Best Selling Sharpening Supplies

Anglers, hunters and campers can carry this F. Dick pocket steel for quick touch-ups away from the kitchen. The regular cut rod brings back the edge on a pocket knife or a fillet knife wherever it is needed.To store it, unscrew the rod and screw it back in reversed, inside the handle, which protects the cut and keeps it from snagging in a pocket or tackle box. The rod resists corrosion, so it can sit in a bag between trips without rusting. It is small enough to keep in a glove box as well.Before a trip, check that the rod is screwed in firmly so it cannot work loose in a pack.For a field kit with room for a longer rod, the F. Dick 8-inch coarse cut steel gives more length. At home, the F. Dick 10-inch round regular cut steel fits a knife block. A fishing knife to carry with it is the ErgoGrip 4-inch fishing knife. Learn More

A non-slip handle matters when the hands are wet or greasy, and this 10-inch round F. Dick steel pairs one with a regular cut for everyday honing. It suits meat cutters and cooks who hone throughout a shift.F. Dick cuts the grooves deep and even, so the rod hones consistently and keeps its bite with use. The handle is sealed to the rod, which keeps it suitable for processing plants and busy kitchens with strict cleaning routines. Ten inches fits a standard knife block and suits boning, utility and chef’s knives up to about 8 inches.Keep it within reach of the cutting board so a few strokes between tasks become part of the routine.For longer knives, the 12-inch and 14-inch versions add reach. An oval rod with the same handle is the 12-inch oval regular cut steel with non-slip handle. For a finer finish, see the FineCut 10-inch oval steel. Learn More

When a regular steel no longer brings an edge back, a diamond rod will, without soaking a stone or learning to hold an angle on one. Diamond is the fastest-cutting rod there is. This F. Dick rod is 600 grit with a solid core, and that construction matters. Diamond pressed into a solid core lasts for years, while hollow rods with an epoxied coating can wear through in six months to a year of regular use.The oval profile puts more of the rod against the blade on each stroke, so it takes fewer strokes, and you can feel the bevel against the rod more clearly. Diamond also works on hard steels that a plain steel rod cannot touch. Its one drawback is a slightly rougher finish, so it is worth following with a few strokes on a ceramic rod such as the Idahone 12-inch Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod, Black Wood Handle.
Diamond or Steel?For daily upkeep on a knife that is still sharp, a cut steel such as the F. Dick 10-inch Round Fine Cut Sharpening Steel, Red Handle is gentler and removes less metal. Keep the diamond rod for edges that have gone dull. Our Honing Rod Guide covers when each one makes sense. Learn More

The FineCut surface looks different from most steels, with grooves shaped like a run of S curves rather than straight lines. It removes a burr and smooths the edge without leaving micro-serrations, so it is recommended for Japanese knives as well as German ones.At 12 inches, the rod gives long slicers and 10-inch chef’s knives a full stroke from heel to tip. The oval profile presents a wide face that makes the angle easier to hold. A rod that actually straightens the edge and holds up under heavy use is what keeps a busy kitchen cutting cleanly between sharpenings.For a cook with both German and Japanese knives, one fine cut rod can look after the whole roll.A shorter version is the FineCut 10-inch oval steel, and a round profile is the FineCut 12-inch round steel. For more bite, the 12-inch oval regular cut steel with non-slip handle has the same shape. Learn More

Rather than straight grooves, the FineCut pattern resembles a series of S shapes. It removes a burr and smooths the edge without leaving micro-serrations, and it works well on German knives and on Japanese knives too.A 10-inch rod is short enough to carry in a scabbard and long enough for most kitchen knives, including chef’s knives and breaking knives up to 10 inches. The oval face gives more contact than a round rod, so the edge comes back in fewer strokes. Because it is a fine cut, it maintains an edge rather than repairing a damaged one.It also suits a scabbard on the belt.A 12-inch version is the FineCut 12-inch oval steel. When the edge needs more correction, a regular cut such as the 10-inch round steel with non-slip handle takes it further. A red-handled round fine cut is the F. Dick 10-inch round fine cut steel. Learn More

Butchers and meat processors who want the smoothest edge a honing rod can give reach for a polished steel such as the Poliron. A smooth edge cuts meat without tearing, which helps keep portions even and yields high.A polished surface removes no metal. It straightens the edge and polishes it, so it can follow a coarser steel to refine an edge that a regular or fine cut has roughened. Slim edges tend to fold over before they actually go dull, and a few strokes on the Poliron set them upright again. The oval face makes the angle easy to hold.To pair it with a coarser rod, the 10-inch round regular cut steel with non-slip handle shares the handle style. A square rod with polished and fine faces is the F. Dick 10-inch square polished and fine cut steel, and a Dickoron polished rod is the Dickoron Polish 12-inch oval steel. Learn More

In meat packing plants this is simply called a butcher’s steel. It is stainless steel left unplated, because many cutters scuff the smooth surface with sandpaper until it has the texture they prefer. David leaves his smooth and uses it to burnish the edges on his protein knives.A smooth rod is the right match for stamped butcher knives from Victorinox and Dexter-Russell. Their steel runs soft, around 54 to 56 Rockwell, and comes back sharp on a polishing rod alone. On steel this soft, a textured rod is more than the edge needs. A smooth rod is also the standard for poultry and seafood processing, where the cleanest possible edge matters. Any tearing at the cellular level is the first thing to discolor on delicate proteins. A knife such as the Victorinox Fibrox Pro 5-inch Curved Semi-Stiff Boning Knife is exactly what this steel is for.
Smooth or Fine Cut?For harder German and American knives that need a little bite, choose the F. Dick 10-inch Round Fine Cut Sharpening Steel, Red Handle. The F. Dick Poliron 10-inch Polish Steel with Non-Slip Handle is another smooth steel, with a non-slip handle. Our Honing Rod Guide matches rod textures to steel hardness. Learn More

The Multiron combines a fine cut and a regular cut in one oval rod. Under light pressure it hones smoothly, and with more pressure slight indentations along the rod increase the abrasion to straighten damaged or burred edges.We like this steel at Knife Merchant because you can feel any problem areas on the knife as it passes. A bad spot on the edge announces itself by touch, so the cook knows where to work, and regular use on this rod lets a knife go longer between sharpenings. The cuts are fine and even for a consistent result along the 12-inch length.For a flat rod with fine and regular cuts, the F. Dick MultiCut 11-inch flat steel takes a similar approach. A single fine cut is the EuroCut 12-inch oval fine cut steel, and a finer Dickoron finish is the Dickoron Micro 12-inch Oval Super Fine Cut Steel. Learn More

This is the best-selling steel in our shop. The EuroCut line puts the same F. Dick rod, with the same warranty, in a less expensive handle, so the money goes into the part that touches the knife. For American and German knives, it is the best value in a honing rod we carry.Regular cut has noticeably more texture than fine cut. That extra bite keeps a working edge on knives that see heavy daily use, and it helps on tough or waxy produce such as tomatoes and bell peppers, which a fine cut can struggle with. At 12 inches, the rod is long enough to hone a 10-inch chef’s knife or slicer in one full stroke. The round profile is the one compromise, since a round rod can roll off a counter where an oval one will not.
Regular or Fine Cut?For a gentler touch-up on knives that are already sharp, the F. Dick EuroCut 12-inch Round Fine Cut Steel has the same handle and length with less texture. If you would rather have more contact with the blade and a rod that stays put on the counter, choose the F. Dick EuroCut 12-inch Oval Regular Cut Steel. Our Honing Rod Guide explains how to match a rod to your knives. Learn More