X50CrMoV15 isn't proprietary. It's about as common a steel as there is, including what Zwilling uses. I recently did some reading on Friodur because it came up in another thread, and basically it refers to their "special" cryo treatment of different steels that "apparently" make it better than other brands using the same steel.
I know that is a direct quote from both manufacturer's websites. I have an interesting app loaded
That's just the app version of Z-knives, the creator @Gator is a member long ago
Not exactly. As others already rightly stated, the Wüsthof and Zwilling are Krupp's 4116. Friodur refers to a cryo Heat Treatment. All nothing special, and far from exclusive. Their 4116 has big carbides in a soft matrix. Once you apply high grits, the tendency of carbides breaking out becomes stronger and the edge's instability increases. The reason not to go far beyond JIS 600 with them. With a high polish, the edge crumbles.
I use a small BBW for all daily maintenance. Not sure what a strop could add. As for the BBW, it works well with any steel I know, except soft stainless Germans. If you're using a lot of Wüsthof, Henckels / Zwilling, Messermeister / Burgvogel or Victorinox, you may consider a Dickoron Micro steel rod. It's the finest I know — besides their Polish — and doesn't abrade like a ceramic rod. The edge's geometry won't change. It's a kind of burnishing that occurs. Don't use it with harder steel types who are less ductile: it will cause chipping. Perhaps not immediately, just a bit later.
I have 2 Steels as I mentioned above the best of the 2 is the Shun Classic combination rod 9". It has a steeling side and a honing side. The Shun tutorial says to true the blade if in use about once a week, and once a month hone the blade. I noted that you do not see Japanese chefs use steels. I looked it up and found the reason you stated. It is only used with the German knives. But as I said a wetted 12K Shapton does a much better job. I more or less just let the knife with its own weight do the job.
More education for me. I have alway preferred carbon steel blades, over stainless steel. JCK has a series of knives they call CarboNext, (A Next Generation Carbon Hagane steel). I have a 180mm Gyuto from JCK of the Kagayaki line. When I first used it I fell in love with it. Compared with my Zwilling Chef's Knives it was like a Japanese master chef quietly slicing tofu, contrasted with a German Barbarian chef with a stein of beer in one hand hacking a boar carcass with the other. With this learned from the Kagayaki I purchased a JCK 240mm Natures Gekko Series Gyuto. It is VG10 Damascus this is the best kitchen knife I own. The Zwilling Chef's knives have been put away in my knife bag.
