Is with a diamond steel.
Note that diamond steel doesn't actually fully sharpen the blade (nice blades anyway).
Your not going to get a finely sharpened and perfectly honed blade unless you take it to a professional who can grind the steel.
With cheaper blades you may actually get a good edge out of a sharpening steel because the diamond grit gives it the ability to grind an edge.
But with your nicer knives these simply straighten any minor nicks and hone the existing edge. If you really wanted to try sharpening a dull edge with a steel, you'd be at it for a long time and whining about sore hands before you got a nice edge.
Anyone who's ever run the gamut of electrics, oiled stones and numerous other crafty looking sharpeners will tell you that, ultimately a nice diamond steel is all you need.
Cheap knives and finer knives will both come out well polished after a few passes with this steel. It's not as long as some of the restaurant quality sharpeners I've used but it has a nice shape, more flat with a than standard round.
It also has a very fine dust that hones the blade well.
I took this to a set of cheap steak knives my fiance had when we met and they came out razor sharp after a few passes, of course that edge will only last a few cuts with such cheap steel and they still have the larger nicks they've recieved over the years, but it's nice to be able to get them sharp on the fly.
After that I pulled out a decent set of nicer knives (not Wustof quality but nice) I've had in a drawer for about a year now (not sharpened since I bought them), after about 30 seconds of swiping I had almost the original edge back and was slicing paper thin tomatoes. This was after they could just about mash a potato with the sharp edge.
No question that a good blade makes cooking and eating a lot more enjoyable.
Before you buy a pricey electric or some fancy stone set, give a traditional, diamond hand held a try. This one has turned out to work just fine. And I'll bet you'll be pleasantly suprised with your results.
Any diamond steel will do, there's really not a huge difference between their performance other than the shape and size. Some are poor quality and will wear out quickly, mostly in the handle, but, in my experience, they're usually cheaper and easier to replace.
Look for fine dust or grid to get a nice hone.
This one happens to be a good quality and has a great shape.
Seems like it'll last a long time.
I probably dont have to tell you this but since it doesn't come with a manual or any paperwork at all, dont put it in the dishwasher if you want it to last. Wipe it down with a wet cloth if it gets dirty.
Treat it the same way you treat your nice knives and it'll last longer.
Good buy.
We just received this today and my husband of one month has proceeded to put a very sharp edge back on each knife in our Henckels knife set. The reason for four stars instead of five? When it arrived, the sharpener was not round, as I expected, but a two-sided oval sharpener. Although it is very easy to use and does a great job, it arrived with no directions. For someone who has never used this type of sharpener before they may not find it as easy to use. But for those of you (like my husband) would say "All I care about is that it sharpens the knives and it does a great job." (A direct quote from one who prides himself on putting a good edge on our knives. As a matter of fact he is scouring the neighborhood looking for more knives to sharpen.)
Buy J.A. Henckels 10-Inch Diamond Sharpening Steel Now
I am very pleased with the results of this diamond steel. It sharpens all our kitchen knives, big and small. I was a bit disappointed with Amazon's package. It is completely shrink-wrapped, bare steel, with no manufacturer's package or warranty paper, nothing! However, this is a fine product. It took me less than 2 minutes to sharpen a knife no kidding.
Read Best Reviews of J.A. Henckels 10-Inch Diamond Sharpening Steel Here
Most of us know the importance of sharp knives for proper food preparation and gracious serving. Of course, I had to learn the hard way by mashing a tomato instead of chopping it, by "sawing" a roast rather than slicing it, and by cutting and pulling off a plump roast turkey leg rather than carving it. Those are just a few of the reasons I'm such a fan of my Henckels Sharpening Steel.
After trying both a stone and steel, the steel is my favorite for ease of use and appearance. This steel is not only utilitarian but handsome with a ribbed handle that's easy to hold and silvertone handle guard and hanging ring.
First off, a good way to test whether or not your knives are sharp is to hold a piece of paper by the top corner and then attempt to "slice" it. If knives won't do this head for the steel! You'll be amazed sometimes it takes only a few strokes on the steel to make your knife sharp, sharper, then sharpest.
Remember to place the metal end of the steel on a sturdy surface, such as a butcher block table or cutting board then position the base of the blade on the steel and begin.
This Henckels sharpening steel is certainly a cut above any other.
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I bought two five star Henckels knives: chef and paring as my first top quality knives. I also got this steel to sharpen my other knives. Like most new knives, the Henckels were ground to an edge, but weren't sharp from base to tip. The steel sharpened them up beautifully in about five swipes on each side. I've used stones, various types of sharpeners, and an electric sharpener in the past with somewhat positive results. But this steel sharpens as well as hones or unfolds the edge, despite what they say about steels only unfolding and not really sharpening knives.
I've used it on some medium quality Chicago knives and older high carbon steel and even some cheapo stainless steel knives. It sharpened them all up beautifully, though the cheaper knives may not hold their edge very long. I love my new Henckels knives, but I'm beginning to wonder if you even need to buy high quality expensive knives or just a high quality sharpening tool like this one.
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There isn't much to say about this knife. It is sharp, sharp-looking and comfortable to use. I bought it as a stocking stuffer for my husband a year ago, thinking it was overkill, since a knife would do the job. But this mincer slices more cleanly and does it in less time than a knife. We use it often. It will never end up in the utensil graveyard.
