch up on the 800 grit stone with edge trailing worked nice but I am not sure if I'm supposed to be using edge trailing or leading as I mentioned in the thread touching up and deburring edge trailing vs leading


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## IsoJ (Dec 13, 2021)

If you have a clean edge and it cuts like you want and it doesn't create a wire edge, then it works for you. If it doesn't then try edge leading or compination of things. Only way to try it yourself, there are many styles that works and there isn't one ready made answer to work for us all. Happy sharpening and touch ups, you'll figure it out


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## tomsch (Dec 13, 2021)

I typically use a loaded leather strop but for my beater knives I do a few slow and even passes on a ceramic honing rod with light pressure. There are also times where I do a few passes on my Spyderco Sharpmaker with ultra fine stones at 30dps for touching up a micro bevel. In the end if that does not work then back to the 3000 stone. Still working to perfect my sharpening skills so I start with a higher grit whenever possible for basic edge maintenance in order not to screw up my midline knives. Midline for me means Yoshis and HSC/// gyutos.


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

Scooter said:


> My ss knives are Wusthof. My "carbon" is a Blenheim Forge Gyuto (blue steel #2 core) and, recently added, a Togashi ss clad white #1 Nakiri.  I don't know the rockwell numbers for any of them but my humble sharpening skills can get the carbons noticeably sharper than the Wusthofs, and the edges last longer, so I suspect they are significantly harder.
> 
> *My steel is a Victorinox. I had a hard time finding smooth steels in google searches but the phrase "smooth butcher steel" seems to find some. * My thinking was that if honing was mostly to straighten bent and mushroomed edges, than I'd rather have a smooth steel and not take off metal unnecessarily. But maybe a mild abrasive like a ceramic rod would hone and sharpen slightly to give a better touch-up edge.
> 
> I've found honing, like stropping I suspect, to be easy and fast and I don't mind giving my ss knives a quick onceover when I'm done with them.



Those "smooth butcher steels" are burnishing rods. You can burnish with a screwdriver shaft for example,..... hard smooth steel.


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

r0bz said:


> I tried to touch up on the 800 grit stone with edge trailing worked nice but I am not sure if I'm supposed to be using edge trailing or leading as I mentioned in the thread touching up and deburring edge trailing vs leading



Rubz,,, it simply doesn't matter. Just do whatever works to your satisfaction for the moment, and over time as you gain more experience and gear, you can try different techniques.. I'm not suggesting for one moment that my way is "the PERFECT way" or "the ONLY way",,, it just works for me with the experiment I'm conducting.


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## paulraphael (Dec 13, 2021)

BoSharpens said:


> I sharpen customer's knives; Cutco, Calphalon, Wustoff, Henckels, Shun and lots of others. I can tell in an instant on looking at a blade with a reverse S curve shape that the owner is using a steel rod like they do in the Brazillian restaurant "for show" in front of the table before slicing of pieces of meat of a large shank. They literally whack the knife edge with the steel making a bunch of noise for show with the blade in the air. Craaazzzeee.
> 
> Some people see that and tell themselves and think "Even I can do that" and go home and whack the edge making lots of noise like in the Brazillian restaurant with the steel rod and it seems like it sharpens OK; at least in the beginning.
> 
> ...



Great post ... you're confirming what's been shown by electron microscope, which contracts conventional wisdom: honing rods work by removing metal. The belief that they just do gentle orthodonture on the edge looks and feels plausible, but just isn't the case. 

I still like to use a bing honking grooved butcher's steel on my German chef's knife and Victorinox utility knives. It works really well on those, and leaves a nice toothy edge. But I use it much more gently than a t.v. chef—very little pressure. I hold the steel vertically against a cutting board, and glide the knife edges downward, keeping the angle steady. My favorite feature of this kind of knife is that they're so easy to maintain.


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## Bobby2shots (Dec 13, 2021)

paulraphael said:


> Great post ... you're confirming what's been shown by electron microscope, which contracts conventional wisdom: honing rods work by removing metal. The belief that they just do gentle orthodonture on the edge looks and feels plausible, but just isn't the case.
> 
> I* still like to use a bing honking grooved butcher's steel on my German chef's knife and Victorinox utility knives. It works really well on those, and leaves a nice toothy edge. But I use it much more gently than a t.v. chef—very little pressure. I hold the steel vertically against a cutting board, and glide the knife edges downward, keeping the angle steady. My favorite feature of this kind of knife is that they're so easy to maintain.*



*Bingo!!!!*


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