Stopped using a steel for a while and came back to it

I learned how to sharpen on a steel back in the late 90s at my first shop in a small town outside Richmond. For years that was the only thing I used, just a straight steel every morning before the rush. Then around 2010 I started messing with whetstones and diamond rods, got really into the whole precision angle thing. I mean, I still think those methods have their place for sure. But last month I pulled out my old steel for a quick touch up on a busy Saturday and honestly, the speed of it surprised me. It's not the same as a full sharpen but for keeping an edge going through a whole lamb breakdown it works fine. Anyone else go back to basics after trying all the new gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_hernandez121mo agoTop Commenter

Haha yeah, I went back to a steel after a few years of messing with stones and realized I'd been making things way harder than they needed to be for just a quick touch up. Now I feel like one of those guys who buys a fancy coffee machine but still keeps a jar of Folgers around for mornings when you just need caffeine fast.

kai_west1mo ago

Same thing happened to me. Bought a whole set of stones, watched all these tutorials, tried to get that perfect edge. Finally grabbed my old steel out of the drawer one day and realized it does everything I need for day to day cooking. Kept the stones for when a knife gets really beat up but the steel is my go to 90 percent of the time.