Gifted 8" Wusthof Chefs Knife: Maintenance?

I'm a lucky guy, I was gifted a Wusthof 8" Ikon Chef's Knife. Not used it yet, I like the feel of the handle, a little skeptical if I'll like the curve of the blade, but a very nice gift all the same.

My question is about maintaining this blade with a steel. I only have an old Henckel steel (two stick figures on it). Would you recommend I buy a matching Wusthof steel to maintain the blade?

Do steels like that need to be replaced, ever?

I do happen to have a Wusthof Trident Ceramic Knife Sharpener (drag knife through the 'v' between the wheels). I used this only once in a while on my Henckels when they needed reshaping.

Thanks in advance for any help on how to look after my new knife.

There are 4 different Wusthof steels on this page. If I should buy a Wusthof steel which one?

Shawn, I have one of those Henkel V sharpeners as well. Does a good job to put a quick edge on when I don't have the time to get out the stones. I have the Classic Wusthof Steel, for my Wusthof set. It's a nice steel. Never used a ceramic one, so no help there.

We have a Wusthof set that we received for our wedding about 14 years ago.

They're great knives - once you get used to using good knives, you'll hate it when you have to use crummy ones (there are some pretty decent knives out there that are not that expensive, and some that are probably too high-priced for the average "schmoe" to appreciate). I was amazed at my sudden ability to slice onions paper-thin.

The steel and the sharpener have two different purposes:

-If you were to look at the edge of a sharp knife under powerful magnification, you would see a very thin, sometimes slightly "flaky" edge, with the "flakes" in a relatively straight line.

-The steel should be used nearly every time you use the knife, to keep the edge "flakes" aligned / in condition. The steel does not actually remove any significant amount of metal from the blade.

-Ceramic and carbide "sharpeners" abrade or shave a small amount of metal from the edge, and should be used when you notice that the knife does not cut like it should. Using them too frequently will wear-down your knives over time.

Also, as for STORING - keep good knives in a knife-block or on a magnetic bar. Don't toss them into a drawer - it's when knife edges knock-against eachother that damage is done to the cutting edge.

As for USE - use a good wood or quality plastic cutting board. Cutting directly on countertops and ceramic plates wrecks the edges on your good knives - so don't do it when you can avoid it (or just expect to sharpen and replace more frequently).

As for sharpening - With high-quality knives, when they do need sharpening, I would either take the time to learn (read a good book on the subject, and practice on some cheap knives that you have lying around) or better yet: find out where local restraunt people get their knives sharpened, and take yours there once or twice a year.


I think that one of the differences with the really high-quality knives, like Wusthoff, is that their steel holds an edge really well over time and use.

Ron stated: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">...If you were to look at the edge of a sharp knife under powerful magnification, you would see a very thin, sometimes slightly "flaky" edge, with the "flakes" in a relatively straight line... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That 'flakey edge" is called the "wire". A steel is used for straightening the wire so that the knife cuts better, more effectively. The older Sabatier carbon steel knives produce a wire much better than the new Sabatiers and most stainless knives.

OTOH a sharpener will establish a 'new wire', one that can subsequently be worked with the steel over and over again in the near future for repeated 'straightening'. I steel my blades a couple of times a month but sharpen them every 2 or 3 years. However your mileage and therefore quality of steel (metallurgy) may vary.

I've been a knife fanatic and have been sharpening them since about 1960 and I'll say this, Ron G. said it straight out.
Couldn't add too much more to it.

Get a good steel, learn the angle to put the edge back on. Practice on your cheap knives, LOL, then you can maintain that good one.

thanks all for the replies

based on the responses I guess I'll just stick with the Henckel steel that I have and not worry about buying a Wusthoff steel for the new knife

Sharpening steels do, indeed, wear out but not in your lifetime, unless you steel daily as is done in a professional environment. Henckel is an excellent brand and there's no need to discard it if it's already doing the job.

As to steeling your blade, don't be shy. Since the sharpening steel can't ruin anything, try using alternate steeling angles and pressures to see what conbination works best to achieve your blade's best sharpness.