Should I use a honing steel or sharpening stone?
The short answer to this question is that using Japanese sharpening stones trumps a steel any day. If you're passionate about keeping your knives sharp sharpening stones are the way to go. Steeling your knives will put tiny micro grooves along the blade that act like teeth to give it some traction during cutting. The steel will also realign any burrs that have formed. However if you're after a longer lasting sharp edge, sharpening stones are key.
If you'd like to learn how to sharpen knives, read our tips on knife sharpening. You'll be surprised with the results you can achieve if you have the proper setup.
Which sharpening steel should I use?
If you prefer not to spend the time learning to sharpen your knives, buy a high quality ceramic steel in between the times you get your knives professional sharpened. If you have Japanese knives buy a fine grit ceramic steel.
As steels will not give you a great edge, come see us every few months and we will sharpen your knives on Japanese waterstones. This will keep your knives as sharp as when you bought them and in many cases even sharper.
For advice on how to use a honing steel, click here >> How to use a sharpening steel
