What do you anons do to maintain your knives? Currently I only use a cheap 400/1000 grit sharpening stone (was like 15-20$) whenever my knives get dull (I have exclusively stainless steel knives if that's relevant). I don't care about a mirror finish, so higher grits seem unneeded and while the cheap stone isn't "as responsive" (pic related), it gets the job done for a good price. Then there's other things people do to maintain their knives though and I don't know which ones are memes and which ones are "worth it". I know you autistic fucks will buy a 1000$ sharpening stone for marginal improvement in quality and pretend that is needed, but what actually makes life easier/better without costing insane money or having marginal returns?Semi related, do you guys oil your carbon steel knives, or let it form a patina naturally?I know of honing steels, which are meant to fix deformations of the blade primarily instead of removing material (though there's the ceramic and diamond ones that do for some reason?). Is there much of a difference between using a knife after honing or not? How much longer will the knife stay sharp compared to without? Abrasive honing rod or non abrasive? Does it matter if the knife is carbon steel or stainless?And then there's stropping, which is a finishing step of sharpening for a lot of people, but claims to do the same thing, realign the blade or with compound remove minor amounts of material. Is stropping just a method for perfectionists who want a greater meme finish (in which case I won't bother) or is it a viable maintenance thing? I don't really care about "razor sharp", if it cuts through paper that's plenty sharp for me, I want to use my knife for cooking, not to impress people with meme videos. That's also why I don't care about the mirror finish.TL;DR is is a honing rod worth it? Should I get a normal or abrasive one? And does stropping make sense, replace honing, or is it a waste of time?
>Non autistic
I'm not reading this damn essay you wrote
>>17840533A honing rod is basically for when you're making hundreds to thousands of aggressive cuts in a session. Think like a brazilian steakhouse where they're constantly slicing through grilled steak and often hit the metal skewer. That knife needs to be honed to maintain an effective working edge. A strop is less aggressive but will serve a similar function. Honestly, if you're sharpening your knives you don't really need a honing rod. A strop will help even out and inconsistencies left behind by your whetstone, and the primary function of that is preventing accumulated damage in inconsistently formed areas. When I use my pocket knife at work and i fuck it up i ususally just grind it a bit and then run it over a rough leather belt to smooth it out. It's obviously much rougher than you'd want for a kitchen knife but it keeps that bitch cutting when it otherwise would be a dull health hazardI would reccomend using a strop, but you don't have to get autistic about perfectly aligning the edge
>>17840560>Honestly, if you're sharpening your knives you don't really need a honing rod.That was kind of what I suspected, basically I'm best served by staying with my current setup, sitting down to do a proper sharpening session when the knife gets dull and using it normally inbetween, no stropping or honing needed. >I would reccomend using a strop, but you don't have to get autistic about perfectly aligning the edgeWhat advantage really does a strop give me? Is it really only prevent accumulated damage? What type of "damage" can I expect without it? And I assume all the stuff about sharpening paste and shit is unneeded too then, if you just us a random leather belt? I only heard stropping recommended by videos of people who make knife sharpening their whole hobby and they seem to use it to get it that last mile so you can shave with the knife, but as I said I kind of don't care about that, which is why I stop at the 1k grit aready. Either way thanks for the clarification, it makes sense so far.
>>17840533Here is really what you need to know.your stones are fine for any cooking besides sushi.Honing rods are great but if your longest knife is 8 inch get a 10 inch rod.Strops are great especiallyif you got some green compound on them.Dont go getting a $40 strop just get a old leather belt and double sided tape it to a piece of wood and see if you like it.green polishing compound is also dirt cheap do go getting 1 micron diamond spray.
>>17840576>your stones are fine for any cooking besides sushi.I kind of know, I have no reason to upgrade to any "high end" stones anyways and certainly not before this one is used up, which will take a long time anyways.Honing rods/strops are great you say, but what for? What do I really get for them? Does honing even make sense as a homecook every few days? It's not like I am a professional chef who prepares shitloads of food every day after all. And what do you use your strop for? Finishing a sharpening session or maintenance?Also what is the diamond stray for/does it replace the green polishing compound?
>>17840570anon, don't listen to >>17840560this is retarded advicea good quality steel will lengthen the time between stone sessions (assuming daily use) by weeks if not months
>>17840590>a good quality steelWhat the fuck makes a "good quality steel"? Is it the hardness? Is it abrasive or not? Most steels seem dirt cheap anyways, might as well get one to see how much I like it, but I hate buying shit I won't use. And does an abrasive steel (plus occasional sharpening) remove less material over time to just sharpening stones or more?
>>17840595there is a variance to them, and they have different purposes. An abrasive diamond steel is fine for cheap knives, but defeats the purpose of stones and strops as it roots the edge entirely when you use it, whereas a polished steel will straighten rather than "cut" the edge. You can't beat a Dick Multicut, Multiron or Duo for any sort of catch-all steel
>>17840585sorry meant do not get diamond spry its not needed.So when you cut anything especially on a chopping board the very edge of your knife will roll over and it goes from shaving sharp to only shaving on one side.basically that means it will get caught on stuff like tomato skin easily.Honing the knife just makes that bent edge straight again so it can cut smooth.Stropping does the same thing but its much softer on your knife and if you add green compound it very slightly cuts in and polishes the edge so it even sharper and feels like a 6000 grit sort of finish for a bit.Honestly not really needed but its metal polish in a green chunk you apply to bench grinder wheels so its $5 for a life time supply and you probably got some leather or old belt so its cheap to try.Just get a belt and test your knife on some food then strop your knife on it and try it again to see the difference it makes.
>>17840603>Honestly not really needed but its metal polish in a green chunk you apply to bench grinder wheels so its $5 for a life time supply and you probably got some leather or old belt so its cheap to try.That's a good thing to bring up, I have an old belt lying around, might as well glue it to a piece of wood and give it a try.>>17840601>An abrasive diamond steel is fine for cheap knivesI have a decent variety of knives, ranging from soft steel (kiwi brand knives), over cheap chinese steels (7cr17mov knives at 5$ per piece) all the way up to shun VGMax (VG10) steel. I feel like the diamond stuff is for people who don't actually use sharpening stones.>You can't beat a Dick Multicut, Multiron or Duo for any sort of catch-all steelAnon those range from 150€ to 780€, I'm not paying that much for some honing steels, no matter how good or long lasting.
>>17840611150 eu is like the upper limit I'd expect to pay for any of those, you Yuros really are in recession huhKiwis are super soft so they actually respond better to an abrasive steel than they do to frequent stoning. Try to find a decent ceramic steel, they are pretty cheap and work really well for cheap and expensive steel alike. The trade-off is that they are quite brittle and wear down over years
>>17840611Don't even glue it for now it just makes it easier if you want a dedicated strop.
>>17840620>150 eu is like the upper limit I'd expect to pay for any of those, you Yuros really are in recession huhI assume it's import taxes and just noone here giving a shit to buy them, leading to no competition. There is only 1 seller of them in my country, so that one seller can buttfuck the people willing to buy I guess.>Kiwis are super soft so they actually respond better to an abrasive steel than they do to frequent stoning. Yeah, I noticed that. Some anon in some thread ages ago said he got one and it was so cheap (which it is) and stays sharp "forever". Massive cope, they are so soft they dull after a few uses. But then again they are trivial to sharpen too, 1-2 times on the 1k grit is more than enough. >Try to find a decent ceramic steel, they are pretty cheap and work really well for cheap and expensive steel alike.That seems reasonable, I will look if I find a decently priced one I'll give it a go.>>17840623Even better, then I suppose I ought to put the belt over a hook like those barber strops, pull the end to straighten and use like that.
Lansky or a combistone, the stone doesn't have the grit labelled but it feels like 300/800 and the knives are shaving sharp. Anything else is masturbation
I have a worksharp 3 stone (320, 600, ceramic finishing stone) and the king 1000/6000
>Non autistic knife maintenanceany knife maintenance is autistic
>>17840590How often do you use your knives that you need to hone them? I sharpen mine like once a year
Only tangentially related, but I once accidentally ran my finger over the honing steel instead of the knife, and had to spend the next half hour digging metal splinters out of my thumb.
>>17840688Sharpening is necessary and easy. If you don't sharpen your knives, you may as well be using butterknives after a while. Nothing autistic about the bare minimum to keep your tools functional.>>17840699What steel and what cutting board? Once a year seems extremely low, even for a harder steel.
This is what I usehttps://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m10000-triple-diamond-3-stage-professional-electric-knife-sharpener/470M10000.html
>>17840842if sharpening is so easy why does open need to write a giant fucking block of autism text about it?
>>17840906Because the text isn't about sharpening it's about honing you tard.
Ok, this will no doubt elicit loads of delightful responses from "experts" but here goes:Yes a honing steel makes a difference HOWEVER 99.9999% of the people you see I clouding pro chefs and tutorials tell you to to do it exactly backwards from how it actually works.All the stuff about the fine edge getting deformed and needing realignment is true, it's like a book page getting dog eared...Now think of how you correct that condition- do you apply the smoothing out energy of your hand from the same direction that caused the edge to fold over in the first place, or do you work from the other direction to reverse that folding over action?Of course you do the latter. Razor strops work the same way; you hold the blade with the sharp edge facing you and move it in the reverse of the cutting direction that makes the edge fold over on a microscopic level, to revetse that folding just like the dog eared book page....it's just common sense.Now ask yourself why if a honing steel is intended to do the samevthing, why would the action be petformed in the exact same direction that folded it over to begin with, the way nearly every tutorial and visual example you see does? The idea that you move a knife over a honing steel like you are shaving the rod is one of the best examples of a meme there is, that doesn't hold up to logical scrutiny and common sense. The only reason it is perpetuated is because nobody wants to face the withering derision of the "experts" who just accept what some other "expert" said, and their collective retardation.You can believe me or not, and anyone who likes to be "right" can go on fucking their knife edges up by honing them backwards...but the fact is that when properly honed, a correctly sharpened quality kitchen knife will work like a dream for YEARS without needing ANY sharpening.
>>17841023Is your point that you shouldn't hone against the edge? Because in that case I agree but didn't know some people suggested that.
>>17841123point is you dont do it like you are paring the skin off a carrot with the rod as the carrot but thats how almost all "authorities" say to do it...in pic related the motion advised is downwards, the exact opposite of what would reverse a folded edgehttps://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/276-how-to-use-a-honing-rod#sharpeningsteel
As a data point, I have one of these cheapo things and it definitely makes a significant difference. I use it basically every day, sharpen maybe once a year.
Inexpensive knives, however 6000/1000 whetstone.
The trick the sharpening industry doesn't want you to know about
>>17841520My confession is that I have never ever watched a honing video, but I'd have assumed you do it like with a strop, and that means with the grain rather than against, weird that they do it the other way around. I guess if it's an abrasive one it may break the bevel? But if you have such a big bevel why wouldn't you have broken it on the stone already? And if it's a smaller one, folding is far more likely. >>17841589Nice that that works for you, I have never seen one like this as a honing rod, only as those "pull through sharpeners" that are good for people who refuse to ever sharpen, but dogshit compared to actual whetstones>>17841608From personal experience inexpensive whetstones (600/1k combo stone) do a fine job, the more expensive ones are a waste of money unless you do this profesionally or as a hobby. >>17841700Works with a kiwi or soft steel, but you can do this for ages on a harder steel and get barely anywhere.
>>17840533>stop sharpening knives>buy this knife sharpenerGenius marketing.
I use one of the cunts, 30 euros works great and is easy to use
>>17841023you dont strop on a honing steel, if you were you'd burnish the apex metal and fatigue the steel there.a smooth honing rod essentially cold works the apex, it does this by being hard and exerting a tremendous amount of pressure per square inch due to being round. Everyone who ever prepared a scraper knows this shit
>>17841856this
>>17840688depends on the steel. for cheap shit 2 minutes of of freehand on a combo $10 waterstone is "good enough" and will probably be sharper than when you bought it when it got thrown on a wheel with a rolled over edge. If you care enough to cook your own food you should care enough to learn how to hold a knife at a consistent angle and rub it on a rock for a minute to keep it efficient.
>>17840576>Strops are great especiallyif you got some green compound on them.Holy fuck that shit is cheap, multiple lifetime supply for a few bucks, ordered some already, I expected it to be much more expensive.
>>17840533I just ask for the knife set in out employee Christmas bonus, sell the old set cheap at years end..
