A honing steel is a rod-like tool with an easy-to-hold handle. It should not be confused with a sharpening tool like a whetstone. A honing steel doesn’t sharpen a blunt knife. It is basically used to ‘bring back the sharpness of recently sharpened knives. Sharpening removes metal from the blade and brings out a new sharp edge. Honing straightens and realigns the slightly bent edges of the blade to bring back the cutting power.
You might not have one now, but you might have seen it in use by chefs in real-life scenarios or on the television. Honing steels allow you to postpone your knife sharpening schedule. Now you know that you need to get one. You don’t need to worry about going through the tough task of research. We have done that for you. Below are our five (5) best honing steel reviews.
Best Honing Steels
Image | Best Honing Steels | Rating |
---|---|---|
![]() | 1. Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Honing Steel | 99% |
![]() | 2. Messermeister Ceramic Honing Steel | 96% |
![]() | 3. Green Elephant Ceramic Honing Steel | 92% |
![]() | 4. Winware Stainless Honing Steel | 89% |
![]() | 5. Mercer Culinary Genesis Knife Honing Steel | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Here are our Honing Steels reviews.
1. Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Honing Steel
Be good to your knife, and your knife will equally be good to you. To keep your knife’s blade in optimal condition, we recommend that you hone it regularly with the Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Honing Steel. This honing steel is made with brush chrome-plated steel. Use this honing steel for your knives, and you will only have to sharpen them with a whetstone three (3) times a year or less.
This honing steel has a textured handle for a comfortable grip. It is securely positioned to safeguard your fingers from slipping and getting cut. It weighs a miserly 0.5 pounds and is well balanced for efficient use. The Victorinox Swiss Army Honing Steel maintains your knife’s sharp edges and increases its strength and sharpness.
Edges of knives honed with this quality honing steel become stain resistant. The Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Honing Steel flaunts a 10-inches rod which is the perfect length for honing your knives without hand fatigue.
Why do we like it?
- It has a magnetized steel rod
- Very easy to clean
- Extends the life of your knife blades
2. Messermeister Ceramic Honing Steel
If you constantly face difficulty slicing your vegetables, you need a reliable honing steel. We recommend the Messermeister Ceramic Rod Honing Steel. This honing steel possesses a 1200 grit ceramic abrasive rod. It works excellently on any of your knives. Messermeister creates a significant honing result with the least effort.
The one good thing about this ceramic honing steel is that it minimally sharpens your knife’s blade while realigning it. The Messermeister Ceramic Honing Steel does not have the magnetic feature meaning that the eroded tiny metal pieces do not stick to this honing steel. This makes it easier to clean than other types of honing steels.
Although most ceramic honing steels break easily when they fall from heights, the Messermeister Ceramic Honing Steel flaunts a break-resistant core rod. We recommend you hand wash this honing steel and dry with a towel after use.
Why do we like it?
- Has a comfortable handle with a ring for hanging
- It spots a 14-millimeter diameter rod for effective honing
- It can be easily stored in a knife block
3. Green Elephant Ceramic Honing Steel
There are times when the wind of creativity blows on you, and you feel like cooking a masterpiece recipe in the kitchen. Having to struggle with cutting and slicing can dampen that mood. This is why we recommend the Green Elephant Ceramic Honing Steel. This 11-inch ceramic honing steel has a grit of 1500 and has a hardness of 9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is sure to serve you for a very long time.
You don’t have to worry if this ceramic honing steel rolls off the countertop and falls to the ground. The shock-absorbing feature makes this honing steel rod shatter-proof. The handle of the durable honing steel is made of polypropylene. This gives you a comfortable grip and cancels out hand fatigue during usage.
We recommend that you do not try to bend this honing steel so as not to tamper with the shock absorbent feature. Also, hand washing and air drying are best to preserve its quality.
Why do we like it?
- Requires only 5 – 10 blade strokes to realign edges perfectly
- It is balanced and lightweight
- It is Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) tested to meet customer defined standards
4. Winware Stainless Honing Steel
We all love it when the kitchen tools we get actually do their jobs. One of the best honing steel that does its job is the Winware Stainless Honing Steel. Its 12-inch honing rod is made of rust-resistant stainless steel. Its hypoallergenic feature makes it a valuable kitchen tool because it does not release tiny fragments that can cause an allergic reaction in adults or infants.
You will need to be careful when honing knives that are made of hard metal. This honing steel can break the brittle blades of hard metal knives. The Winware Stainless Honing Steel smooths out dents and micro-serrations on the blades of knives with ease.
This honing steel is highly durable. It is waterproof and doesn’t easily get corrupted. Cleaning this honing steel is much easier. All you need is to use a damp cloth to wipe the rod and air dry.
Why do we like it?
- Has a hanging loop for easy storage
- It sports a 5-inch plastic handle that allows for firm griping
- It is very reliable
5. Mercer Culinary Genesis Knife Honing Steel
Making use of honing steel can be disappointing if the handle is not comfortable to hold and constantly slips out of your hand. To make the honing process a thing of joy, we recommend the Mercer Culinary Genesis Knife Honing Steel. The handle is made of Santoprene, which offers you a non-slip grip even when your hands are wet. Most importantly, it can withstand extreme temperatures.
This 0.6 pounds honing steel has a well-constructed tang that gives it good balance. Honing multiple knives is easier and relaxing with this tool. Its high-carbon German steel is rust-resistant and doesn’t easily get discolored. The outstanding performance it offers makes it one of the best honing steels available on the market.
The Mercer Culinary Genesis Honing Steel is National Sanitation Foundation certified. This makes it one of the safest honing steels for your daily kitchen use.
Why do we like it?
- The handle doesn’t break down when exposed to kitchen oils
- High durability
- It has a sleek design
Honing Steels Buyer’s Guide
The advent of modern kitchenware and tools has made cooking a lot more fun. Purchasing honing steel that produces desired results without putting excessive strain on the user is the dream of every chef. If you plan to shop for the best honing steel, read our buyer’s guide to know what to look out for.
Material Type
Honing steels are of three (3) types. The Stainless Steel honing steel, the Ceramic is honing steel, and the Diamond honing steel. Diamond honing steels are the hardest. They tend to chip away metal from the knife blade rather than align the blade. It shouldn’t be used often. Stainless steel honing steel does the actual honing. They are the best to use. Ceramic honing steels are in-between. Although they tend to break more easily
Length of Rod
It is recommended that you use honing steel that is a little bit longer than the knife you intend to hone. 10-inches to 12-inches rods are considered as the appropriate length for use on kitchen knives.
Handle
Pay particular attention to the handle of any honing steel you want to buy. A non-slip and comfortable handle will do you so much good and reduce hand fatigue to the minimum. A honing steel with a bad handle might cause you injuries while honing.
Tip of Rod
If you have a beautiful countertop, be careful when you go shopping for a honing steel. Try not to buy honing steel with a pointed tip. It will damage your countertop over time. Ensure that the honing steel you are buying has a blunt tip. You definitely don’t want to have holes and scratches on your beautiful countertop.
Magnetic Rod
Most stainless steel honing steels are magnetic. They attract the small fillings from the knife blade to themselves. This ensures that you won’t be having tiny bits of metal in your food. Ceramic and diamond honing steels do not have this feature. Stainless steel honing steels may be harder to clean due to this magnetic feature, but they remain the best honing steels for home use.
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