I was at a Farmer's Market on Saturday and couldn't miss a professional knife sharpening service that was set up with sparks a flying. The name of the outfit is The Sharp Brothers and they seemed reputable enough.
Today I looked at their brochure and read this (spoken from the voice of a knife):
From what I understand, improper steeling will not damage a knife or shorten its useful life. The steel does not remove any metal, it just aligns the molecules at the edge of the blade. By not steeling, knives will require more frequent sharpening, and based on the aggressive grinding I witnessed, your knives will wear out early.
Are these guys hacks or am I ignorant of proper knife care?
Today I looked at their brochure and read this (spoken from the voice of a knife):
PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T "Steel us," as in that steel rod you got with us; throw it out, you don't know how to use it
From what I understand, improper steeling will not damage a knife or shorten its useful life. The steel does not remove any metal, it just aligns the molecules at the edge of the blade. By not steeling, knives will require more frequent sharpening, and based on the aggressive grinding I witnessed, your knives will wear out early.
Are these guys hacks or am I ignorant of proper knife care?