Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Any good cook will tell you that besides hands, good sharp knives are their most important kitchen tools. Hard chopping surfaces, improper storage and other abuse will dull knives, making them dangerous to use. A good steel is essential to keeping knives operating at peak performance, and this steel is the best I've ever used. (Just for the record, I've owned and regularly used a Chicago Cutlery steel for years, a generic steel that came with a knife set and a cheap one from the hardware store bargain bin. The CC one worked better than the hardware store example, but no better than the generic one. All three of these are round and fit in a knife block and when I use them, I'm never sure I'm getting the right results. The steels themselves are slippery, and using them is more of a ritual than a procedure.
I chose this steel to review because the holidays were approaching and there's never a better time to review a kitchen tool than at a time when heavy use is on the agenda. I was expecting a steel the same size as the one that came with my knife set. Au contraire, mes amis; this thing is HUGE! It arrived in an enormous box and my jaw dropped when I unpacked it--just a little longer and wider and you'd have a nice cricket bat. It came in a rather flimsy protective case that secures with a snap just above the handle. The snap parted company from the rest of the case, but that's not a huge deal; it was one of those cases that you can't figure out if you're supposed to keep it, anyway. Initially, I was disappointed in the handle. It's brown plastic and I thought the heft and quality of the steel itself deserved wood, but now I appreciate the plastic. It's easier to clean and seems to be durable.
As far as the steel itself goes, I tried it first on a dullish chef's knife before dicing a large onion. Three swipes per side made an enormous difference. The oval steel gives a nice broad surface and much more control while sharpening than does the standard round steel. The knife sliced quickly and cleanly without snagging, which was a level of performance I haven't gotten from that particular knife in a long time. Inspired, I immediately went to work on my other knives with equally impressive results. The steel's extra breadth and length is perfect for large butcher's knives as well as for tiny paring knives. This steel has made it possible to resurrect several knives I'd pretty much given up on because they'd gotten dangerously inaccurate. The oval shape is so lovely and satisfying to work with, I've thrown away my other steels. They feel downright cheesy and I'll never go back.
This steel is brilliantly efficient at what it's supposed to do, the only downside is that storage might be an issue in an average kitchen. It won't fit in a knife block or a drawer. I hung it on my pot rack and it's fine there. Mine is more of utilitarian kitchen than a model home type--I don't mind things showing, but House Beautiful types might not be pleased. I highly, highly recommend this steel.
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I just received this today. Confession: I tend to be lazy about sharpening my knives. I have purchased knife sharpeners before, but they were, from what I could tell, for lazy people and didn't work very well.
This sharpening instrument takes more work. But we had a roasted chicken breast (bone-in) for dinner tonight. I used this tool to sharpen my favorite knife for this specific task beforehand. Mirabile dictu! The knife did a better job of cutting than is its norm! Thus, it appears that this sharpening tool has an upside to it.
Before any definitive word, of course, I will have to use it over time. But, I can say this--my first exercise with this was very promising. . . .
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program As a bachelor, I don't cook often. But when I do, a sharp knife is essential. This steel sharpened every knife I tried it on, worked quickly, and cleanly. Recommended.
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Got this for my son and he said it wasn't as good as a stone or other sharpeners he has had in the past. He was disappointed with it, especially when it cost so much! It looked like it was nice and heavy but I guess looks are not what I expected.
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Admittedly, this is my first kitchen sharpening/honing steel. Always one to keep pocketknives and tools sharp, I've been wanting a kitchen steel for some time. Finally, I decided to buy this on a lightning deal, and I'm glad I did.
Of course, I can't compare it to other kitchen steels, and I don't know if others are for sharpening as opposed to this being a "honing" steel. But after putting up a hook for it in my kitchen, I used the new steel on about a dozen kitchen knives. Though some took more effort than others, it generally didn't take long before I was able to shave the hair off my arm with most of them. I was planning on buying a set of very high quality kitchen knives, but I'm glad that I bought this first. This steel has brought new life to the knives I have had for years, and should help them hold me over at least until next year's round of holiday sales. Much smarter than spending the money on a set of great knives without having a steel to keep them in shape.
I will echo the other reviewers' sentiments on the appearance and feel of this steel. I love its size and heft, though given that the size requires hanging it (which also should serve as a reminder to use it), I would much prefer if the handle looked nicer. I don't mind the dense plastic so much, but maybe make it black or something. Also, if you plan on giving this as a gift, expect to come up with your own packaging. The flimsy plastic sheath that came with this steel was literally split in half at the seams before I even opened the package. The pictures that another reviewer put up actually make the sheath look nicer than it is, if you can believe that. So don't plan on the sheath for extended use or even initial presentation. Amazon has great customer service, and would probably try and help you get one that at least makes delivery without falling apart, but even if you were the sort to bother them over something like this (especially after being forewarned), you would be wasting your time. I would rather give this without the sheath than seem to cheapen the gift of this nice steel by including the flimsy sheath that will certainly fall apart immediately.
Overall though, I am very glad I bought this product.
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I own a few of these knives because (1) they are economical, and (2) they are sturdy and functional. For personal use or small gatherings I use a Boska Holland Explore Cheese Set. However for tastings and for multi-purpose use I use these.
