Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
way than the traditional steel steel?

One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?

john royce said...

> Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in
> any way than the traditional steel steel?
>
> One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a
> hard floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?


Can't help you there. I have a ceramic (Kyocera) 5.5" (utility?) knife that
needs to be sharpened by experts every five years or so. Fantes.com where I
bought it has a free ceramic sharpening service. I don't have any idea how
it's done.

Aside from my trusty carving knife, it's the go-to knife for food prep.

Andy

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> john royce said...
>
>> Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in
>> any way than the traditional steel steel?
>>
>> One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a
>> hard floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
>
>
> Can't help you there. I have a ceramic (Kyocera) 5.5" (utility?) knife
> that
> needs to be sharpened by experts every five years or so. Fantes.com where
> I
> bought it has a free ceramic sharpening service. I don't have any idea how
> it's done.
>
> Aside from my trusty carving knife, it's the go-to knife for food prep.
>
> Andy

Ceramic knives can be sharpened on a diamond dust steel. how much do the
*experts* charge?

"john royce" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Andy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> john royce said...
>>
>>> Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in
>>> any way than the traditional steel steel?
>>>
>>> One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a
>>> hard floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
>>
>>
>> Can't help you there. I have a ceramic (Kyocera) 5.5" (utility?) knife
>> that
>> needs to be sharpened by experts every five years or so. Fantes.com where
>> I
>> bought it has a free ceramic sharpening service. I don't have any idea
>> how
>> it's done.
>>
>> Aside from my trusty carving knife, it's the go-to knife for food prep.
>>
>> Andy
>
> Ceramic knives can be sharpened on a diamond dust steel. how much do the
> *experts* charge?


sorry didn't read it properly, i've just seen you said its free....

john royce wrote:
> Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
> way than the traditional steel steel?
>
> One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
> floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
>
>
>
I've got a set in the cutlery drawer. Two ceramic steels that go into a
wooden block, strop the knife down one side then the other. Have had the
thing for probably thirty years, Does a decent job once you learn how to
use it properly.

Have been wanting a proper steel but the ones in the specialty stores
seem very expensive to me and I already own the ceramic set. You do have
to hand wash them occasionally to get the steel dust off of them.

john royce said...

>
> "john royce" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Andy" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> john royce said...
>>>
>>>> Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better
>>>> in any way than the traditional steel steel?
>>>>
>>>> One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to
>>>> a hard floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better
>>>> job?
>>>
>>>
>>> Can't help you there. I have a ceramic (Kyocera) 5.5" (utility?) knife
>>> that
>>> needs to be sharpened by experts every five years or so. Fantes.com
>>> where I
>>> bought it has a free ceramic sharpening service. I don't have any idea
>>> how
>>> it's done.
>>>
>>> Aside from my trusty carving knife, it's the go-to knife for food
>>> prep.
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>> Ceramic knives can be sharpened on a diamond dust steel. how much do
>> the *experts* charge?
>
>
> sorry didn't read it properly, i've just seen you said its free....


Fantes doesn't sharpen at the store. Rather they farm it out to be
sharpened. It's not a while-you-wait event.

Andy

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:32:39 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:

>john royce wrote:

>I've got a set in the cutlery drawer. Two ceramic steels that go into a
>wooden block, strop the knife down one side then the other. Have had the
>thing for probably thirty years, Does a decent job once you learn how to
>use it properly.
>
>Have been wanting a proper steel but the ones in the specialty stores
>seem very expensive to me and I already own the ceramic set. You do have
>to hand wash them occasionally to get the steel dust off of them.

George, is that the unit that uses round ceramic rods or triangular
ceramic rods? I have the latter, and it's been the dickens to clean.
The porcelain is so fine, the metal impregnates the surface, and,
while I've tried cleaning it with muriatic acid, I've had no success
in getting back to the original condition.

Alex

Chemiker wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:32:39 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>> john royce wrote:
>
>> I've got a set in the cutlery drawer. Two ceramic steels that go into a
>> wooden block, strop the knife down one side then the other. Have had the
>> thing for probably thirty years, Does a decent job once you learn how to
>> use it properly.
>>
>> Have been wanting a proper steel but the ones in the specialty stores
>> seem very expensive to me and I already own the ceramic set. You do have
>> to hand wash them occasionally to get the steel dust off of them.
>
> George, is that the unit that uses round ceramic rods or triangular
> ceramic rods? I have the latter, and it's been the dickens to clean.
> The porcelain is so fine, the metal impregnates the surface, and,
> while I've tried cleaning it with muriatic acid, I've had no success
> in getting back to the original condition.
>
> Alex
Mine has the round rods. Mine is not porcelain, I think, they touted it
originally as a "space age" ceramic. Looks like the same stuff
electrical insulators are made of without the glaze.

"john royce" > wrote in message
...
| Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
| way than the traditional steel steel?
|
| One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
| floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?

I have used one exclusively for the last 10 years or so, and they
certainly do a better job, faster sharpening to a finer edge with
longer lasting results. Mine is pretty much like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/brand-Ceramic-.../dp/B000N5BVN2
One caution is that the ceramic will actually sharpen (shave off minute amounts
of the steel from the blade) whereas a steel will not, its job is to align
the edge of the blade. Given all of that my knives will still outlast me and
show no sign of deterioration. You use it the same way as the steel,
and I obviously would strongly recommend it.

pavane

pavane wrote:
> "john royce" > wrote in message
> ...
> | Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
> | way than the traditional steel steel?
> |
> | One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
> | floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
>
> I have used one exclusively for the last 10 years or so, and they
> certainly do a better job, faster sharpening to a finer edge with
> longer lasting results. Mine is pretty much like this one:
> http://www.amazon.com/brand-Ceramic-.../dp/B000N5BVN2
> One caution is that the ceramic will actually sharpen (shave off minute amounts
> of the steel from the blade) whereas a steel will not, its job is to align
> the edge of the blade. Given all of that my knives will still outlast me and
> show no sign of deterioration. You use it the same way as the steel,
> and I obviously would strongly recommend it.
>
> pavane
>
>
How do you clean it?

pavane wrote:
>
> I have used one exclusively for the last 10 years or so, and they
> certainly do a better job, faster sharpening to a finer edge with
> longer lasting results. Mine is pretty much like this one:
> http://www.amazon.com/brand-Ceramic-.../dp/B000N5BVN2
> One caution is that the ceramic will actually sharpen (shave off minute amounts
> of the steel from the blade) whereas a steel will not, its job is to align
> the edge of the blade. Given all of that my knives will still outlast me and
> show no sign of deterioration. You use it the same way as the steel,
> and I obviously would strongly recommend it.

That's the difference between a hone and a steel.
A hone sharpens the blade and is used against the knife edge.
A steel straightens the edge (but does not sharpen) and is
used in the direction of the knife edge. A strop for a
straightedge razor does the same thing.

"George Shirley" > wrote in message
.. .
| pavane wrote:
| > "john royce" > wrote in message
| > ...
| > | Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
| > | way than the traditional steel steel?
| > |
| > | One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
| > | floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
| >
| > I have used one exclusively for the last 10 years or so, and they
| > certainly do a better job, faster sharpening to a finer edge with
| > longer lasting results. Mine is pretty much like this one:
| > http://www.amazon.com/brand-Ceramic-.../dp/B000N5BVN2
| > One caution is that the ceramic will actually sharpen (shave off minute amounts
| > of the steel from the blade) whereas a steel will not, its job is to align
| > the edge of the blade. Given all of that my knives will still outlast me and
| > show no sign of deterioration. You use it the same way as the steel,
| > and I obviously would strongly recommend it.
| >
| > pavane
| >
| >
| How do you clean it?

I use a plastic scrubbing thing (the pad shaped like sos, not the
very fine flat pad that tends to leave residue) and a touch of
the liquid comet cleanser. Apparently there is an eraser
block of some sort around, and there is a ceramic rod cleaner
(liquid) that can be gotten, but I have been happy with the easy
way out. YMMV of course but I only need to clean it about once
a year or so. Other than that common sense: carbon steel knives
leave more residue than stainless but boy do they get sharp!!

pavane

pavane wrote:
> "George Shirley" > wrote in message
> .. .
> | pavane wrote:
> | > "john royce" > wrote in message
> | > ...
> | > | Saw a ceramic knife sharpening steel the other day, are they better in any
> | > | way than the traditional steel steel?
> | > |
> | > | One disadvantage is i guess they might crack or chip if dropped on to a hard
> | > | floor, but apart from that I'm wondering if they do a better job?
> | >
> | > I have used one exclusively for the last 10 years or so, and they
> | > certainly do a better job, faster sharpening to a finer edge with
> | > longer lasting results. Mine is pretty much like this one:
> | > http://www.amazon.com/brand-Ceramic-.../dp/B000N5BVN2
> | > One caution is that the ceramic will actually sharpen (shave off minute amounts
> | > of the steel from the blade) whereas a steel will not, its job is to align
> | > the edge of the blade. Given all of that my knives will still outlast me and
> | > show no sign of deterioration. You use it the same way as the steel,
> | > and I obviously would strongly recommend it.
> | >
> | > pavane
> | >
> | >
> | How do you clean it?
>
> I use a plastic scrubbing thing (the pad shaped like sos, not the
> very fine flat pad that tends to leave residue) and a touch of
> the liquid comet cleanser. Apparently there is an eraser
> block of some sort around, and there is a ceramic rod cleaner
> (liquid) that can be gotten, but I have been happy with the easy
> way out. YMMV of course but I only need to clean it about once
> a year or so. Other than that common sense: carbon steel knives
> leave more residue than stainless but boy do they get sharp!!
>
> pavane
>
>
Thank you, that's sort of what I've been doing with mine except I just
use a liquid scrubbing compound, whatever is available at the time.

A ceramic "steel" is one of the best tools for maintaining your knife's
edge. In addition to straightening the edge like a polished steel, it
will remove a minute amount of metal that will compensate for the normal
wear on the edge. People who use them are taking work away from
sharpeners like me.

--
Steve Bottorff
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com
Remove REMOVE from address when replying