FDick 7320325-75 Oval Diamond Sharpening Steel 10"

This is a quality diamond steel. Unlike the other light weight units with a hollow or plastic core that the diamond coating wears off within a relatively short period of time. I will follow up on this review in a few months, after it has performed in a professional meat department, with heavy use, to see if it actually is worth double the price of the cheaper ones.. RF.

Even a good quality knife is useless when it's dull. So having good quality sharpening tools is critical. I've been using diamond steels for about 8 years, and this one is the best I've seen.

The surface grit is finer and more consistent than typical diamond steels, giving you much keener edges.

Just like other FDick items, this diamond steel is German-made.

Diamond steels are less forgiving than stones. It is important that the pressure you apply is consistent, and you sharpen across the full length of the blade. Otherwise, over the course of a few years, a recurve may form on the blade edge (ie. it will wear unevenly). This is more common with coarser diamond steels than this one, and even if it does happen, it is not hard to correct.

Functionality: 5/5
+Fine grit. Specs are not listed, but I would approximate #800-1000

+surface is consistent. Sometimes with diamond steels, there are coarse imperfections that interfere with sharpening. But this item is consistent throughout.

+solid steel core

+comfortable handle

+metal loop on handle for storage

-minor, but I wish this item was available in 12 inch size.

Fit and Finish: 5/5
+no chips/cracks

+consistency in the surface

Value: 5/5
+Lower cost than comparison solid core fine diamond steels (ex. Wusthof 4483).

With fine grit diamond steels like this one, metal particles get trapped between the grains. So to maintain performance, it should be cleaned regularly. Dishwasher soap and a nylon brush (or toothbrush), works very well. Make sure to dry it well after.