Sharpening steel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[edit] Sharpening Steel
A rod of steel, generally about 300mm long, usually rounded in cross section, used for sharpening blades.
These tools generally have a handle into which the tang is wedged, and occasionally a hilt to safeguard the users fingers. The rod is of hardened steel, with small ridges ground along the length of it. These ridges form a mildly abrasive surface ideal for raising a burr on a blade which has lost its edge. They are of little use on a blade which is totally blunt and requires a new edge. Be aware that the ridges will wear out over time.
Quoting Steve Lelievre knife tips
Hold the steel horizontally (I find it helps to push the tip against a cupboard door in order to keep it stable). Rest the knife on the steel so that they touch near their handles, with the knife tip pointing upand away from you, and the cutting edge facing you. Position the knife at 45 degrees to the steel like an open pair of scissors, and also slant it outwards somewhat so that only the cutting edge of the knife is in contact with the steel (the knife should still be horizontal along its own length). The amount of slant depends on the cross-section shape of the cutting edge of your knife.
Now pull the knife downwards, while keeping the same slant and the 45 degree scissor angle. As you do this, the point of contact travels towards the tip of the knife and of the steel, until the tip of the knife drops off the steel. Repeat a few times, pressing firmly but not hard. You need even pressure throughout the whole stroke to ensure the whole length of the blade is sharpened equally. Now repeat the process for the other face of the knife. This either means having the knife underneath the steel this time and slanting it downwards, or changing hands and doing the operation in mirror image.
In the UK trawler fleet, this tool is known as a whiffling stick. The verb to whiffle means to avoid work, hence whilst sharpening a knife you weren't working, hence you were whiffling, hence the tool was the whiffling stick.
This article about a tool used in preparation of food and drink is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
