Aha! We meet again, Jas. :-)

IMO...the most important asset of a good steel is just that. It should be made of good steel with firm but almost unnoticeable ridges. It should also have a protective and comfortable hilt or handle that fits your hand.

This is one item that I've, personally, found monetarily reflects it material value. The better the steel...the higher the price. Most cutlery companies who make a large array of cut ware usually offer their own model steel.

I have a couple of steels but they're old and they're beginning to show their age. Eventually, the steel ridges wear down even though I clean them after every use. Sort of like an emery board. After too many uses, the emery begins to wear off...or down...and becomes relatively useless when it comes to grooming ones fingernails. I should note that mine were moderately priced models so that may be contributing to their demise.

But...if you really want to put an edge on a knife that will outlast that of a steel...get a honing kit that includes a polishing stone and oil. It takes a little longer to hone your knives with this method...but the end result lasts much longer and the knives are usually razor sharp. I used to sharpen my knives all the time with this method but my eye sight has reached a point where my depth perception is skewed and I don't trust myself to use this method anymore. I have enough minor kitchen accidents these days without lopping off a finger or two. LOL

Or regularly take them to a knife specially store to be professionally sharpened!

I'm lucky -- I have a BF who is fanatical about sharpening *everyone's* knives! :O)

"----Are there good and bad steels?"

I don't know. I am not a believer of steeling a good knife. You certainly would not do that to an expensive japanese knife.

I don't understand the concept of "re-aligning" a knife's edge. Under normal cutting and slicing, how can a knife edge curl? unless you cut bones with it..

Steel gets very weak once it is bent and re-bent. What happens if that little piece of steel gets into your food?

A "sharpening steel" is cylindrical, and a knife edge is straight. By definition of geometry, when a curve meets a straight edge, the point of contact is infinitely small. By the law of physics, you will be applying more than a thousand pounds of pressure on the knife edge, and really doing bad things to the edge.

dcarch

You should get a sharpening steel that is not round but called either "oval" or "flat". And, as Anne_ct said above, you have to replace it every couple years depending on usage. Here is one by the professional knife company, Friederick Dick:

https://www.amazon.com/Friedr-Dick-Diamond-Sharpening-10-Inch/dp/B001AK45AA/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480257405&sr=1-7&keywords=sharpening+steel+dick

I have used a sharpening steel for years on my knives, but about once a year I get them sharpened by a professional knife sharpener. If you are like me, and not confident about your skills on a real sharpening stone, you can either bring your knives to a professional knife sharpener (if you don't live where there is one, you can mail them to a knife sharpener like Northwestern Cutlery in Chicago), or buy a home knife sharpener from Chefs Choice. The electric Chefs Choice sharpeners are a bit expensive. The manual ones like the Chefs Choice 4643 manual sharpener are inexpensive, and quite good. The manual ones should have diamond abrasives, not other materials.

Huh. I've always read that one should use a steel to hone the already sharp edge. You shouldn't sharpen them often because you're taking away the actual steel (grinding). Honing aligns the edge to keep it sharp. Honing should be done after every use.

I have 2 sharpeners that work well and my knives are sharp. Since sharpening takes the steel off the knife, I think having a honing blade or steel would work nicely. My once straight edged paring knife is now curved from sharpening. Steeling wouldn't do that. I'm going to look for a smooth steel. Thanks John.

I respectfully disagree with John Liu's recommendation for the Victorinox sharpening steel. Though I adore Victorinox knives and have several that are my go-to knives. But the Victorinox sharpening steels that cost $19-30 are round rather than oval or flat. As Dcarch mentioned, it is not good to slide your knife against a rounded curve. That is why the higher-quality sharpening steels are flattened, like the Friederick Dick steel I linked in my post above. Yes, that Friederick Dick steel will cost $55 to Victorinox's $20, but I am afraid you will shorten the lives of your knives with a round sharpening steel.

Here is one that is oval and in the polished steel finish that John Liu recommended. Made in Germany. The plastic handle is because this company sells mostly to professionals, and in a butcher shop or meat packer you want a plastic handle for easy cleaning.

https://www.knifemerchant.com/product.asp?productID=1397&gclid=CIC20c_yydACFQKtaQodngQMgQ

Round or oval, it won't make any difference. When any curve touches a straight line, the contact is still a point.