On 28-Aug-2011, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

> "Bob-tx" <No Spam no contact> wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > My best friend and I agree on a lot of things. We both like to barbecue
> >
> > and grille, we both like Canadian whisky, we both like to look at pretty
> >
> > women, and we both like sharp knives - which is where the disagreement
> > comes in.
> >
> > I sharpen my knives on Arkansas stones, a soft stone to get the initial
> > edge back, and a hard stone to finish it off.
> >
> > He "sharpens" his knives on a steel, like the butchers use.
> >
> > I maintain that a steel does not sharpen a dull knife, in the sense that
> >
> > it does not remove any of the knife blade metal. The purpose of a steel
> >
> > is to correct a wire edge on a knife. A wire edge is a knife edge that
> > has rolled over from hitting a bone or something hard. In the sense
> > that
> > it corrects the wire edge, it does make the knife sharper, but once a
> > knife is dull, a steel will not sharpen it.
> >
> > We have a steak dinner for four riding on this, so come on people - I
> > need
> > some support here. Thanks
> >
> > Bob-tx
>
> Technically, you are correct. A properly steeled blade will cut better
> than
> a stone sharpened blade that has not been maintained.
>
> You really need both. Depending on use, a couple of times a year on the
> stone, a couple of times a day on the steel. I've watched butcher that
> steel the blade after only a few cuts, then have the blade sharpened every
>
> week.
>
> Now, over dinner you can argue over what angle the blade should be
> sharpened
> to.

What Ed said. Though a steel of the file type does remove metal from the
blade, it takes too long to RESHAPE a knife. I reshape my
knives about once a year with a 400 grit belt sander followed by 800 grit,
followed by a diamond hone. I use the diamond hone on a daily basis. My
Chinese knives are particularly susceptible to edge curling.

--
Brick(Too soon old and too late smart)