ZWILLING Sharpening Steel, 10-inch, Black/Stainless Steel

For most home chefs, the sharpening steel serves a vital role in the kitchen by realigning, or "resetting," a knife's edge, which bends this way and that when contacting a cutting surface. Often called a "sharpening steel" or "butcher steel," this tool does not actually sharpen a knife - unless it's a "diamond" steel. Instead, it helps to realign the edge and remove any nicks or burrs.

Consisting of a hard steel-alloy rod and a tough synthetic handle, this sharpening steel works effectively. An oval-shaped rod provides more surface contact with the knife's edge, allowing it to achieve the same results as a traditional rod, but with fewer strokes. This design feature helps to streamline the honing process.

A loop at the bottom of the handle facilitates hanging the steel close at hand, so users can employ it often, ideally each time they use a knife. This regular maintenance helps prevent blades from becoming dull and prolongs the intervals between professional sharpenings. The rule of thumb is that the steel should be at least as long as the knife blade being drawn across it, and this steel's 10-inch rod is sufficient for nearly all household knives.

The sharpening steel carries a lifetime warranty against defects, ensuring its long-term reliability.

Turning to the knives themselves, the Four Star® Series, first introduced in 1976, is one of the world's most popular knife lines. These knives were designed and developed in close cooperation with renowned professional chefs, resulting in a fully forged design with a unique molded handle.

The Four Star® line contains knives for all tasks, including parers, bread knives, peeling knives, sandwich knives, utility knives, carving knives, chef's knives, Granton edge slicers, santoku knives, and more. These knives are also available in a range of block sets and gift sets.

Four Star® knives are precision forged from a single piece of exclusive-formula, high-carbon, no-stain steel under the all-new Sigmaforge standard. This construction provides improved quality consistency, lasting sharpness, and perfect geometry. The Sigmaforge one-piece design also ensures high precision and improved stability of the blade and steel structure, enhancing cutting-edge retention for lasting sharpness.

Additionally, Four Star® knives employ J.A. Henckels' Friodur ice hardening process, which contributes to corrosion resistance and cutting-edge retention. The knives feature high-impact polypropylene handles that are permanently bonded to the blades without any gaps, ensuring a comfortable, break-proof, sanitary, and colorfast grip. The super bolster provides weight, ensures safety, and adds balance.

In summary, the sharpening steel and the Four Star® Series of knives work in harmony to deliver a superior kitchen experience, with the steel realigning and maintaining the knives' edges, while the knives themselves are built to the highest standards of quality and performance.

product information: