We have a knife set that's approximately 15 years old, and as we were honing a knife tonight, a question arose. Do honing steels get worn down over the years? Should they be replaced? If so, how often?
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They are either made of surface hardened steel, which can't be realistically sharpened, or bonded with tungsten or diamond grit, again which can't be realistically replaced
Most steels just need a good clean; soak the steel in warm soapy water for a while, and then give it an aggressive scrub with a nylon bristle brush. Dry thoroughly
If it still does not hone well, then maybe it's time to buy a new one?
I am using a full size silver handled surface hardened steel that is 70+ years old and still works fine. It looks quite beaten up, has had surface rust, but always brings a knife back to life
I have a short portable diamond grit steel for camping that is less than 5 years old, and is nearly useless already
There doesn't seem to be consensus on what exactly a honing steel does to a knifes edge. But to me it's a very fine file, so it will wear out over time. Considering the normal usage in a domestic situation that could be a very long time
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I'm not a metallurgist, but when I received my knife sharpening training, it was explained to me that the steel was used to align the microscopic raggedy edge of the knife after sharpening into a "foil", like a fine fin along the tip of the edge of the knife. Depending on what I'm cutting, the fin works like a scalpel. If I'm making fine cuts to meat, I want a foil. If I'm chopping carrots, I prefer a rough edge.
I was given a training steel, which has been used many times daily for over a decade. It was a rough steel but the knurling has been worn smooth so it doesn't tear at a blade the way a "sharp" steel does. It does however put an edge on a sharp knife, you just have to strop a bit more.
johnnydee
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I have a good quality steel, made circa 1910 or a little earlier, by my Granddad whilst working for Wolstenholme's in Sheffield. Previously he'd had his own knife-making company, again in Sheffield, for many years. I still regularly use this steel and, apart from occasional soap & water cleaning, it still works as well as when my Dad passed it to me in the early 1970s.
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Steels are coated in like a enamel tipe of coating and wears off over time and then it's time for a replacement.... so yea probably time for a replacement if it's that old but Iv had mine for 5 years and the coating has just worn off from to much time in a steriliser .
