Are you searching for the best honing steel for Japanese knives? In this comprehensive guide, we will share some of the options we tested.
Japanese knives are knives made using traditional Japanese blacksmithing techniques. They are made with a type of carbon steel called hagane, which comes with various gradations.
They are typically made for food preparation. Having a Japanese knife is a great investment as it provides you with a fantastic experience as you cook.
However, the knife must always be in good shape to work properly. For this, you need honing steel to realign the edge between uses.
Best Honing Steel for Japanese Knives
1) Messermeister Ceramic Rod Knife Sharpener
This sharpening rod is the best preventative maintenance tool for your knife’s edge. It usually sharpens as it aligns the edge. Furthermore, the tool has an ergonomic handle that provides a secure grip.
Highlights
- 1200-grit ceramic rod
- Soft grip and ergonomic handle ensure a very secure grip
- Hard ceramic that has a slight abrasive characteristic to ensure that it sharpens as it aligns the edge
- 100% Messermeister quality
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Dimensions: 18.5″L x 2.5″W x 1.5″H
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Weight: 0.3 Kilograms
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Grit Type: Fine
2) Mac Knife Ceramic Honing Rod
This tool ensures that your knives are polished and smooth at all times. The surface realigns edges quickly and is meant to hone knife edges.
Highlights
- Made of hard ceramic that prevents rust
- Has a medium surface of approximately 2000 grit
- Keeps knives in the best condition
- Hand wash safe but not dishwasher safe
- Highly durable
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Dimensions: 10.5″L x 1″W x 1″H
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Grit Type: Medium, Fine
3) Seki Japan Chef Knife Sharpening Rod
With this sharpening rod, you can sharpen your knife without causing any damage to the blade. The fine ceramic whetstone is non-consumable regardless of how much you use. It stays in its original round rod position.
Highlights
- Sharpens cutlery, such as nail clippers, steak knives, scissors, and mowing sickles, which are not possible or difficult to sharpen with a conventional sharpener.
- Enables the user to sharpen from different angles due to its round shape
- Iron sticks on the whetstone can easily be washed out with water
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Dimensions: 9.65″L x 1.38″W x 0.98″H
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Weight: 0.09 Kilograms
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Grit Type: Fine
- Lightweight
4) Wusthof 10” Ceramic Steel
With this sharpening rod, you can quickly restore the original sharpness of your blade.
Highlights
- Has a wide bolster that ensures the protection of your hands during the sharpening process
- Polymer handle that provides a comfortable grip and also has a hole for hanging
- Ideal for tackling all sizes of kitchen knives
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Dimensions: 14″L x 2″W x 2″H
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Weight: 0.28 Kilograms
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Grit Type: Light
- Designed to resist corrosion and dulling
- Comes with a limited lifetime warranty
5) Zwilling J.A Henckels Professional S Sharpening Steel
Are you serious about keeping your knives sharp at all times? If so, this particular honing steel is here to ensure your blade is never dull. Made of a rod of hard steel alloy with a tough synthetic handle, it works perfectly and looks better compared to most hanging close at hand.
Highlights
- Hones all kinds of kitchen knives
- Comes with a lifetime warranty
- Has a finger guard to protect your fingers during the sharpening process black in color
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Dimensions: 18.75″L x 4.5″W x 1.75″H
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Weight: 0.9 Pounds
6) Mac Knife Ceramic Honing Rod
This honing rod aligns your edges with every use. With it, you are certain that you will achieve great results.
Highlights
- 1200 grit that polishes the edges of your knife smooth
- Only hones and does not sharpen
- Produces a very fine edge
- Great value for money
Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Honing Steel for Japanese Knives
Length of the rod
It is important to ensure that the rod is longer than the knife you plan to use it with. Normally, an inch or two is plenty of excess lengths. Doing this lets you hone your knife with greater ease. Also, with a higher level of accuracy precision, and safety, you get better results and a sharper knife.
Material
It is crucial to ensure that the metal, ceramic, or any other material that the honing steel is made of is harder than the knife it uses. If softer steel is used, the result will be a damaged knife.
Handle
This is a very key part of the honing steel. Keeping a firm grip on the hone is important to prevent it from slipping. Slipping when honing leads to damage for both the user and the knife. Ensure that you select honing steel with an ergonomic grip that fits your hand comfortably and is made of a non-slip material. Furthermore, ensure it has a hand guard to protect your hand as you hone.
Maintenance
Inadequate maintenance of honing tools leads to clogging with tiny particles affecting their effectiveness. Like any other tool, honing steel requires proper maintenance to enhance its performance greatly.
Shape
Rods come in different shapes: round, oval, flat, and square. Choose a shape that you will be comfortable with.
Price
Consider your budget and buy the best-rated sharpener in your price range. You don’t have to strain your budget to own one. Just choose the one that suits your budget.
Advantages of Best Honing Steel for Japanese Knives
Easy to use
Honing steel for Japanese knives requires very minimal effort to use. With these tools, you can restore and renew your dull knives with a few strokes and then enjoy your cooking experience.
Effective
There is no better way to keep your Japanese knives well-maintained than honing steel. They are not only effective but also easy to maintain. Apart from sharpening and aligning your knives’ blades, they help improve your cutlery mileage, thus giving you many years of ultimate cooking.
Fast
With these tools, spending so much time will be a thing of the past, as honing your knives using honing steel is easy. With just a few strokes, you can restore your dull knife and bring much fun to your cooking.
Saves money
Having a sharpening steel of your own is a great investment that saves you a lot of money in the long run. Paying for honing services is costly compared to purchasing honing steel.
Durability
These honing steel are made from high-quality materials, ensuring they serve you properly for a long time.
Disadvantages of Best Honing Steel for Japanese Knives
Require maintenance
These honing steel for Japanese knives require regular maintenance so that they can function in the right way.
Need extra precaution
Since some of these honing steel for Japanese knives are ceramic, one must be extra careful when using them since they are brittle and may shatter when dropped.
FAQs on the Best Honing Steel for Japanese Knives
1) What is the difference between Japanese knives and German knives?
Japanese steel is harder than German steel, so it stays sharp longer, lasts longer, and can be sharpened less frequently. Because of the thickness of the steel, their sharpening angle is different, with the Japanese knife at 15-16 degrees and the German steel at 18-22 degrees. Due to that, Japanese knives provide a better cutting edge and a lighter weight.
2) Should I use my knife to cut frozen foods?
No. Frozen foods are too hard and solid to cut through. Doing so results in chipping the edge of the blade. Also, the blade may get stuck and damaged.
3) Do stains on my knife affect its performance?
In most cases, staining is purely a cosmetic issue. A rust eraser eliminates most of the staining that develops, and knife oil can be applied before storage to minimize the staining.
Conclusion
Honing steel, for sure, does make work easier and ensures incredible performance for your Japanese knives. All you have to do is get yourself any of the honing steel, and you can be sure you have made the best decision about choosing honing steel.
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