Vent: Everyone says to keep your steel wet, but I tried something different

For years I heard you should always keep your sharpening steel wet. Last month, I was breaking down a side of beef and my steel felt slick and ineffective. I wiped it completely dry with a clean towel and gave it a few passes. The edge it put on my knife was way crisper and more controlled. I've been using a dry steel for every job since, and my knives are staying sharper longer between full sharpenings. Has anyone else switched away from the wet steel method?

3 comments

3 Comments

black.joel1mo ago

Huh. I mean, it's a piece of metal you run a knife against for two seconds. The idea that a little water or no water is a life changing decision seems like a lot. If your knife gets sharp, you're doing it right. I used the back of a ceramic plate once in a pinch and it worked fine. People get way too deep into the gear and the method.

thomas2751mo agoOG Member

Oh man, you just started a holy war with the sharpening nerds... good luck with that.

hayden_butler2719d ago

Done the plate trick myself a few times when I was out camping and forgot my stone. Worked good enough to get through dinner prep without any hassle.

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