Sharpening steel/honing rod

[raleighcook15]

I recently dropped my idahone honing rod and it shattered so I have the opportunity t try something neww! I'm looking for something that's best at honing/lightly sharpening? I work in a pro kitchen and have different steel knives, white 2, AS, some stainless and a blue 2. Curious what steel would be best. I sharpen my knives with an edge pro and can get them pretty sharp, shaving hair etc.

[Kit Craft]

I recently dropped my idahone honing rod and it shattered so I have the opportunity t try something neww! I'm looking for something that's best at honing/lightly sharpening? I work in a pro kitchen and have different steel knives, white 2, AS, some stainless and a blue 2. Curious what steel would be best. I sharpen my knives with an edge pro and can get them pretty sharp, shaving hair etc.

Now, this is not my thing at all but I too am curious. Does not taking a knife with a finer edge to a coarse steel defeat the purpose of putting a fine edge on it to begin with?

What about a bat strop the size of a rod with 2 or 3 micron compound? Hum or convince shapton to make a 6k shapton glass honing rod?

[mauichef]

Idahone rods rock. I am constantly amazed at how efficiently I can get an edge back with this item. Indispensable, at least to me. Btw...its not steel. And if used correctly can correct a rolled edge in a couple of light passes. I am a home chef but I cannot imagine being in a pro environment without one.

[Kit Craft]

Idahone rods rock. I am constantly amazed at how efficiently I can get an edge back with this item. Indispensable, at least to me. Btw...its not steel. And if used correctly can correct a rolled edge in a couple of light passes. I am a home chef but I cannot imagine being in a pro environment without one.

Maybe it is not a steel but people call a steel a sharpening steel and sharpen a traditional steel does not. Semantics.

I too am a home cook and like my edges with bite so the 2k(ish) rating of the hone is fine but I do wonder what point there is in taking your edge to say 6-8k on steel that will need a frequent touch up on a 2k(ish) rod. One of those steps, to me, seems counterproductive. I suppose it would be taking the knife to the fine stone that is the odd man out.

[RickR]

The best rod hone available is the Sieger Long Life:

[ken123]

Why not pack your finest EP stone that you use or get a second one of them and glue it to a stick to sharpen your blades and use it as a honing rod?

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Ken

[Kit Craft]

Why not pack your finest EP stone that you use or get a second one of them and glue it to a stick to sharpen your blades and use it as a honing rod?

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Ken

I love the way your mind works...I pack ep stones in my roll but I never though of gluing them to wood. Kind of like a mini paddle strop!

[raleighcook15]

Not to derail, but what sharpening steel is suggested for the keenest edge haha

[Kit Craft]

Not to derail, but what sharpening steel is suggested for the keenest edge haha

I know very little about steels be they true steels, ceramic, diamond or goat cheese. However, I hear people talking about borosilicate rods as being a very fine option. I think that is just a fancy name for a type of glass. I've no idea how well a hard edge of a J-knife would respond to such a contraption.

[ken123]

Borosilicate is the generic term for pyrex. It works well for straightening a folded over edge, but my preference is a fresh edge. I've put together one and 2 stone paddles. I prefer aluminum over wood and longer stone strips - 6-8 " long rather than shorter stones 'a la Takeda'. It's a good solution but cost is a bit over 1 or 2 Edgepro stones.

I do like the flatter surface vs a rod., although if you like a rod, I can put together 2 half round stones on a paddle.

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Ken

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Ken

[ken123]

While it isn't borosilicate, you could also strop on the glass side of a glassstone. Indeed there have been instances where people did this, mistaking it for the stone lol.

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Ken

[Kit Craft]

Borosilicate is the generic term for pyrex. It works well for straightening a folded over edge, but my preference is a fresh edge. I've put together one and 2 stone paddles. I prefer aluminum over wood and longer stone strips - 6-8 " long rather than shorter stones 'a la Takeda'. It's a good solution but cost is a bit over 1 or 2 Edgepro stones.

I do like the flatter surface vs a rod., although if you like a rod, I can put together 2 half round stones on a paddle.

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Ken

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Ken

I dunno, sounds like you have a new product to market. Maybe it looks cooler in my head than it is, I don't know.

[ken123]

I tried a while back. I think most people aren't willing to pay for the cost of two ep sized stones plus a handle.

Also offered flat stones, but could do half rounds. Could also do a nice handle, but again this adds cost.

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Ken

[raleighcook15]

Any suggestions for steels on the site?

[ken123]

So here's a picture of some half round stones. These could be mounted on opposite sides of a blank.

Let me know if you have an interest ... Pick out your stones - Shapton Pro, Nubatama, Chocera ... and grit values and if you want a handle or just plain aluminum (I suggest 1/4" thick 1" width and 12" length, but can customize to taste). Also specify if you want flat or half rounded stones. Of course if you want a coarse rod and a fine rod, that's ok too.

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Ken

[Chefcallari]

Idahone rods rock. I am constantly amazed at how efficiently I can get an edge back with this item. Indispensable, at least to me. Btw...its not steel. And if used correctly can correct a rolled edge in a couple of light passes. I am a home chef but I cannot imagine being in a pro environment without one.

+100 bro.
Now i know its gonna make alot of you guys out there cringe... And most of my pro brethren are hesitant to admit it here....

But .... We.... Use...... Sharpening steels!
There i said it!
Now for me its a 6" Kyocera ceramic rod (i really need a bigger one) and a 12" diamond rod that is worn down to probably 1000k now.
Truth is... We get busy.. And tired. And sometimes just dont have time to break out a stone and our edges are past the point of a balsa strop...
So out comes the ceramic rod! Now im not talking about the old school fat french butcher smacking the knife and steel together like hes an orchestra conductor having a seizure...
Im talking about using it like a hand held stone... Matching the angles, slow controlled strokes, light pressure.... And boom! 2k edge back and ready for service. Its not ideal but in a pinch it works.

[Kit Craft]

Idahone rods rock. I am constantly amazed at how efficiently I can get an edge back with this item. Indispensable, at least to me. Btw...its not steel. And if used correctly can correct a rolled edge in a couple of light passes. I am a home chef but I cannot imagine being in a pro environment without one.

+100 bro.
Now i know its gonna make alot of you guys out there cringe... And most of my pro brethren are hesitant to admit it here....

But .... We.... Use...... Sharpening steels!
There i said it!
Now for me its a 6" Kyocera ceramic rod (i really need a bigger one) and a 12" diamond rod that is worn down to probably 1000k now.
Truth is... We get busy.. And tired. And sometimes just dont have time to break out a stone and our edges are past the point of a balsa strop...
So out comes the ceramic rod! Now im not talking about the old school fat french butcher smacking the knife and steel together like hes an orchestra conductor having a seizure...
Im talking about using it like a hand held stone... Matching the angles, slow controlled strokes, light pressure.... And boom! 2k edge back and ready for service. Its not ideal but in a pinch it works.

I don't use my ceramic rod, like ever but I do have a CKTG rod in my bag. I just never need to touch up an edge when I am away from home. If I did, I'd likely just reach for another knife. At home I just use the SP2k...Same concept and it is beside my cutting board and I can strop with it dry. More comfy than the rod, to me.

A steel, I have never even owned one. I have a round chainsaw file, though. Is that not what one uses on soft stainless?

[milkbaby]

I did some googling and reading, and it seems the biggest difference in the nicer rods may be how fast they cut and the equivalent grit rating. For any of the rods under serious consideration, there's probably not a huge difference in how fast the rod cuts, because in my experience I don't need to hone a knife on my Idahone more than maybe 3 or 4 times to get a decent edge back. Maybe the distinction between rods is what you expect to achieve. I think it's probably a matter of small degrees, i.e. a slightly better option is only slightly better as far as how many passes you need on the rod.

I'm only a home user and I prefer stropping on color cardstock mailers or newsprint. Occasionally if that doesn't work anymore, I'll dry strop on a stone. I bought an Idahone but only use it when traveling or feeling supremely lazy. I imagine the issue in a busy kitchen is space, quickness, and transport (may be easier to carry a rod than a stone).

[Shabalake]

Caramic rods all the way

[Kit Craft]

I did some googling and reading, and it seems the biggest difference in the nicer rods may be how fast they cut and the equivalent grit rating. For any of the rods under serious consideration, there's probably not a huge difference in how fast the rod cuts, because in my experience I don't need to hone a knife on my Idahone more than maybe 3 or 4 times to get a decent edge back. Maybe the distinction between rods is what you expect to achieve. I think it's probably a matter of small degrees, i.e. a slightly better option is only slightly better as far as how many passes you need on the rod.

I'm only a home user and I prefer stropping on color cardstock mailers or newsprint. Occasionally if that doesn't work anymore, I'll dry strop on a stone. I bought an Idahone but only use it when traveling or feeling supremely lazy. I imagine the issue in a busy kitchen is space, quickness, and transport (may be easier to carry a rod than a stone).

I have a rod that is in my travel kit but I don't use it. I only paid a $2 for it. It is ceramic and about 6.5 inches exposed and it has a wooden handle. I'd say it is probably 1200-1500 grit. Well, I left it at my grandfathers because he uses it. It is a hell of a value for someone who would use it but not the quality most of us expect.

Anyway, I replaced it with a two sided 8x1.5 inch paddle strop. I have a friend that has an old tool grade 12x1.5 brown/red looking Coti that I am thinking about picking up too. That should fit in the slot on my knife bag. I don't know that I will like it, though. I have been told that Cotis leave a smooth edge and I don't like that.

I need to talk to keen about one of these two sided shapton paddle strop things.