FDick 7550330 12" Dickoron Oval Polished Sharpening Steel

I remember several months back... I had just finished preparing some lamb ribs, quickly honed my knife, then wiped the steel with a paper towel... only to find tiny metal chips coming off. And my stomach sank when I saw the chipped mangled edge that was left on the knife. That is what prompted me to consider polished steels.



Honing steels like this one, with polished surfaces, are sometimes referred to as butcher steels. This steel is great for two types of tasks.



1. Straightening an edge with deep dents. This often occurs when cutting meats with lots of bones.

2. Polishing the edge on a knife after it's been honed on a fine cut steel. This improves edge retention. I've been using it with the FDick Micro steel with excellent results.



And while there are plenty of butcher steels on the market, this one is the best I've seen.



First, this is the only butcher steel I've seen in an oval configuration. In my experience, I have not seen a significant oval vs round performance impact in standard cut steels, but it makes a big difference in smooth and fine cuts. Oval is much gentler on the edge and gives you more control.



Second, FDick honing steels are known for using a harder steel than all the competitors, rated at approximately 66 Rockwell. This is critical because a honing steel is only effective on a knife with a softer metal than itself. German-steel knives generally fall between 54-56HRC.



This steel has a great feel to it, and provides excellent feedback - because it's surface is so smooth you can feel the smallest variance in your blade profile.



Specs:



Overall length: 17 1/2" (not including loop)

Honing surface length: 11 13/16"

Honing surface texture: Mirror Polish

Chrome-plated hardened steel.

Hardness (specified by manufacturer): HRC 66

Made in Germany



Functionality: 5/5

+Durable hardened steel.



+Comfortable handle



+Metal loop on handle for storage, though you can also use the sleeve it came in to store it in a drawer.



+Gentle on the knife edge, even running the knife along the surface quickly.



+Not abrasive. This steel doesn't remove, or "file away" any material.



+-The protective bolster on the handle is metal. If you're new to using a honing steel, be careful not to hit it with your knife. While it will protect your hand if you hit it, you'll end up with dents in your edge.



-Tiny surface scratches visible after several weeks of use. The mirror finish wears over time, but this appears to only be cosmetic and not impact functionality.



Fit and Finish: 5/5

+No dents or scratches in the honing surface.



+No chips or scratches on the handle.



Value: 5/5

I wasn't able to find direct comparisons...



There are butcher steels available at lower prices, but they are severely outperformed in the following:



+Hardness. FDick uses a much harder steel than other honing steels I've seen.



+Round vs oval. Other butcher steels are made in the traditional round configuration. This makes a difference for very fine cut, and smooth steels - an oval shape is gentler on the edge, less likely to result in chipping.



+Look and feel. The handles on other butcher steels I've seen are nowhere near the same quality.

Keeps my knives razor sharp all day!