This is a big one for me: Steeling.
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| Picture from the book An Edge In the Kitchen. (Awesome book)
Now the way the steel is being used in the picture above is NOT the way most cooks do it at work. They use the ol Gordon Ramsay style, the way you see them do it on cooking shows on TV.
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Let's say I have sharpened a knife and after 15 minutes the edge is nice and clean and the bevels are set at 20 degrees and the knife is ready to go to work, it's very sharp.
Now the cook picks up that same knife and slaps the steel against the edge, in a way that from the COOKS perspective is keeping the edge in line and maintaining that sharp edge because that is what has been drilled into them.
From MY perspective the edge is being knocked off, it is making the knife duller.
I have run some tests in various kitchens where I sharpened the knives using my coarse stone regiment, very strong edge and with a 2k finish. I then gave the knives to the busy cooks and asked them NOT to steel them. In every case, after a few weeks, the knives that were not Steeled were much sharper than the ones that were, the edge retention improved in the ones that I only maintained on water stones.
Now test of course is not entirely conclusive, what is the cooks used the method in the illustration and what if they used a ceramic hone?
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| Ceramic Hone (steel)
Also, I am not chef so I don't really have the qualifications to say that steeling doesn't work do I?
I just have a hard time "picturing" it make an improvement, I always considered the Steel as a means to get the knife through a shift, not to keep it sharp for months. I have heard a cook tell me that once I sharpen it, he can keep it sharp for a year. Now maybe what he considers sharp is different than what I consider sharp. I am a bit an edge snob in reality.
Good topic eh?
thanks for reading
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Hi Peter.
ReplyDeleteLast year I was talking to a neighbor about my sharpening busines. He stated that he was a former professional "sharpener" for a major chicken processor here in the area.
He did not believe in regular knife sharpening because when he sharpened after a while big chips of steel would fall out of the edge, and they would have to replace the knife. He also said he was one of the best because the other employees would check the knives on their arm hair after he sharpened them and would regularly cut themselves. Knowing the guy is full of hot air, I smiled and just listened, the neighbor proceeded to run into the house to show me what he sharpened with, and came out with a big splined steel and a V-shaped stand with two crisscross spring loaded stainless wires mounted to it, and proudly stated " this is what I sharpen with! "
At that point I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing, excused myself and went home.
Wonder why big chips where falling out of blades, and people where cutting themselves :) Huh.