Very useful video - thank you. An aunty used to talk about how butchers (in her day) would leave a steel that needed work, suspended overnight above a small container of some sort of chemical - I think it was something that contained ammonia of some sort. Apparently the vapor would cut into the steel. It sounds very toxic which is probably why it's not done any more.
Nice video mate, just started butchering and this is a good place to get the know how. An older colleague told me that that he uses (sulfuric) acid on his steel in combination with stone, paper and protection. So if I understood you right, that’s what I should avoid since it has a higher chance of causing unwanted debris to build up in the corroded steel? Is it more a “do what you prefer” or “definitely don’t do it since the benefit is close to zero”? Also how do I tell if my steel needs to be realigned, does it just get worse and worse at sharpening my knife and I have to ‘feel’ it? And third one, when I got my steel the seller told me they come ‘unfinished’ yet I didn’t have a problem getting my edge straight, did I achieve that with a completely blunt steel or are they semi working, not perfect but also not unusable straight out of the box? Anyways thanks!
Hi, acid "dipping" does work and I have done this in the past. Just hard to keep them running at peak. I changed to putting fine lines in the steel as you can get them running hot again in a matter of minutes. If you check out my vintage steel restoration series I have more details on finishing. This is what I find works best but there are many other opinions out there, just a matter of trying and finding what works best for you. Just be aware if you acid dip your steel it is hard to change back. Also all these techniques are for Non-Coated steels, don't bother with a chrome coated one.
Yes many modern mass manufacturered steels are chrome plated and you cannot do much to these types, just buy a new one. This video is for people with custom steels made from tool steel and hardened all through. Works for older non coated steels as well.
Re: "Lanox". Evidently it is a "Anti-Corrosion Lubricant w/lanolin." I'd would guess that in the US WD40 or the like would be similar. Or possibly food grade mineral oil if used on a hone for food knives.
Lanolin based products don't seem to evaporate or dry out as products like WD40 do. This is why I have found Lanox to work well as it stays oily and acid free. Try food based mineral oil and see how it goes.
@donhiggins5164 Thanks Don, pretty old video this one. Thought I mentioned this in the commentary. I try lift or turn the steel at the end of the stroke, when turning it is only very slight each time so you don't see the lines spiralling. I need to do an update on this as some things have changed slightly. But diamond stones on tool steel makes a big difference especially D2 steels.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening I mount my stone to the bench and draw my steel across the stone using the clamp as a guid and keeping even pressure along the length of the steel
@donhiggins5164 yes that works as well with less chance of slipping and putting a line across the steel 🤬. Using the stone in your hand as I do in this video, you need to make sure your finger is the guide and be careful not to slip!
Hi Jayz, I have had and used to pit my steels in the past. Problem is they are very hard to keep running well. I think the problem is all the microscopic holes keep moisture in them and corrosion starts in here. I moved to running lines in the steel as I showed in video, much easier to maintain and get running again when it goes off. Just dry at the end of the day and spray some Lanox on it which is acid free and doesn't dry out.
Pitted steels are the most common and preferred steel for abattoir workers. Methods for cleaning varied, but my method was to use a well used scourer and a little dish soap for cleaning. This wouldn't be done often though. A daily clean was just soap and cloth. I would also use the grit that accumulates under a sharpening oil stone on a paper towel once a week or so to restore some of its bite. Bear in mind this is for steels used all day every day. A steel in an abattoir is being used constantly, 100s of times per day. A kitchen steel wouldn't need to be cleaned with a scourer or restored with oil stone grit anywhere near as often. Maybe a few times a year. But by far the most important thing for pitted steels is their storage. They must be kept free from water and air and kept oiled. The most common method we used was to make a sheath by wrapping the steel in an oil soaked cloth and then wrapping that with duct tape. Obviously, a mineral oil would be used. I would make mine with a chux style dish cloth soaked in mineral oil with a little oil stone grit mixed in. Pitted steels a generally much finer than other styles of steels, particularly store bought steels. I preferred a very fine pitted steel myself, but there were others who preferred the harsher bite of the store bought steels. It's a matter of personal preference and how you use your knife.
@@Z3DZ1LL4 What's your definition of "Pitted steel"? I am here because I have a steel honing rod that has rust pits on its surface and am trying to find out how to remove the pits. But I get the feeling that the term "Pitted steel" does not equal 'steel with rust pits'.
@@ericfg806 A pitted steel is indeed pitted with rust pits, however, these rust pits are intentionally and carefully made. I have never had anything to do with making a pitted steel, but the method as described to me was to carefully polish the steel smooth and then to pit it with a vinegar solution.
In many cases yes most new steels will be to rough and need rubbing with paper like 1000grit first. Polished steels will be ok to use without using paper.
Greetings,I have a problem and thought that you could help... I got a volk stahl sharpening steel that I restoring and steel is soft.... Can I quench it again?it's a before WW2 steel and I would like to make it functional again....Thanks in advance for your help...
@@vladimirbrkusanin3581 with steels you won't know what steel was used. You will need to try different quench speeds, my guess cooking oil may be a bit slow. If it doesn't harden in cooking oil you will need to use a faster quench such as Parks 50 or similar. Last would be water but you may get some cracking as this is fairly stressful on the steel.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening thank you sir,your videos are very helpful to me....I did quenching steel,mineral oil did not do much it was soft after quench....So I did ice cold salt water and the steel is so hard that I'm amazed....it is a four sided "combi steel and now have two polished sides and two sides scratched with 80 gritt paper...It developed one microscopic crack one inch in length and all and all works flawlessly. I'm aiming to touch a little old f dick multi cutt steel but he has the grooves and I do not know where to start....Any suggestions thanks In advance and greetings from Serbia 🍻
Very helpful for people who don't work with knives or blades all the time . thank you
Very useful video - thank you. An aunty used to talk about how butchers (in her day) would leave a steel that needed work, suspended overnight above a small container of some sort of chemical - I think it was something that contained ammonia of some sort. Apparently the vapor would cut into the steel. It sounds very toxic which is probably why it's not done any more.
Personally been cutting meat for going on 15 years and i prefer 180 paper. And i reline my steel about every 3 months. Works great for me!
Yep sand paper.
Would love to see a video on restoring an old steel and the process of making a steel from scratch
Hi Clayton it is on my list to do a restoration video. When time permits I'll get onto it.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening awesome cant wait to watch it
I can hear the paper seating the grooves😊
Is this re-lining for a rough steel or a finishing steel ?
The grooves in my steel are not microscopic, sounds impossible to get those . Those are visible grooves.
Nice video mate, just started butchering and this is a good place to get the know how.
An older colleague told me that that he uses (sulfuric) acid on his steel in combination with stone, paper and protection. So if I understood you right, that’s what I should avoid since it has a higher chance of causing unwanted debris to build up in the corroded steel?
Is it more a “do what you prefer” or “definitely don’t do it since the benefit is close to zero”?
Also how do I tell if my steel needs to be realigned, does it just get worse and worse at sharpening my knife and I have to ‘feel’ it?
And third one, when I got my steel the seller told me they come ‘unfinished’ yet I didn’t have a problem getting my edge straight, did I achieve that with a completely blunt steel or are they semi working, not perfect but also not unusable straight out of the box?
Anyways thanks!
Hi, acid "dipping" does work and I have done this in the past. Just hard to keep them running at peak. I changed to putting fine lines in the steel as you can get them running hot again in a matter of minutes. If you check out my vintage steel restoration series I have more details on finishing. This is what I find works best but there are many other opinions out there, just a matter of trying and finding what works best for you. Just be aware if you acid dip your steel it is hard to change back. Also all these techniques are for Non-Coated steels, don't bother with a chrome coated one.
Love the vid but do you know anything about pitted steels
is it just me but you cant find anything on them haha
Aren’t modern honing steels nickel-chrome plated? Wouldn’t this remove or damage the coating?
Yes many modern mass manufacturered steels are chrome plated and you cannot do much to these types, just buy a new one. This video is for people with custom steels made from tool steel and hardened all through. Works for older non coated steels as well.
Re: "Lanox". Evidently it is a "Anti-Corrosion Lubricant w/lanolin." I'd would guess that in the US WD40 or the like would be similar. Or possibly food grade mineral oil if used on a hone for food knives.
Lanolin based products don't seem to evaporate or dry out as products like WD40 do. This is why I have found Lanox to work well as it stays oily and acid free. Try food based mineral oil and see how it goes.
If you are turning your steel while you are creating your lines you will have spiral lines which will dull your knife.
Don't turn the steel until you have lifted the stone. You need straight line no spirals.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening that’s what I was saying but not what was demonstrated
@donhiggins5164 Thanks Don, pretty old video this one. Thought I mentioned this in the commentary. I try lift or turn the steel at the end of the stroke, when turning it is only very slight each time so you don't see the lines spiralling. I need to do an update on this as some things have changed slightly. But diamond stones on tool steel makes a big difference especially D2 steels.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening I mount my stone to the bench and draw my steel across the stone using the clamp as a guid and keeping even pressure along the length of the steel
@donhiggins5164 yes that works as well with less chance of slipping and putting a line across the steel 🤬. Using the stone in your hand as I do in this video, you need to make sure your finger is the guide and be careful not to slip!
Onde consigo compra sua chaira pelo site no brasil
Good Job.
Hey mate whats your thoughts on pitted steels ?? And how to you clean your steels each day ?
Hi Jayz, I have had and used to pit my steels in the past. Problem is they are very hard to keep running well. I think the problem is all the microscopic holes keep moisture in them and corrosion starts in here. I moved to running lines in the steel as I showed in video, much easier to maintain and get running again when it goes off. Just dry at the end of the day and spray some Lanox on it which is acid free and doesn't dry out.
Hey there, what’s your thoughts on using sand paper on steels? Is that good or will it wreck the lines on it? Thanks
Pitted steels are the most common and preferred steel for abattoir workers. Methods for cleaning varied, but my method was to use a well used scourer and a little dish soap for cleaning. This wouldn't be done often though. A daily clean was just soap and cloth. I would also use the grit that accumulates under a sharpening oil stone on a paper towel once a week or so to restore some of its bite. Bear in mind this is for steels used all day every day. A steel in an abattoir is being used constantly, 100s of times per day. A kitchen steel wouldn't need to be cleaned with a scourer or restored with oil stone grit anywhere near as often. Maybe a few times a year.
But by far the most important thing for pitted steels is their storage. They must be kept free from water and air and kept oiled. The most common method we used was to make a sheath by wrapping the steel in an oil soaked cloth and then wrapping that with duct tape. Obviously, a mineral oil would be used. I would make mine with a chux style dish cloth soaked in mineral oil with a little oil stone grit mixed in.
Pitted steels a generally much finer than other styles of steels, particularly store bought steels. I preferred a very fine pitted steel myself, but there were others who preferred the harsher bite of the store bought steels. It's a matter of personal preference and how you use your knife.
@@Z3DZ1LL4 What's your definition of "Pitted steel"? I am here because I have a steel honing rod that has rust pits on its surface and am trying to find out how to remove the pits. But I get the feeling that the term "Pitted steel" does not equal 'steel with rust pits'.
@@ericfg806 A pitted steel is indeed pitted with rust pits, however, these rust pits are intentionally and carefully made. I have never had anything to do with making a pitted steel, but the method as described to me was to carefully polish the steel smooth and then to pit it with a vinegar solution.
i have a new honing im a beginer they said i have to use sand paper first before i can use it?
In many cases yes most new steels will be to rough and need rubbing with paper like 1000grit first. Polished steels will be ok to use without using paper.
Hi where do you get those mini diamond stones you use there?
I have them or you can get the DMT ones.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening thanks for the quick response I pm'd you on messenger 👍
Do you mean realigning?
No, we put new fresh lines in the steel, not aligning old ones
Greetings,I have a problem and thought that you could help...
I got a volk stahl sharpening steel that I restoring and steel is soft....
Can I quench it again?it's a before WW2 steel and I would like to make it functional again....Thanks in advance for your help...
I would give it a go as you can't make it any worse. I plan on doing a video on this very topic as I have a couple that are on the soft side as well.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening Thanks,I will give it a try...
@@vladimirbrkusanin3581 with steels you won't know what steel was used. You will need to try different quench speeds, my guess cooking oil may be a bit slow. If it doesn't harden in cooking oil you will need to use a faster quench such as Parks 50 or similar. Last would be water but you may get some cracking as this is fairly stressful on the steel.
@@AshleyYoungSharpening Thank you,I will try salt water,because I need hardness of min 66 hrc....I didn't know that water may be so dangerous...
@@AshleyYoungSharpening thank you sir,your videos are very helpful to me....I did quenching steel,mineral oil did not do much it was soft after quench....So I did ice cold salt water and the steel is so hard that I'm amazed....it is a four sided "combi steel and now have two polished sides and two sides scratched with 80 gritt paper...It developed one microscopic crack one inch in length and all and all works flawlessly.
I'm aiming to touch a little old f dick multi cutt steel but he has the grooves and I do not know where to start....Any suggestions thanks In advance and greetings from Serbia 🍻
What do you think of the F.dick multi cut steel?