Knife steels do not actually sharpen knives. They have no abrasive but
rather only allign the edge again. There should be no metal come off using a
steel.

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/cul.../ht/honing.htm


"RicodJour" wrote in message
...
What's with all of the shards? What are you guys using to sharpen
your knives - a half ******* file? I sharpen with stones once in a
blue moon. A steel is used for the day to day sharpening. It's all
that's ever needed, and I have yet to see a shard. What comes off
with the steel is dust, and that's a mineral supplement. You'd pay
top dollar for it at GNC. Iron, chromium...what's the MDR for
vanadium?

R