ZWILLING 9-inch Sharpening Steel

I'm not a professional chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I do understand the appreciate of quality kitchen tools for when I'm cooking at home. But no matter of what level of cooking you do, it's hard to get around the value of a sharp knife: It's simply easier and safer to use. It's worth noting that a steel won't actually sharpen your knife. It's similar difference between combing wet hair and cutting it: A steel "hones" an edge, which basically straightens out the microscopic "fibers" on a knife edge; "sharpening" requires the use of a stone or grinder. So, if you knives aren't sharp, it's best to have them sharpened and then to maintain that edge with the steel. So, as a non-pro, I wanted a steel that was reasonably priced and could be trusted to not damage my knives (all Henckels Professional series knives, a total indulgence for a home cook, I know). So far, it has worked wonderfully. After sharpening my knives, a few swipes against the steel is all it takes to keep them cutting neatly and precisely. Read more

I really like the handle and length of the steel. It is easy to use and does its job well. The sad thing is that because of the shape of these steels it does not hang from my magnetic knife bar. Please note, this tool does NOT sharpen the steel on your knives. No honing tool does, that is not what these are made for. They instead realign the edge of your knife so that it cuts better. So it is a great thing to have to keep your knives in good care, but it will not sharpen your knives. You should have both tools, a tool to hone (this one) and a good tool or service to get your knives sharpened. The practice I go by is that you need to get your knives sharpened only about once a year, but you should be honing your knives about once a week at the minimum (once for each use is best) It only takes a few minutes to hone your knives. How I do it is that I hold my knife in my dominant hand and the honing steel in my other hand. Both facing directly away from my body. I slice the knife along the steel as if I am trying to get a very very thin slice of steel off the rod. I do it 5 times on one side and then just cross my hands and do 5 times on the other side. Then I go back and do 4 slices on the first side and 4 slices on the other side. Then I do the same thing over and over again each time doing one less slice. It takes about a minute per knife and can be a bit fun actually. Read more

I bought this in tandem with the Messermeister 12-inch ceramic sharpener, because my man was starting to grouse more and more about how dull the knives were. As others have pointed out, a steel is not truly for sharpening, it is for HONING (straightening the blade) and the ceramic is for actually making the edge sharper. Buy both if you have neither. He has owned steels before, but pronounced this one effective and of good quality. Very happy! Read more

The metal looks okay, I have Zwilling knife, so I want to buy the same brand sharpener, since it should be made in German. However, it comes without menu, instruction, just a flimsy plastic bag, I bought it because the description said, it made in German, but there's no information nor booklet to show where it's made from. Very strange! Read more

I'm a college student who cooks as a hobby; this means that I don't have access to a super fancy kitchen or have space for tons of different cooking gear. I have two general purpose chef's knives, a small one about five inches in length and a larger one about ten inches in length, one Japanese and one Korean. After a year of using these knives, I found that chopping and slicing has gotten a bit harder; they were losing their edge! I picked up this sharpening steel to help remedy this situation, and now, after a few swipes down each side along with some work with a ceramic sharpening rod, the knife cuts like new again. I haven't tried to sharpen serrated edges (nor do I wish to), so I can't speak for their effectiveness on that end, but for straight-edge knives it seems to work wonders. Highly recommended! Read more

This is a very good high quality sharpening steel. For the price that you get it for, it far exceeds expectations. The length of this steel is great for just about any typical knife you will have in the kitchen. Additionally, this feels sturdy and does the job well. The steel is used to straighten the knife edge and running the knife along it every once in a while will keep your knives sharp. I highly recommend this sharpening steel for everyone as it is a good product at a good price. Read more

Having possessed dozens of sharpeners over 50 years, including stones, steels, electric grinders of many types, I LOVE this one. So far, it works quickly on both pocket knives and kitchen knives (Sabatier and older steel). Time will tell whether it's too coarse and takes off more metal than necessary, but so far, it seems great. In spite of all the sharpening systems I've had, I'm no expert, so the quicker it gets to sharpness, the better for me. UPDATE: One of the reviewers here says that steels aren't good for *sharpening*, only for maintaining an edge. I respectful disagree because this stone sharpens like no other stone I've had, WITHOUT taking off a lot of material. Someday, I'll put up a Youtube video how I sharpen with with this steel. Basically, hold stone in left hand and knife in right, hold heel of blade at tip of steel and draw down at a 30-degree angle (approx.) ending with tip of knife at bottom of steel. Repeat 4 times on same side, then same on other side of knife, 5 times. Repeat above 4 times, then 3 times, then twice, then once. All holding knife at the same 30-degree angle. Then.... ....repeat ALL of the above, but instead of 30-degree angle, hold knife at a shallow angle like you're shaving. This works best for me on this steel. Read more