Noticed my knife edges got way better after switching to a ceramic hone

Used a steel for like 8 years and thought I was doing fine... then picked up a ceramic rod at a dollar store on a whim three weeks ago. The difference in how onions slice through is wild, has anyone else made that swap and stuck with it?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy_park766d ago

Did you try touching up your knife first before judging the steel? A steel can work fine if you use it correctly, but a lot of people just swipe a few times and call it good. I spent years thinking my steel was dead until I realized I wasn't using enough angle and pressure to actually realign the edge.

jana_ellis956d ago

Right on, Wendy. A lot of people give up on steels because they don't realize it's a muscle memory skill, not a magic wand. You gotta find that sweet spot where the steel is hitting the edge at like 15-20 degrees, then actually push down like you're trying to shave a thin layer off the steel itself. I've seen guys at potlucks do that lazy little swipe where the knife barely touches the rod and then complain the steel doesn't work. If you're using a good steel and the edge still feels rough after a good 10-15 passes per side with some real pressure, then yeah, maybe the steel's too smooth or bent. But 9 times out of 10, it's the user.