I was a prep cook for a couple years, and the guys there taught me to hold the rod with my left hand with the handle near eye level pointing about 30 degrees to the right, about parallel with the ground. Then the knife sits in the right hand just past the end of the stone, arm outstretched. Then your stroke the knife toward the handle of the rod. This allows you to see the angle more explicitly as it contacts the stone/steel/ceramic. It also allows you to perform 2 or 3 swipes on each side of the blade without moving anything but your wrist. It only takes 50 or so times to get good enough to keep a completely consistent angle on each part of the knife against the rod. After about a thousand times, the whole 4-6 strokes takes about 3 seconds, and it is dead on, accurate, every time. The stroke is different on every knife, so pick your favorite knife (I like an 10" chef's knife), and get gud. On short knives or knives with thin edges, I just mess up the edge. Every 3 to 6 months, you have to resharpen your knife with a flat surface because even the best stoning will kill the perfect straightness of the edge. The edge is still sharp, but when you chop, chop, chop the chicken, you find that the pieces are just BARELY still connected.

Thank you so much for the amazing video!! You have an actual visual demonstration of what I have been trying trying to explain to customers that I sell my ceramic honing rods to. I personally like the white ceramic honing rods because I can tell my customers when it becomes fully dark they need to clean it because it is no longer as effective as it should be. Thank you again!

Nice vid. Always good info with no BS. Thanks. From my experience the place where the steel works the best is on fine edged hollow ground chef's knives. When used the edge tends roll quickly and you get tiny defects in the edge called feathers. 2 or 3 passes over a very fine ribbed steel realigns the feathers. A steel has a different purpose than a honing rod. It keeps a sharp knige sharp. It is not designed to put an edge on. Most chefs prefer just a little bit of tooth on their knives vs, a mirror polished edge. Most steels are too coarse. You want the finest lines you can get. Also hold the blade a little flatter when you steel off the knife. My $0.02

Great to see you posting again. Hope all is well.

Outstanding Cliff!. The video looks good. Content is perfect!. It is always best to let us (The Audience) decide what looks best. Your conclusions are perfect and right in line with my observations. I'll be linking my customers to your video. Often customers ask about steeling results and different hones. Video goes a long way to explain something that, until now, most have never seen. Bravo! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year brother!!!

awesome demo!!

Well done... very informative

This is a really great video. Thanks for taking the time to show us the results.

@CurryCustomCutlery

2 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Good video Cliff.

Great video I don't recommend diamond rods to my customers because of what this showed they are far too aggressive. Now days they have great angle guides for users to use. The Shun rod is great for Japanese Knives it has a built is 16 degree from the round protector. They just go against it.

Recently got a good quality ceramic. I'd also recommend this to all. It does an outstanding job of smoothing out the edge. I can actually feels the resistance lessen with each of 4 strokes, then I know I 've got a great edge. Cliff, Thanks for the great video, especially the close-up camera work. It really gives a great visual of what's really going on.

@CurryCustomCutlery

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely and my pleasure. I have more of same like this planned as I daily suggest the information presented here. To me its clear the ceramic is the way to go for touch up and maintenance.

This is a fantastic video! exactly what I was looking for. Really informative and easy to understand due to the way you are showing the real effects on the knife edge. Could you share some details about the microscope you used? It looks great. Thanks!

@CurryCustomCutlery

Жыл бұрын

Microscope is just usb scope under $50. They work very well, even better in person when not trying to record n hold n talk. hehe

Thank you for sharing this demonstration. It is very helpful, what 1x30 is that your using?

Loving your vids Cliff, I always learn something. Knives are currently a very small part of my sharpening biz, but when I open a brick and mortar location I'm sure that will change. When that happens I may have to come see you for some one on one training. Plus any excuse to come to Hawaii right...lol

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah not a bad place to come for training. I have a few guys that have been here more then once. ;)

I really like your video and your thought process! greetings from Austria

What microscope are you using.....I am honing my sharpening skills and that would be really handy for me.

Informative.

I use a ribbed steel in the kitchen and it will bring a completely dull knife back to razor sharp. I've used a ribbed steel on a freshly sharpened pocket knife and it takes it from a clean fine edge to a mini serrated edge. Shine a light on your edge and you can see the waves the steel left in it. A steeled edge seems a little more aggressive than a fine polished edge. I've always put fine edges on my knives for shaving hair and a ribbed steel edge for cutting tougher materials like rope or meat. Just the way I do it.

@harrisonwarner6437

Жыл бұрын

☝= 😵‍💫👎👎👎

Great video! It would be interesting to see a paper test with the different rods.

Can you make a video on how to do serrated knives on the 1x30? I really like your video's very informative! Greeting from a beginner sharpener in the Netherlands!

Cliff, Great video by the way - Digging the Logo'd shirt !!! Do you feel the results would have been the same if you matched the same angle on the hone as you did on your 1x30???

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

by matching angle it seems to just slide along, you need it do dig in a bit to remove stock. Just my experience...

What grit belts are you using to make the perfect edge. 400 to 600 then srtop

after sharpening with whetstone, need sharpening rod again?

Love to see a good in depth video. I am confused though about the extreme honing sharpening angle in the video it looks like you're almost pushing 45° verses 15 to 20 I don't believe I've ever seen anybody hone at that extreme. 🤔 You mentioned the diamond being 600 to 800 Grit but what of the ceramic rod as far as grit? I have a 1000, 1400 and 2000 ish(+) ceramic rods and can testify they make a huge difference obviously like a ceramic stone would as well. Though the honing steel is not technically a sharpening device where did the burr wire edge come from if not there beforehand? In over thirty years I've never seen a wire / burr come from a honing steel if it wasn't already there to begin with. It's common to pull wire edge / burr with a strop but the strop didn't cause the wire edge / burr but has just released it. Don't know if you're familiar with Frederick Dick honing Steel but there's a larger degree from course to polish with many in-between and I've got some I wouldn't dare use on Japanese knives because of the extreme so you'd have to technically categorize the steel of what depth of ridge.

Could you do more videos on cleaning up the sides of a knife?

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

Aloha Adam, I have a restoration video showing me use a scotch brite belt to bring back a satin finish. Beyond that would be a full thinning I think I did in video along time ago. Thx

It would have been more interesting if you've started with a dull knife and "sharpen" it with the different rods and compare results, good video 😀✌

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

Right? I didnt even think to do a slice test etc. I actually recorded it all twice, first time just didnt work out. Ya'all know I dont plan these out right??? haha

@redangrybird7564

3 жыл бұрын

@@CurryCustomCutlery a knife honed with a rod won't cut a paper nicely, but for lettuce and oranges is great. I think a rough toothy edge is better for vegetables. Take care.

So are you intentionally creating a second bevel with the honing rod? All I read about is 15-20 degree bevels, but your angle is pretty big. I have just fallen into the sharpening rabbit hole, trying to learn as much as possible. Thanks!

@thiago.assumpcao

Жыл бұрын

That's how rods work. Even smooth honing rod creates microbevels. There is an article on Science of Sharp showing that with electron microscopy. He is using it like most people do high angle and applying force. Contact area is so small that even a light touch means huge pressure. Applying 200g in a rod is the same as applying over 10 kilograms on a stone. It creates a lot of metal fatique and reduce edge durability. His test is valid because that's how most people use it anyways. You can minimize fatique with ultra low pressure but then it just takes longer than using a stone. To avoid metal fatique and fast maintenance I do alternating stokes on a stone. Stone grit depends on what I'm going to use the knife for. 1K -6K works great for general purpose knives.

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year, just one question, is the steel rod magnetic . . unlike your ceramic or diamond steel.

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

Not that I know of. Just a Shun steel that I had here on hand.

@tinytoons2517

3 жыл бұрын

@@CurryCustomCutlery I was told by a Master Bladesmith , that the steel has to be magnetic to help micro edge re-align into a straight position . . love your thoroughness.

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

@@tinytoons2517 to me it looks like steels just scrape the metal...thats some pretty deep rabbit hole stuff your talking about but it sure sounds good. :)

@PatronSaintofKnives

3 жыл бұрын

@@tinytoons2517 Your Bladesmith is mistaken. Most steels are magnetic, but not for some complicated profound reason. The magnetic steel is supposed to pick up the tiny fragments of metal that peel off the edge and keep them from getting in the food. Sometimes when you’re done steeling, you will find slivers of metal stuck to the steel. Always a good idea to wipe the blade after steeling to keep those tiny fragments out of your food.

@tinytoons2517

3 жыл бұрын

@@PatronSaintofKnives Thank you for your insight, will remember to clean knife before use . .

what grit is the smooth steel?

@CurryCustomCutlery

3 жыл бұрын

It doesnt really have a grit. The diamond is course at 200 The ceramic is extra fine at about 1500 grit Steel is just steel...scraping in steel

Oh and thumbs up

Din vinkel når du horner er fuldstændig tilfældig, giver et mystisk resultatet

I've never really thought honing steels did anything. It seems more like tradition and ceremony than anything else. Maybe it was more necessary back in the day when blade steel was softer. I don't think that is the case anymore though.

Way to much angle, way to much pressure.

@CurryCustomCutlery

Жыл бұрын

More information please which one are you referring to?

@kraftzion

Жыл бұрын

@@CurryCustomCutlery all. The contact point between a rod and a knife edge is very small. Just lay the knife on at close to the bevel angle and use quick, very light strokes. The result with the steel will be very smooth, like glass( providing you have a good,smooth steel).

Are you are purposely misusing the steel in order to get more customers? The pro chefs and butchers know how to keep their edge. Using the steel at a 30-45 degree angle is no different than if you misused your belt sander.

@CurryCustomCutlery

Жыл бұрын

Im sorry if this triggered you. I can say for sure it wasnt intentional to "get me more customers" however that would work. Maybe I can make a better video in the future in my spare time

@brenthall6554

Жыл бұрын

@@CurryCustomCutlery Yeah buddy, I was so triggered🤣

great vid, where did you get that microscope?