Schrade SCHDDS Diamond Dust Sharpening Rod

A review about the diamond rod
I was a meatcutter for some 20 yrs,and was surprised to see a diamond sharpening rod for this price. To be honest, I am used to a "steel" that is about 11" or longer. This "steel" is quite short but, will do the job. When a diamond sharpener is used, it is better to use light quick strokes
rather than hard stokes when using this product...I think that it is worth the price and efficient when used correctly.

False image, but good tool.
Though the photo of the tool shows it looking like a green finished aluminum housing that the diamond rod unscrews from then force fits for use. Actually the housing is black ABS plastic and the diamond rod just sits in not very tightly, and you reverse it for use. I already owned a couple of these but when I saw the ad on Amazon I liked the idea of the aluminum housing and the threaded rod even better so I ordered three. You can imagine my disappointment getting three more of the plastic units. I find this ad grossly misleading but the units do a great job, I fillet a lot of fish and I'm able to keep my fillet knives as well as all my other knives super sharp.

Kitchen knives.
Used this for kitchen knives. Definitely makes them sharper, and another reviewer's comment about light, quick strokes is the way to go. I think I need to figure out how to handle it a little better. It is quite small, and the sharpener came in black plasticy-rubbery casing, not the green as pictured. Also the sharpening stick is a dark gray with a small indent on one side-- I'm assuming for sharpening serrated edges. And it works pretty well.

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Zwilling J.A. Henckels Oval 12-Inch Honing Steel

Great steel, but where do I put it?
I purchased a book for my husband called "Knife Skills" and this honing steel was recommended. The advantages are that is is long enough to hone a 10" chefs knife. It is oval, so there is more contact between the knife and the steel. It has a ring to hang it up and a hand guard. It looks attractive, but it is huge! It didn't even come close to fitting in our block that easily holds our 10" chef's knife. We had to place a hook on the wall to hang it. We were prepared for this, so it wasn't a problem. You don't want it banging around in a drawer, so hanging from the wall or the fridge is really the only option. They put that ring there for a reason. If you are prepared for storage difficulties, it could be the best and only steel you ever buy.

This is it
If you are looking for the perfect honing steel this is it. Beautiful to look at, correct size for larger carving knives (and more than enough for smaller knives), and oval to maximize the cutting surface. This is the tool recommended by Norman Weinstein in his "Mastering Knife Skills" book. For all American, German and French-style knives.

J.A. Henckels Oval 12-Inch Honing Steel
I really like this kitchen tool. I sharpen my knives as needed and the results are wonderful. I have the honing steel hanging above my knife block for convenience... but it also decorates a very difficult tiny slice of wall. Works perfectly for me!

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