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If you find yourself struggling to chop, dice, and slice in the kitchen, then it may be time to invest in one of the best sharpening steels (also known as honing steel). Even the best kitchen knives need to be sharpened regularly, but the good news is that these tools are affordable, compact, and easy to use, so it’s a breeze to maintain your knives’ sharp edges.
Table of Contents
To find the best sharpening steels on the market, Blair and I teamed up to vet top recommendations from major retailers and publications, including a pick from her own kitchen, the Miyabi 9-Inch Sharpening Tool. To hone our list of favorites, we considered quality materials, value, and versatility, so all of our picks are long and strong enough to sharpen most knives.
Whether you’re looking for the best sharpening steel for Japanese knives or the best ceramic sharpening steel, we found a variety of options for every household and budget. Check them all out below.
Our Top Picks:
- In Blair’s Kitchen: Miyabi 9-Inch Sharpening Tool – $29.95 at Wayfair
- Also Great: Winware by Winco 12-Inch Sharpening Steel – $16.76 at Amazon
- Best Stainless Steel: Victorinox Swiss Classic 10-Inch Honing Steel – $28 at Amazon
- Best for Japanese Knives: Shun Cutlery Classic Combination Honing Steel – $49.95 at Amazon
- Best Ceramic Sharpening Steel: Idahone Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod – $44.90 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Sharpening Steels
1. In Blair’s Kitchen: Miyabi 9-Inch Sharpening Tool
An essential tool in Blair’s kitchen for more than a decade, this 9-inch Miyabi sharpening steel is one of the best you can buy. Blair has found that it’s easy to hold and use thanks to its comfortable handle and lightweight design. While it’s not necessarily an item you would leave on display in your kitchen, this product is lightweight and long-lasting, as Blair can attest.
Made in Germany, the sharpening steel works quickly and efficiently to keep your knives sharp and in great condition. It’s not too pricey and is compatible with a variety of knives, like straight edge, scissors, single bevel, and German and Asian blades. She recommends using it before you carve up a succulent Smoked Turkey Breast or slicing into delicious Marinated Grilled Flank Steak.
What Blair Says:
“I’ve owned my honing steel for at least 10 years — ever since I received the knife set that it came with. I like that it’s fairly lightweight but very effective at getting my knives sharp!”
The Specs:
- Material: Steel
- Blade Length: 9 inches
- Weight: 0.5 pounds
- Grit: Medium/Fine
The Pros:
- Easy to hold
- Lightweight
- Effective
The Cons:
- Short
- No loop for hanging
Buy the Miyabi 9 Inch Sharpening Tool:
2. Also Great: Winware by Winco 12-Inch Sharpening Steel
The Winware by Winco 12-Inch Sharpening Steel takes the second spot on our list. It’s in the same price range as Blair’s top pick and is a great bang for your buck, especially considering its long 12-inch blade. This means that it’s on the heftier side at 0.85 pounds (the Miyabi is .49 pounds), but it’s a bit more versatile since it can handle longer knives, too. Despite its larger size, the sharpening steel has a nifty loop on the end that makes it easier for hanging storage.
The Specs:
- Material: Stainless steel
- Blade Length: 12 inches
- Weight: 0.85 pounds
- Grit: Fine
The Pros:
- Affordable
- Long
- Made in the US
- Versatile
The Cons:
- Heavy
What Others Are Saying
The Winware by Winco 12-Inch Sharpening Steel is recommended as one of the best sharpening steels by Serious Eats, Food & Wine, and The Spruce Eats. It also has a 4.6-star rating from more than 2,000 Amazon ratings.
Buy the Winware by Winco 12-Inch Sharpening Steel:
3. Best Stainless Steel: Victorinox Swiss Classic 10-Inch Honing Steel
Since there is a slight difference between honing and sharpening steels (more on that later), this Victorinox model excels at honing specifically. Thanks to the industrial steel design, it helps with aligning and smoothing out the blades of your knives between sharpening. The rod itself also has a ridged texture that can easily and swiftly cut through any imperfections on knife blades. As a bonus, it’s even dishwasher-safe.
It also has a comfortable ergonomic handle that makes it easy to grip, while the 10-inch blade, it’s a good mid-range size for someone with compact knives.
The Specs:
- Material: Stainless steel
- Length: 10 inches
- Weight: 0.5 pounds
- Grit: Medium/Fine
The Pros:
- Affordable
- Compact handle
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
The Cons:
- Short
- Coarse grit
- No loop for hanging
What Others Are Saying
The Victorinox Swiss Classic 10-Inch Honing Steel has earned more than 1,460 Amazon reviews and has a 4.8-star rating. It’s also recommended by America’s Test Kitchen.
Buy the Victorinox Swiss Classic 10-Inch Honing Steel:
4. Best for Japanese Knives: Shun Cutlery Classic Combination Honing Steel
Japanese knives tend to have thinner, harder blades, which can then be sharpened more finely than other knives. The Shun Cutlery Classic Combination Honing Steel is perfect for Japanese knives because it has a unique combination of two different grits: a smooth side that can be used weekly, and a ribbed side that can be used monthly. This requires a level of precision that may be difficult for beginners, in addition to the tool’s more expensive price tag.
Shun is also a maker of excellent Japanese knives, so every detail of the brand’s honing steel is specifically made for these knives. For example, the tool’s elegant, comfortable handle helpfully guides you to hone your knives at the right angle.
The Specs:
- Material: Steel
- Length: 9 inches
- Weight: 0.51 pounds
- Grit: Fine
The Pros:
- Lightweight
- Lifetime warranty
- Has two different textures
The Cons:
- Expensive
- May be hard for beginners to use
What Others Are Saying
With over 1,100 Amazon ratings and 4.7 stars, the Shun Cutlery Classic Combination Honing Steel is also recommended by Food & Wine, America’s Test Kitchen, and The Spruce Eats.
Buy the Shun Cutlery Classic Combination Honing Steel:
5. Best Ceramic: Idahone Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod
The Idahone Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod is the best ceramic sharpening rod we found thanks to its easy-to-use blade and convenient design. Since ceramic is much harder than stainless steel, it provides a very fine grit for honing knives, which is why this sharpening steel is so gentle and versatile. Ceramic knives are typically best honed with a diamond surface, but this ceramic sharpening rod has a fine grit and hard material, making it a suitable alternative.
Made in the US, this tool is pleasantly lightweight, and it features a chic handle design. The 12-inch sharpening steel is useful, plus it has a handy ring for hanging vertically and freeing up drawer space.
The Specs:
- Material: Ceramic
- Length: 12 inches
- Weight: 0.6 pounds
- Grit: 1200
The Pros:
- Long
- Easy to use
- Comfortable handle
- Versatile
- Gentle
The Cons:
- Expensive
- Takes longer to sharpen knives
What Others Are Saying
The Idahone Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod was featured in guides by Wirecutter and America’s Test Kitchen.
Buy the Idahone Fine Ceramic Sharpening Rod:
Other Sharpening Steels to Consider
Global Honing Rod, 10-Inch
Beautifully crafted with a comfortable steel handle, Global’s honing steel features a unique oval shaped blade that maximizes the product’s surface area. Despite its fun look, the tool’s diamond coating is very coarse, making it a little too harsh for some knives. Combined with the expensive price — that’s almost four times the price of the most expensive option in this roundup — it didn’t make the cut. The Global Honing Rod, 10-Inch is available at Amazon for $189.95.
Messermeister 12” Ceramic Sharpening Rod
Messermeister’s sharpening steel isn’t too pricey and is made with ceramic that has a fine 1200 grit that’s gentle enough for most knives. At 12 inches, it’s large enough to take on most kitchen knives, and its simple design is equipped with a loop for easy hanging storage. However, some reviewers note that it can be prone to breakage, losing out on durability. The Messermeister 12” Ceramic Sharpening Rod is available at Amazon for $34.95.
WÜSTHOF 10″ Sharpening Steel
Wüsthof is a brand that many kitchen knife enthusiasts will recognize, so it makes sense that we’d consider the brand’s sharpening steel, which has earned over 2,200 Amazon ratings for an overall 4.7 stars. Made of alloy steel, Wüsthof’s sharpening steel is extremely lightweight at just 0.1 pounds. But given its higher price tag, the tool doesn’t boast any extra design elements that would warrant the extra cash, and the handle feels too cheap to land it on this list. The WÜSTHOF 10″ Sharpening Steel is available at Amazon for $50.
Why You Can Trust Us
Hi! I’m Grace and I write lifestyle content and review kitchen and home products. One of my favorite tools in my kitchen is my Cuisinart knife set, and I love trying out new recipes, whether it be a yummy pasta salad with chopped veggies or grilling the perfect steak. I teamed up with Blair, the Virginia-based home cook behind The Seasoned Mom, to curate the best sharpening steels for this roundup.
To create our list, we started with the honing steel that Blair uses in her own kitchen. Then we extended our search to other highly-reviewed options at major retailers and recommendations from trustworthy publications. We sifted through all the important specifications of these products, from material to length, and narrowed our picks down to the five best sharpening steels for knives.
What to Know About Sharpening Steels
Things to Consider When Choosing Sharpening Steels
Many sharpening steels look the same, so it can be difficult to differentiate between a tool that is worth your money and one that you’ll need to replace in a year. Here are some factors you should consider before purchasing one.
- Material: Sharpening steels can be made with steel or ceramic and sometimes have an abrasive coating of diamond dust. You should pick a sharpening steel with a material that best fits your existing collection of kitchen knives, like ceramic knives with a diamond honing steel or stainless steel knives with a stainless steel honing rod.
- Budget: While a high-end sharpening steel may cost you upwards of $50, most won’t cost as much as electric sharpeners or whetstones. And because these tools are fairly simple, you can still get great results without opting for the most expensive option.
- Length: The length of sharpening steel that’s right for you will be determined by your knife collection. You don’t want the rod or blade of the tool to be any smaller than your largest knife, but it’s okay if it’s longer than the knife.
- Grit: Grit refers to how coarse or smooth the surface of your sharpening steel blade is, which will affect how the tool can sharpen or hone your knife. In terms of numbers, a smaller grit number means that the rod is more abrasive with bigger particles, while a larger number means it has a finer, smoother grit. For example, duller knives will do best with a medium grit of around 400, but for honing specifically, you’ll want a fine grit of around 1,000.
What is the Best Material for Sharpening Knives?
There are a handful of synthetic and natural materials that are great for sharpening knives. Some of the most popular materials include stainless steel, ceramic, and even diamonds. Ultimately, the best material will depend on the type of knives you own and use in your kitchen. For example, ceramic knives are best suited for diamond honing steels because of the hardness of the ceramic. Stainless steel is softer, so it can be paired with almost any honing rod, including the more common stainless steel options.
What Do Professional Chefs Use to Sharpen Knives?
Professional chefs typically use whetstones, also called sharpening stones, which are blocks that can be made from various materials, including aluminum oxide, silicone carbide, or man-made diamonds. Two of the best whetstones for personal or professional use are the King Whetstone Starter Set and the Sharp Pebble Premium Knife Sharpening Stone.
What is the Difference Between Honing Steel and Sharpening Steel?
Despite their differing names, the terms honing steel and sharpening steel are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing for consumers — especially since neither are meant to actually sharpen. These tools are typically meant to be used to smooth and align your knives after and between more thorough sharpenings.
Honing steels and sharpening steels are typically made of steel with an abrasive surface that can have a steel, ceramic, or a diamond coating. Technically, sharpening will actually remove material from your knife, while a honing steel will merely help to align your knife. That said, some honing steels appear to have a coarse enough grit to at least do some light sharpening.
More Great Shopping Guides
If you’re in the market for some other Blair-approved kitchen tools and appliances, check them out here.
- The Best Cast Iron Skillets
- The Best Dehydrators for Jerky
- The Best Meat Tenderizers
- The Best Dutch Ovens
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
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