The Ultimate Edge 10-Inch Standard Diamond Sharpening Steel

I confess to being a bit of a geek when it comes to knife sharpening. I keep all of my knifes razor sharp and a box of band-aids in the kitchen for friends who are unaccustomed to working with really sharp knives.

I have found the Ultimate Edge to combine the action of a medium sharpening stone with that of a sharpening Steel. Like a steel, the small area of contact with the knife will straighten an edge that has rolled over as a result of contact with something unyielding. Unlike a steel, the diamond grit embedded along its length removes enough metal to create micro-serrations in the edge.

Micro-serrations are microscopic teeth raised in the edge through contact with a hard abrasive surface. The good thing about micro-serrations is they help a knife bite. For example, such a knife will slice through the skin of a tomato without slipping. The bad thing about micro-serrations is they wear away rather quickly and must be renewed frequently.

Most folks who spend too much time thinking knife sharpening prefer a "polished edge" which is achieved by stropping the edge after shaping and sharpening with a stone. Stropping (sometimes called buffing) involves removing the scratches (and micro-serrations) left by the sharpening stone, resulting in a perfectly smooth edge. A polished edge is extremely sharp and relatively durable. The edge on a new razor blade is an example of a polished edge. I touch up the edges of my knives the first time I feel them slip cutting into a tomato. For knives I use every day that translates to about once a month.

If you are someone who wants to maintain a polished edge on your knives I would not recommend the Ultimate Edge (or any of the other diamond coated steels out there). For the other 99.5% of the population, this is a very useful tool to maintain your knives. With a few strokes, you can raise those serrations and have a ripping sharp knife. Do this every few uses or just before you start a task where a really sharp knife makes a difference.

One final thought for those few who have made it this far. By its nature, the Ultimate Edge will create a secondary bevel (or possibly a concave bevel depending on how consistent your are in maintaining the knife/steel angle). This secondary bevel will tend to increase over time eventually reaching the point where it will affect the knifes performance. When this happens, it is wise to have the knife professionally sharpened to reestablish the primary bevel. You will know you have reached this point when you have to hold the knife at an unreasonably steep angle to the steel in order to affect the edge and/or you find it takes a large number of strokes to retouch the edge.

I purchased this Diamond Sharpening Steel from Amazon and have used it for a couple of days. It really works superb and overall performance is above all expectations. It not only realigns the edge but sharpens it as well. I.e. it removes material (steel) in infinitesimal amount that accumulates on the surface of the tool as extremely fine dust. It takes only a few effortless strokes for simple edge realignment if the knife is sharp or few minutes of work if the knife is dull. But in any case, the result is amazing! Once in a while this Diamond Sharpening Steel should be put under running water for only a few seconds for cleaning and steel dust residue flushes with water. Maintenance is simple and easy.

So, whether you have cheap knives or expensive ones this tool is worth the money. The only issue I leave open is durability of this Diamond Sharpening Steel. Theoretically it should last forever but in reality it remains to be seen.

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I sharpen my knives every 4 or 5 uses and find that these sharpeners last about two years. They are the best you can use to get a very sharp edge, but they do wear out. Scrub with a brush and soap and you can extend life. I am ordering my third sharpener and also give them to relatives who are surprised how dull their knives were.

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I bought this sharpening steel a few years ago, and it worked great in the beginning. It left the knife edge re-shaped but a little rough, so I used a regular steel to remove the roughness. As time went by, I noticed that the diamond cutting power was reducing and now the middle section of the ultimate edge diamond sharpening steel has little or no diamonds left on it. It will not re-shape a knife edge anymore and barely smooths the edge as well as a good regular steel. I just ordered a new diamond steel from a different manufacturer (Wusthof). Another negative is the fact the knife edge particles that are removed clog the space in between the diamond particles and must be removed on a regular basis. There are some other designs that work better I believe.

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There is nothing in a kitchen more dangerous than a dull knife. I cooked for a living when I was younger and appreciate the need for a well maintained tool. I've had Henckels knives for over 20 years, kept them very sharp and rarely had to use a stone to do so and never a strop. My old steel wore out and I was excited about this one. With it, I have reduced sharp knives to my version of garbage the steel is simply too coarse. I don't require a "polished" edge but I do require sharp and this steel will not do the job.