I work at a grocery store the knives of course suck they aren’t sharp really but honing the knife does help a little. Of course it doesn’t make it sharper but it does help a littlw
Honing is still sharpening. Dont get caught up on terminology. Think of it in terms of small adjustments. I don't care who you are this is still removing small levels of material. Removing material is sharpening. That's like saying saying stropping a blade is not sharpening. It is. How does a blade get sharper? Touching up the edge by polishing the scratch pattern. How do you polish? Removing material.
@jaxongames2805 that is correct. As it's a much finer abrasive. A dull blade usually will need a lower grit. This is more just a small touch up. Whether you are reprofiling an edge on a 200 grit stone or polishing on 10,000 grit material is being removed. Even compound on leather removes material.
That's the importance of words. Sharpening is different than honing. Hence the term " honing rod ". If your knife is dull, you sharpen it. If you want to keep it sharp, you hone it. Keep up the good work my bearded beef friends. 🤘👍
@Celoteh Random stroping only polishes the blade, if properly sharpened and honed, stroping will not make or keep the blade any sharper, just more pretty. Sharpening changes the edge, honing maintains the edge, stroping polishes the edge.
Then wipe the knife with a white rag...Iv been in a machine shop since I was 14 ..I'm 32 now any time you hone.. metal is removed and the apex of the blade is curved the only way to realign is to remove the curve..it might be a tiny tiny amount but that sir removes metal 100%
Another gem of a video. A medium or fine steel just realigns the edge. A diamond or ceramic steel might remove some microscopic trace, but likely not enough to even see. Most places don't like ceramics because they can shatter if hit, and are not metal so metal detection won't find it. Usually found in the GMPs
Honing rod’s definitely remove material. Their main purpose is aligning the edge but even ceramic rods removal minimal material in that process. Not enough to fall on that paper but if you wipe the steel with a damp paper towel it’s definitely getting a small coating of metal dust.
It definitely does remove small shards of metal, if you were to wet a towel and wipe it you would see it… I always wipe the knife after truing the blade.
Depends on the steel. If it's diamond coated you may be able to grind something down, if if it's ceramic probably not. You can also knock of burrs that just happen to be on the edge. Just did your 'towel test' with my softest blade with a clean wusthof sharpening steel (important to clean becuase the steel will collect some metal over years of use), and I ground on it. Nope. No metal on the towel from the blade--not a single speck. Anyone can try. Either way, it's a bad idea to rely on sharpening/honing stell/rods for a sharp blade.
As a chef I can confirm-the rod he is using doesn’t remove metal. Just like when you use a ceramic rod, no metal removed. But you have to know your tools. To the people That say “well some could remove metal” that’s not the kind he is using.
Ceramic absolutely removes metal, ceramic rods are even rated in grit just like a ceramic sharpening stone, even a smooth steel will remove metal through adhesive wear.
It depends on the situation. I've used a few shit quality knives in my day and though there werent any shavings dropped, I'd wipe my knife on my coat and the dust would appear. Doesnt happen for all knives but I do wipe them off on my coat as a precaution no matter what now, also just impulstic nature now.
As correct as this guy is. Most honing rods are magnetised so if material is coming off the knife, it will stick to it. If I wipe mine with a paper towel then I’ll find small almost microscopic shavings. Oh and quick PSA, don’t ever wash your honing steel, just dry wipe it.
@@jm-lc3jp I mean if you google “are honing rods magnetised?” you’ll find a list of many that are and some that aren’t. Please feel free to correct me on areas where you think I may be misinformed but don’t class it as “completely wrong”. Also if they are magnetic I would assume they’d pick up a paper clip or two. But I normally don’t keep stationary near my knives at work or at home 🤷♂️
@David Carr more like 95% percent that arnt and 5% that are. Yes some are but ceramic, diamond coates, and stainless steel are non feromagnetic. Yes there are a few but it's pretty rare.
The tip of a honing steel, if a magnetic one (not all are), is NOT designed to catch metal fragments. That's a common mistake people make. It is designed to help hold the angle once the blade contacts the rod. The other end of the rod is not magnetized in order to facilitate easier release at the end of the stroke. Only the tip is magnetic, not the whole rod.
He has high quality tools and properly sharpens and maintains his knives. This is a very fine grade HONING ROD, and not a home cook’s rough steel. He does constant maintenance smoothing the edge of the blade, whereas home cooks are kind of afraid of a truely sharp knife, and use a rough steel in leu of 2 step sharpening and then constant honing to keep the knife in top shape. So I think this video was only done to reassure viewers that he’s not leaving fine shards of steel on the meat. If you have a rough steel (as I do) definitely wipe the blade.
If you do it correctly, you can use the back of another longer knife to get the edge back into alignment. That’s basically all you’re doing in the first place with a honing rod.
You just couldn't shut up. You just HAD to drop your 2 cents worth of info. You must be a joy to be around. I'll bet you correct your mother and teachers too.
When we hone a knife on a honing rod and then wipe the knife on a towel (White one) there is a grey smear left behind. Isn't that very small metal particles from the blade?
Yes, your most likely using a sharpening rod, not a honing rod. They look almost identical. Honing Rods are smooth, sharpening rods usually have lines going down them or diamond grit
True story. When I wore a younger man's clothes, for 10 years, I boned out beef on piecework. Your paycheck depended on the sharpness of your knife. A smooth steel like that won't make a dull knife sharp. But it will keep a sharp knife sharp.
It does remove metal although very little with a smooth rod. It is removed by adhesive wear, the metal removed is attached to the rod. Wipe the rod with a paper towel with wd40 on it and you will see.
I think this is a different honing rod as some consumer grade ones have small ridges that run the length of the rod that do cause some loose material to be left on the knive. Wiping the edge does show some material removed.
@@Stroke2Handed theyre still honing rods just different coarseness they do debur while also taking some material off. Just letting people know so they dont think all “honing steels” are the same
@@josuenunoarandas1758 I call the aggressive diamond rods “sharpening rods” because they are sharpeners and not hones. A hone is a type of sharpener but I associate it with my ceramic rods which remove the least amount of metal possible while aligning the edge. The diamond rods just chew through steel
I didn’t know until recently that a very sharp knife’s edge rolls, and the honing steel brings it back to straight. It’s more of an alignment/smoothing tool than a sharpener. That’s why a dull blade is only vaguely improved but a steel.
@@Anykindahandle What's your source? Common misconceptions? Because I think electron microscopy, Ph.D holding metallurgists, and professional knife makers over what 'people say.' A simple test you can do, really simple, take a couple swipes over your honing steel, then with a damp cloth wipe it. You'll see some black dust, that's steel that's been removed from the knife. Shocking, I know.
As he explain,if you have a sharpened knife you use a honing polished rod,if it is just a little more dull,you will use a rod with splines to remove a little material to restore the little dullnes then you use the polish rod,if it is very dull you HAVE to use a whetstone at least 1000/4000 grit,hope this will help you,thank you for your time,Gbu 👍
Well no, there are actually two different types of rods. There are Honing Rods and there are Sharpening Rods. Honing Rods are smooth hardened steel that won’t remove steel and simply realigns any bent steel on the edge of your knife. Sharpening rods look very similar but are usually textured with lines or diamond grit. Sharpening rods will remove steel. Both types look very similar so most don’t know the difference
Honing rods, smooth or not, do remove some metal. The very tip of that rolled edge is extremely fragile, and is removed to the point where the new edge begins and is straightened out by the rod. The paper is a bad example to use. The metal removed is so nominal, it most always remains on the knife or you just can't pick it up with the naked eye on the paper. But final answer, metal is 100% removed by honing.
For those who still don't believe this. My previous job had a metal detector that could pick up even dusty metal. It is a company that supplies processed meat products nationwide. I sharpened my knife a hundred times, wiped it with a napkin, and put the napkin in the machine, but machine found nothing. So please stop spreading this misinformation in the future.
I do this with the edge of my car window and my pocket knives. Takes that little roll off the edge and aligns everything like you said. Maybe the honing rod, and my car window, do remove a miniscule amount of metal but not enough to be of any consequence.
@@useitwice usually because it’s more convenient than pulling out my stones. The rolled edge is finite. The edge of the glass is harder than the steel and will correct micro imperfections. You can do it on the rough bottom of a coffee cup or plate as well. It’s a nice little knife hack I learned years ago.
It all depends on the steel being used, the one he is using looks like a polished steel, there are steels with varying degrees of grooves in them, some are quite sharp and aggressive, all these will remove steel from your knife. Cambrian makes steels that very from polished to quite aggressive as do most steel makers, but I think Cambrian are the best, although the grooves don't last as long as others. Their really fine steels are pretty impressive, I used to use these before the diamond steels were made. I used them to touch up my knives if the sheep or cattle were dirty.
Honing a knife pushes the edge back into center alignment, keeping the apex consistent along the length of the blade. Sharpening a knife removes small pieces of metal from the blade by dragging it across an abrasive.
Try wiping the knife on a white towel after you sharpen and you will see what it leaves behind- I swear I learned that from you guys to wipe the knife after honing on a rag to keep the meat clean
Who cares if it does remove material, a Victorinox or Dexter boning knife is inexpensive. If it makes your job easier and safer to work with a sharp knife, do it. When it gets worn down and thin, toss it in the trash as you would a Sawzall or Skilsaw blade.
Bought a victorinox and rod for my son. He's. Huge huge fan of yours. Gotta say for the money nothing comes close to them and I made knives for a living for a few years.
I see a general misconception in this thread as to why some steels are magnetized. The tip of a honing steel, if a magnetic one (not all are), is NOT designed to catch metal fragments. It is designed to help hold the angle consistent once the blade contacts the rod. The other end of the rod is not magnetized in order to facilitate easier release at the end of the stroke. Only the tip is magnetic, not the whole rod.
Yes it does remove material. Just because you cant see it. This does not mean you're not wicking off crystalline structure. After all you're bringing it down to a nano edge
Says who? FDA, Food Safety Handbook don't mention it at all. You shoudl always wipe down your blade when it touches any other object but your board and even between items. Yes you may have some aggressive steel and soft blade and it may remove some material, but many or even most don't. Get a microscope, check your towel that you wipe it down with. I did: no material.
That's why that process isn't called sharpening, it's called honing. The process of sharpening a knife is defined by rubbing the blade against an object that is harder than the metal of the blade that will then remove metal from the blade. Honing steels are softer metal than knives which means they can't remove metal from it. Honing is just aligning the blade.
You don't know what you're talking about. Steels are harder than the knife, that's how they can manipulate and remove material. Otherwise the knife would just act like a file on the steel. And, for future reference, hone means sharpen. They mean the same thing.
@adkmtns5726 If that were 100% true, then honing steels would remove metal from knives. That's how hardness works. To scratch an object one has to be harder than the other. Notice how hardened steel sharpening plates come with diamond.
It's rather incredible how ubiquitous the idea that a honing steel is used to sharpen a blade. Was it in some famous film or something? Even if you had the idea that's what it did, thinking about it for three seconds would dispel the notion.
Lol yep take it from a toolmaker a steel does not remove steel from the knife. It straightens the super fine cutting edge that has been rolled by the cutting board, bone, etc. Great video bud.
No you won’t. If he was using a stone or a diamond steel… then yeah but like he said in the video… it’s to straighten the blade of a already sharpened knife.
Hones, hone. Sharpeners, sharpen. I really struggle with believing people don't understand this simple concept, but he we are with you needing to make a video to show them.
You guys have great videos.. Can you please show how the Tomahawk steaks are cut..?? They are just terrific steaks..... Thanks.. Johnny from Stuttgart, Germany...
When I worked at an abattoir a foreman asked a guy if he knew how to steel a knife - he replied I'm not a thief - everyone burst out laughing bc he got confused with " Steel and Steal "
No question that Victorinox offers great value and is the reason they're so widely used throughout the meat cutting industry. But using steel honing rods with expensive cutlery is a different story. Personally, with my expensive knives I get great regular maintenance results with leather or basswood strops using diamond compounds like Gunny Juice.
Funny how everyone is a expert when a subject is talked about here on UA-cam, I'm sure these guys know the best way to sharpen their knifes since they use them for hours every day
The first thing you have to learn when you work in a packing house is how to prep a steel. Then you get to hone your knife with it, you should be able to slice that paper with the knife without any drag if your knife is sharp.
I love these guys. I’ve bought their spices and they are very good. But how do you explain the fact knives used for a long time and sharpened like that get smaller and smaller over time?
The idea that honing rods "realign the edge" and do not remove any material is a persistent myth among cooks and knife nerds. While a honing rod will not remove as much material as whetstone or other sharpener, it certainly removes *some*. Wipe a wet towel on a ribbed steel rod and you'll quickly see the filed steel as a result of the sharpening. Even more evident on a ceramic rod where the dark streaks of micro-swarf are clearly visible on its surface. What honing rods really do is remove a tiny amount of material creating a micro-bevel, thus removing any imperfections at the apex of the cutting edge, whether that be micro-chipping, bent-edges, or flatness. Rods are not really capable of "straightening out" an edge that has been damaged, a keen edge must be reformed by removal of material. The site "Science of Sharp" has a fascinating series of articles showing various knives and edges under an electron microscope, and in the entry "What does steeling do?" you can see on the microscopic level what an edge looks like before and after use of a honing rod. Super interesting stuff.
It sticks to the rod. Some of it sticks to the tip of the blade, too. The amount you're removing, though? Is nowhere near as much as you remove when sharpening. Probably less than 1%
What bothers me is folks doing it so fast they think they're holding the correct angle while they are actually ruining the edge. You only have to swipe a few times on each side of the blade as it should already be sharpened. Hold the steel vertical with the tip touching the table and slowly angle your knife and swipe downward.
Would you do an informational video on the techniques of using a honing rod? I have a good whetstone with stroping leather, recently bought your “Seth’s favorite knife set” which of course came with your orange handle honing rod but I have no idea how you’re doing it you go so fast lol
It's also NOT sharpening anything. A knife has micro serrations that get bent during use, the HONING steel realigns these bent serated tips straight. It will never make a dull knife sharper, only gives the sharp edge direction. This is essential to understand since the original question was about particles of steel. Sharpening removes surface to tighten the edge thus resulting in a sharper blade, honing removes nothing and only straightens micro edging.
A packer rod / processing rod is more likely what he has it's technically a smooth polishing rod, the aggressiveness of texture moves up from there. Once you start getting into diamond and or ceramic would you be technically in the touch up sharpening process... Hones and sharpens.
Still, you should try a ceramic rod. It has the same effect, but gives the edge a polish, which makes it even sharper. And on a side note, both, ceramic and fine steel do in fact remove material. But not chunks you could see on a paper, but microscopic dust. Love your channel, you taught me a lot.
Its a honing rod .Its in the name . It hones ! People are probably confusing this with a diamond coated sharpening steel or ceramic sharpening rod .Those would remove metal but i have never seen anyone use those in a professional high production facility . We always sharpen all our knives before work begins and then hone them as needed during work . Apart from costing you lots of time , sharpening during work is a bad idea , those metal shavings will end up in the meat and when you have a hundred men that adds up to a lot of metal in the meat and it feels like sand if you eat it .
Try wiping the blade and the hone rod with a damp piece of paper towel and you will see metal filings. I always wipe my knife and rod down every time without fail.
residue is on the knife. You need to wipe it you will see it. it won't be a lot, but it is there. You need the honing rod to be harder than the knife, so the knife will wear a little bit.
Yea, there's nothing visible to the camera or maybe the human eye. Wipe that edge with a damp white rag. You'll see streaks Honing may realign the edge but it's also defining the edge. Therefore material has been removed, even if it's minimal. There's different kinds of honing steel as well.
Thank You! my brother is a retired meat cutter , and he told me a long time ago, exactly what you said, but you cannot believe the number of people I have tried to explain this to, and get blue in the face arguments from them, lol 👍 I am not a professional cutter by any stretch, but do a lot of finish trimming for my smoker, so I’m not a novice either. 😊
It's worth noting that this won't work for a dull knife. All it does is restore the edge of an already sharpened knife.
Exactly. You're folding the Rolled Edge back to form.
I work at a grocery store the knives of course suck they aren’t sharp really but honing the knife does help a little. Of course it doesn’t make it sharper but it does help a littlw
Honing is still sharpening. Dont get caught up on terminology. Think of it in terms of small adjustments. I don't care who you are this is still removing small levels of material. Removing material is sharpening. That's like saying saying stropping a blade is not sharpening. It is. How does a blade get sharper? Touching up the edge by polishing the scratch pattern. How do you polish? Removing material.
@@stuartbenoit yes but I’m most cases it is not enough
@jaxongames2805 that is correct. As it's a much finer abrasive. A dull blade usually will need a lower grit. This is more just a small touch up. Whether you are reprofiling an edge on a 200 grit stone or polishing on 10,000 grit material is being removed. Even compound on leather removes material.
That's the importance of words. Sharpening is different than honing. Hence the term " honing rod ".
If your knife is dull, you sharpen it. If you want to keep it sharp, you hone it. Keep up the good work my bearded beef friends. 🤘👍
Can't agree with you more!
I can agree more than that guy
What about stroping?
Contrastly, the knife IS getting sharper thereby "sharpening" it by definition
@Celoteh Random stroping only polishes the blade, if properly sharpened and honed, stroping will not make or keep the blade any sharper, just more pretty. Sharpening changes the edge, honing maintains the edge, stroping polishes the edge.
Then wipe the knife with a white rag...Iv been in a machine shop since I was 14 ..I'm 32 now any time you hone.. metal is removed and the apex of the blade is curved the only way to realign is to remove the curve..it might be a tiny tiny amount but that sir removes metal 100%
Wipe it on a white cloth. Then you’ll see your metal. Steals are slightly magnetic
"Steel.."
@@kerrybaldwin2556 yes. Not stolen. Me not so smrt 😂
Another gem of a video. A medium or fine steel just realigns the edge. A diamond or ceramic steel might remove some microscopic trace, but likely not enough to even see. Most places don't like ceramics because they can shatter if hit, and are not metal so metal detection won't find it. Usually found in the GMPs
Honing rod’s definitely remove material. Their main purpose is aligning the edge but even ceramic rods removal minimal material in that process. Not enough to fall on that paper but if you wipe the steel with a damp paper towel it’s definitely getting a small coating of metal dust.
It definitely does remove small shards of metal, if you were to wet a towel and wipe it you would see it… I always wipe the knife after truing the blade.
Depends on the steel. If it's diamond coated you may be able to grind something down, if if it's ceramic probably not. You can also knock of burrs that just happen to be on the edge. Just did your 'towel test' with my softest blade with a clean wusthof sharpening steel (important to clean becuase the steel will collect some metal over years of use), and I ground on it. Nope. No metal on the towel from the blade--not a single speck. Anyone can try. Either way, it's a bad idea to rely on sharpening/honing stell/rods for a sharp blade.
As a chef I can confirm-the rod he is using doesn’t remove metal. Just like when you use a ceramic rod, no metal removed. But you have to know your tools. To the people
That say “well some could remove metal” that’s not the kind he is using.
Ceramic absolutely removes metal, ceramic rods are even rated in grit just like a ceramic sharpening stone, even a smooth steel will remove metal through adhesive wear.
It depends on the situation. I've used a few shit quality knives in my day and though there werent any shavings dropped, I'd wipe my knife on my coat and the dust would appear. Doesnt happen for all knives but I do wipe them off on my coat as a precaution no matter what now, also just impulstic nature now.
I wipe my kitchen knife with a towel everytime as well.
As correct as this guy is. Most honing rods are magnetised so if material is coming off the knife, it will stick to it. If I wipe mine with a paper towel then I’ll find small almost microscopic shavings. Oh and quick PSA, don’t ever wash your honing steel, just dry wipe it.
What? So if I take it and put it next to paper clips it's going to pick up the paper clips? This is completely wrong.
@@jm-lc3jp I mean if you google “are honing rods magnetised?” you’ll find a list of many that are and some that aren’t. Please feel free to correct me on areas where you think I may be misinformed but don’t class it as “completely wrong”. Also if they are magnetic I would assume they’d pick up a paper clip or two. But I normally don’t keep stationary near my knives at work or at home 🤷♂️
@David Carr more like 95% percent that arnt and 5% that are. Yes some are but ceramic, diamond coates, and stainless steel are non feromagnetic. Yes there are a few but it's pretty rare.
The tip of a honing steel, if a magnetic one (not all are), is NOT designed to catch metal fragments. That's a common mistake people make. It is designed to help hold the angle once the blade contacts the rod. The other end of the rod is not magnetized in order to facilitate easier release at the end of the stroke. Only the tip is magnetic, not the whole rod.
What about wiping the knife with a paper towel after? When I hone and wipe, I can see grey on the paper towel
Always.. i bet it would 100 percent leave a mark.
He has high quality tools and properly sharpens and maintains his knives. This is a very fine grade HONING ROD, and not a home cook’s rough steel. He does constant maintenance smoothing the edge of the blade, whereas home cooks are kind of afraid of a truely sharp knife, and use a rough steel in leu of 2 step sharpening and then constant honing to keep the knife in top shape. So I think this video was only done to reassure viewers that he’s not leaving fine shards of steel on the meat. If you have a rough steel (as I do) definitely wipe the blade.
It most certainly does, wipe the blade on a clean paper towel, you’ll see the residue, been a butcher for 25 years
I was about to say..
I didn’t think it was physically possible to sharpen a knife without removing metal from the blade
@@smokebluntsonn this isn’t sharping it’s honing.
Facts!
Yup!
Maybe you're not cleaning your knives properly, or you're pressing the knife too hard when you hone it. Because he's not sharpening the knife here.
If you do it correctly, you can use the back of another longer knife to get the edge back into alignment. That’s basically all you’re doing in the first place with a honing rod.
It's micro shavings, it's definitely finely shaving the edge. Very very small amount of metal but still there.
You just couldn't shut up. You just HAD to drop your 2 cents worth of info. You must be a joy to be around. I'll bet you correct your mother and teachers too.
@@palainanoctem3776 calm down Karen
When we hone a knife on a honing rod and then wipe the knife on a towel (White one) there is a grey smear left behind. Isn't that very small metal particles from the blade?
Yes, your most likely using a sharpening rod, not a honing rod. They look almost identical. Honing Rods are smooth, sharpening rods usually have lines going down them or diamond grit
This is the action of “burnishing” the metal. Burnishing is used in many metalworking industries including aerospace.
True story. When I wore a younger man's clothes, for 10 years, I boned out beef on piecework. Your paycheck depended on the sharpness of your knife. A smooth steel like that won't make a dull knife sharp. But it will keep a sharp knife sharp.
It does remove metal although very little with a smooth rod. It is removed by adhesive wear, the metal removed is attached to the rod. Wipe the rod with a paper towel with wd40 on it and you will see.
Can you make a video? How do you sharpen your knives and hone them and get him so sharp?
They have one already. Look back. Its older video. It has 1 million views.
@@DareDog.yep. You're exactly right. I've seen that video.
Got your back, check it here: ua-cam.com/video/1x-MMXY-QhY/v-deo.html
Always wondered about that. A demonstration would be greatly appreciated!
I think this is a different honing rod as some consumer grade ones have small ridges that run the length of the rod that do cause some loose material to be left on the knive. Wiping the edge does show some material removed.
Thats a polishing steel/ fine cut steel. But there is more coarse honing steel that do remove some material from your knife
But those are meant for deburring, not fixing the wire edge like the honing rod.
@@Stroke2Handed theyre still honing rods just different coarseness they do debur while also taking some material off. Just letting people know so they dont think all “honing steels” are the same
@@josuenunoarandas1758 I call the aggressive diamond rods “sharpening rods” because they are sharpeners and not hones. A hone is a type of sharpener but I associate it with my ceramic rods which remove the least amount of metal possible while aligning the edge. The diamond rods just chew through steel
I didn’t know until recently that a very sharp knife’s edge rolls, and the honing steel brings it back to straight. It’s more of an alignment/smoothing tool than a sharpener. That’s why a dull blade is only vaguely improved but a steel.
It does not do much aligning, it does remove material, it does sharpen. It's just a very fine 'grit'.
@@autumn5592 it’s literally just to align the blade 🤦♂️.
It’s not a stone or diamond. There won’t be any fragments
@@Anykindahandle What's your source? Common misconceptions?
Because I think electron microscopy, Ph.D holding metallurgists, and professional knife makers over what 'people say.'
A simple test you can do, really simple, take a couple swipes over your honing steel, then with a damp cloth wipe it. You'll see some black dust, that's steel that's been removed from the knife.
Shocking, I know.
There is a very small amount of metal coming off that either sticks to the rod or the knife. You won't see it come off on the paper like that
some rods have magnetic tips
As he explain,if you have a sharpened knife you use a honing polished rod,if it is just a little more dull,you will use a rod with splines to remove a little material to restore the little dullnes then you use the polish rod,if it is very dull you HAVE to use a whetstone at least 1000/4000 grit,hope this will help you,thank you for your time,Gbu 👍
Well no, there are actually two different types of rods. There are Honing Rods and there are Sharpening Rods. Honing Rods are smooth hardened steel that won’t remove steel and simply realigns any bent steel on the edge of your knife. Sharpening rods look very similar but are usually textured with lines or diamond grit. Sharpening rods will remove steel. Both types look very similar so most don’t know the difference
That’s exactly what he said lol
Instead of that paper test, wipe the blade down with a damp cloth after honing and show that not a hint of grey material wiped off.
Honing rods, smooth or not, do remove some metal. The very tip of that rolled edge is extremely fragile, and is removed to the point where the new edge begins and is straightened out by the rod. The paper is a bad example to use. The metal removed is so nominal, it most always remains on the knife or you just can't pick it up with the naked eye on the paper. But final answer, metal is 100% removed by honing.
Absolutely top professional advise. I am a knife sharpener myself and that is exactly what the rod is for.
We know
For those who still don't believe this. My previous job had a metal detector that could pick up even dusty metal. It is a company that supplies processed meat products nationwide. I sharpened my knife a hundred times, wiped it with a napkin, and put the napkin in the machine, but machine found nothing. So please stop spreading this misinformation in the future.
I bought 2 of yalls knifes 2 years ago and they are still awesome. I mean awesome
I do this with the edge of my car window and my pocket knives. Takes that little roll off the edge and aligns everything like you said. Maybe the honing rod, and my car window, do remove a miniscule amount of metal but not enough to be of any consequence.
Why do you do it on your car window?
@@useitwice usually because it’s more convenient than pulling out my stones. The rolled edge is finite. The edge of the glass is harder than the steel and will correct micro imperfections. You can do it on the rough bottom of a coffee cup or plate as well. It’s a nice little knife hack I learned years ago.
@@01fxstsi Oh, gotcha. I thought you used the honing rod on your car window 😂
It all depends on the steel being used, the one he is using looks like a polished steel, there are steels with varying degrees of grooves in them, some are quite sharp and aggressive, all these will remove steel from your knife.
Cambrian makes steels that very from polished to quite aggressive as do most steel makers, but I think Cambrian are the best, although the grooves don't last as long as others.
Their really fine steels are pretty impressive, I used to use these before the diamond steels were made. I used them to touch up my knives if the sheep or cattle were dirty.
Honing a knife pushes the edge back into center alignment, keeping the apex consistent along the length of the blade. Sharpening a knife removes small pieces of metal from the blade by dragging it across an abrasive.
how sliding a knife trough a harder metal surface would not remove any material?? it does remove a tiny bit of material.
thank you the differentiation of moving the edges and sharpening are quite different but I had no idea about a hunting rod so double thank you
It's also worth a mention that a diamond steel will definitely remove material it's why I don't use em they stuff up my angles
If he took a napkin and wiped the blade....metal fragments.
It’s not a stone or a diamond. So no, there wouldn’t be any fragments.
@@Anykindahandle I work in the kitchen, try it.
I get metal fragments ever time I do it
@@samuelgates5935 I’m a butcher 🤣
Then you should consider cutting your food with a plastic butter knife
Try wiping the knife on a white towel after you sharpen and you will see what it leaves behind- I swear I learned that from you guys to wipe the knife after honing on a rag to keep the meat clean
It smoothes out the micro scratches caused by your whetstone. Refinishing the edge.
If it smooths out scratches it removes material.
I think you guys should make a little video on the proper way too sharpen and maintain your knives.
They have video on that. Older video.
Check it here: ua-cam.com/video/1x-MMXY-QhY/v-deo.html
Who cares if it does remove material, a Victorinox or Dexter boning knife is inexpensive. If it makes your job easier and safer to work with a sharp knife, do it. When it gets worn down and thin, toss it in the trash as you would a Sawzall or Skilsaw blade.
Bought a victorinox and rod for my son. He's. Huge huge fan of yours. Gotta say for the money nothing comes close to them and I made knives for a living for a few years.
I see a general misconception in this thread as to why some steels are magnetized. The tip of a honing steel, if a magnetic one (not all are), is NOT designed to catch metal fragments. It is designed to help hold the angle consistent once the blade contacts the rod. The other end of the rod is not magnetized in order to facilitate easier release at the end of the stroke. Only the tip is magnetic, not the whole rod.
Yes it does remove material. Just because you cant see it. This does not mean you're not wicking off crystalline structure. After all you're bringing it down to a nano edge
Another reason not to believe everything on the Internet. Wiping the burrs away from the honed knife is food safety 101.
Says who? FDA, Food Safety Handbook don't mention it at all. You shoudl always wipe down your blade when it touches any other object but your board and even between items. Yes you may have some aggressive steel and soft blade and it may remove some material, but many or even most don't. Get a microscope, check your towel that you wipe it down with. I did: no material.
Herp a derp
People have iron deficiency now bc we don't cook w cast iron pans
That's why that process isn't called sharpening, it's called honing. The process of sharpening a knife is defined by rubbing the blade against an object that is harder than the metal of the blade that will then remove metal from the blade. Honing steels are softer metal than knives which means they can't remove metal from it. Honing is just aligning the blade.
If that were true than you'd still be removing metal from the steel.
You don't know what you're talking about.
Steels are harder than the knife, that's how they can manipulate and remove material. Otherwise the knife would just act like a file on the steel.
And, for future reference, hone means sharpen. They mean the same thing.
Honing steels are100% harder than the knives they are intended to be used with.
@adkmtns5726 If that were 100% true, then honing steels would remove metal from knives. That's how hardness works. To scratch an object one has to be harder than the other. Notice how hardened steel sharpening plates come with diamond.
@@geraldalbone7 You're correct, and they do.
It's rather incredible how ubiquitous the idea that a honing steel is used to sharpen a blade. Was it in some famous film or something? Even if you had the idea that's what it did, thinking about it for three seconds would dispel the notion.
The steel does put micro serrations depending on hardness of the hone , and size of grooves on it
The steel they use has no groove’s
Check out Science of Sharp .. What does steeling do ?
I can’t find it
Do you have a link
ua-cam.com/video/Rb-kD0q4CI8/v-deo.html
Lol yep take it from a toolmaker a steel does not remove steel from the knife. It straightens the super fine cutting edge that has been rolled by the cutting board, bone, etc. Great video bud.
A serrated steel will remove steel as long as it's harder than the knife steel .
@44 special true but the victorinox knives are very hard with a lot of chromium in them so even they shouldn't remove too much steel.
Really great videos. Love your work
Thank you very much!
For those who believe the honing rod sharps knives don't be a tight ass and buy a stone and learn how to sharpen on the stone
People have no idea about things like this. They really don't know. Keep up the great work.
Thanks!
If you wipe it with a paper towel, afterwards, you'll see some material on the paper.
No you won’t. If he was using a stone or a diamond steel… then yeah but like he said in the video… it’s to straighten the blade of a already sharpened knife.
Come on guys, enough "shorts ", please make a full length video for us. Thank you so much for what you do.
They will still be doing full length videos
Hones, hone. Sharpeners, sharpen. I really struggle with believing people don't understand this simple concept, but he we are with you needing to make a video to show them.
They've already got a video out on knife honing.
@@AriesBaller14 I know, which means the people not understanding haven't watched that video either.
Hone means sharpen. Lmfao.
Honing is sharpening, sharpening is honing.
You guys have great videos.. Can you please show how the Tomahawk steaks are cut..?? They are just terrific steaks..... Thanks.. Johnny from Stuttgart, Germany...
You are on point.
They should be called re-edgers
AMEN. It is unfortunate that this knowledge about honing-rods was not passed onto most of the last generations during the last 20-30 years.
Try 50
When I worked at an abattoir a foreman asked a guy if he knew how to steel a knife - he replied I'm not a thief - everyone burst out laughing bc he got confused with " Steel and Steal "
lol
that guy was you wasnt it lol
@@zachmoyer1849sure was him 🤣🤣🤣
No question that Victorinox offers great value and is the reason they're so widely used throughout the meat cutting industry. But using steel honing rods with expensive cutlery is a different story. Personally, with my expensive knives I get great regular maintenance results with leather or basswood strops using diamond compounds like Gunny Juice.
Then what's the grey dust on the blade afterwards?
10/10 video as always!
Thanks again!
Funny how everyone is a expert when a subject is talked about here on UA-cam, I'm sure these guys know the best way to sharpen their knifes since they use them for hours every day
Thanks for your support, Dean!
Honestly, on paper, this is correct. But wipe that blade with a clean cloth or paper and you'll pull a bunch of metal dust off it.
The first thing you have to learn when you work in a packing house is how to prep a steel. Then you get to hone your knife with it, you should be able to slice that paper with the knife without any drag if your knife is sharp.
I love these guys. I’ve bought their spices and they are very good. But how do you explain the fact knives used for a long time and sharpened like that get smaller and smaller over time?
The idea that honing rods "realign the edge" and do not remove any material is a persistent myth among cooks and knife nerds. While a honing rod will not remove as much material as whetstone or other sharpener, it certainly removes *some*. Wipe a wet towel on a ribbed steel rod and you'll quickly see the filed steel as a result of the sharpening. Even more evident on a ceramic rod where the dark streaks of micro-swarf are clearly visible on its surface.
What honing rods really do is remove a tiny amount of material creating a micro-bevel, thus removing any imperfections at the apex of the cutting edge, whether that be micro-chipping, bent-edges, or flatness. Rods are not really capable of "straightening out" an edge that has been damaged, a keen edge must be reformed by removal of material.
The site "Science of Sharp" has a fascinating series of articles showing various knives and edges under an electron microscope, and in the entry "What does steeling do?" you can see on the microscopic level what an edge looks like before and after use of a honing rod. Super interesting stuff.
Wipe it across some paper towels you will see metal just because big chunks aren’t falling off doesn’t mean it’s not there
It does remove material but the amount it removes is extremely minimal.
It sticks to the rod. Some of it sticks to the tip of the blade, too.
The amount you're removing, though? Is nowhere near as much as you remove when sharpening. Probably less than 1%
What bothers me is folks doing it so fast they think they're holding the correct angle while they are actually ruining the edge.
You only have to swipe a few times on each side of the blade as it should already be sharpened.
Hold the steel vertical with the tip touching the table and slowly angle your knife and swipe downward.
Only the ruff steel removes material the soft steel is really good for little tune ups for big production
Nice job 👏👍👌
We were always trained to tuck the thumb around the same side as your fingers to prevent cutting the thumb
Would you do an informational video on the techniques of using a honing rod? I have a good whetstone with stroping leather, recently bought your “Seth’s favorite knife set” which of course came with your orange handle honing rod but I have no idea how you’re doing it you go so fast lol
It's also NOT sharpening anything. A knife has micro serrations that get bent during use, the HONING steel realigns these bent serated tips straight. It will never make a dull knife sharper, only gives the sharp edge direction. This is essential to understand since the original question was about particles of steel. Sharpening removes surface to tighten the edge thus resulting in a sharper blade, honing removes nothing and only straightens micro edging.
Okay but let’s see you run it along the corner of the white block, I gurentee you 100% that metal shavings will show
A packer rod / processing rod is more likely what he has it's technically a smooth polishing rod, the aggressiveness of texture moves up from there.
Once you start getting into diamond and or ceramic would you be technically in the touch up sharpening process... Hones and sharpens.
Does that actually sharpen it or just straighten it? Or are both the same thing?
Still, you should try a ceramic rod. It has the same effect, but gives the edge a polish, which makes it even sharper. And on a side note, both, ceramic and fine steel do in fact remove material. But not chunks you could see on a paper, but microscopic dust. Love your channel, you taught me a lot.
Thank you for that explanation, i had asked the question in one of your othe videos... Got my answer here
Wipe the honing rod off. What will you find?
Micro steel particles.
Its a honing rod .Its in the name . It hones !
People are probably confusing this with a diamond coated sharpening steel or ceramic sharpening rod .Those would remove metal but i have never seen anyone use those in a professional high production facility .
We always sharpen all our knives before work begins and then hone them as needed during work . Apart from costing you lots of time , sharpening during work is a bad idea , those metal shavings will end up in the meat and when you have a hundred men that adds up to a lot of metal in the meat and it feels like sand if you eat it .
So if I use a metal spoon to stir my scrambled eggs in a non stick pan am I not scraping off any metal? Just because I can't see it?
Try wiping the blade and the hone rod with a damp piece of paper towel and you will see metal filings.
I always wipe my knife and rod down every time without fail.
Wipe the knife with a white cloth and show that then. Rod magnetises blade. Filings stick to blade.
Thank you for sharing this video!
You bet!
residue is on the knife. You need to wipe it you will see it. it won't be a lot, but it is there. You need the honing rod to be harder than the knife, so the knife will wear a little bit.
That's informative. Thanks.
I can't believe people actually think you're taking away enough material to notice. It's honing, not sharpening lol.
A diamond steel does remove material. Butchers steels do not. I always wipe down my knife after stroking on a diamond steel.
Yea, there's nothing visible to the camera or maybe the human eye.
Wipe that edge with a damp white rag. You'll see streaks
Honing may realign the edge but it's also defining the edge. Therefore material has been removed, even if it's minimal.
There's different kinds of honing steel as well.
Y'all should make a video of how to use a rod to sharpen your knife at what angle.
In fact it works for you and this is Amazing
Ok. Wipe the knife with a damp towel.
💯
Thank You! my brother is a retired meat cutter , and he told me a long time ago, exactly what you said, but you cannot believe the number of people I have tried to explain this to, and get blue in the face arguments from them, lol 👍 I am not a professional cutter by any stretch, but do a lot of finish trimming for my smoker, so I’m not a novice either. 😊
Give your honing rod a wipe and you'll find carbon build up on it.. 👍👍🙏🙏
It just hones your knife and puts the off sets back in line with each other
I use one all the time