12" Diamond Sharpening Steel. Deluxe Professional Grade by DOLOMITEN INOX.

The steel itself seems to be quite good at putting an edge on knives. My knives are mostly stainless steel (apart from a couple of ancient carbon steel carvers) and it does a good job. My only carp is that the black plastic handle is considerably less than 'aesthetically pleasing'. I want to hang it my wall next to my knives (that sit on a magnetic strip) but it does look a bit 'tacky'.GR

Ordered this sharpening steel for a birthday present,sorry but wish I hadn't, the person I bought it for used it onhis global knives & was sorely dissappointed & has gone back to his old original one, now I owe him a decent present.After receiving an e-mail from this company I was impressed with the customer service, as it was suggested this item maybe faulty and am returning same for refund & replacement (good service)

Sadly,this is not the "steel" I remember as a child growing up in Australasia (that's OZ and NZ to you Poms!) This "steel" is totally different from that used (still?) by butchers and the one my father (blunt knives were an anethema to him) used to hone his carving/cutting and boning knives - he was a stickler for evenly thin slices of rare beef but thick slices of well-done lamb/mutton/hogget. And the occasional pork loin joint - yummy crackling! My Father's steel was a long tapered steel shaft with very, very narrow grooves. He used a carborundum stone (wet with thin oil) to sharpen knife blades which were then, during the meat carving/cutting process kept at peak by regular action on the steel. When the edge dulled with use the stone was used to restore the razor-sharp edge. There is one essential in having sharp, effective kitchen knives - finest quality steel which will take and hold an edge - without that you've a useless bit of "hoop iron".I have Sabatier knives which are quite good but the good old-fashioned slightly softer steel carving knives of the early to mid 20th century - an earlier if your grandfather had them - are the best - the ones that are not stainles steel. Modern knoves need a proper grindstone, I think to set an edge. Best done professionally for you. This steel is OK but try as I might, I can't get it to keep my knives as sharp as I would like, or, for that matter, need.

Oh yeah! Finally, I've given up on gizmos and bought the grown-up way to sharpen knives. Use it the way chefs do - a couple of strokes every day and the knife stays sharp forever. Any knife - cheap knives are just as good as expensive ones, once properly sharpened.The blurb says you will use this for a lifetime. I've had mine for a few months so I can't vouch for that, but I certainly find it credible. I'd say it is very good value.

I was pleasantly surprised with this purchase, on initial use I thought it seemed rather light weight and wasn't sure whether it was up to the task, but this steel has put a good edge onto most of my knives and now I'm used to the difference between this and my old carbon steel version I wouldn't be without it. A very good piece of kit which gets plenty of use and well worth the money.

My ceramic knives stay sharp for ages, but when they need a quick honing a standard steel won't do the job. A couple of swishes with this and job done. It won't last as long as a steel if you use it regularly for all your knives and scissors, as there a few small bald spots after some months use, but it should certainly last a few years

Superb! Delivered the day after ordering, so very fast service. I've always prided myself on keeping well sharpened knives but saw a friend use this diamond coated steel and realised how quickly he achieved the same result so I thought I'd give it a try. Just a few strokes and my knives were restored to sharpness instead of them taking ages to get right.I strongly recommend this product, especially at the very reasonable price. Can't really comment yet on how long it will last but it has shown no signs of wear or clogging yet. Fantastic service, excellent product and good value for money.

Used every cook for a month, seems to leave the knives a bit dull now. The previous diamond sharpener I bought lasted 12 months before feeling dull. Not a bad product if you only sharpen once in a while