Sharpening steel and sharpening diamond steel

These two tools are very similar looking, but play different roles. The sharpening steel is smoother to the touch and is used primarily to make a sharp knife even sharper. It’s advisable to use the steel often, perhaps even every time you use your knives, to help keep your knives sharp. Using a steel is unlike the steps of sharpening your knives, which removes bits of steel to bring back its edge. The sharpening steel actually rearranges and realigns the edge of the blade to keep it sharp. One thing it won’t do is actually sharpen a dull blade. Its function is to make a sharp blade sharper. This process is also called “honing,” and the tool is often called a honing steel.

The sharpening diamond steel is also good for honing a sharp blade. It’s similar to a sharpening steel, but has a diamondcrusted rough surface. Not only will it hone a blade, but it can also sharpen a somewhat dulled blade. Both of these tools are valuable to have.

How do you use these? Fortunately, the technique is the same for both tools. You can either stand the steel on its end, with its tip resting on a cutting board, or hold it by its handle, straight out in front of you. With the knife at a 22½-degree angle, slide the blade along the steel, from the handle end to the tip, at least five times for each side.