Published Tuesday, January 11, 2011 8:14 PM

Dear Lisa: I am really excited about the great new set of knives I received for Christmas.

The set includes a sharpening steel, but I’m not sure how to use it. How should I use it to keep my knives as sharp as they are now? – Chef Wannabe

Dear Chef W.: A great set of knives is the cook’s most important and versatile tool. But as you already know, keeping them sharp is essential.

It’s important to know that a good electric sharpener or a sharpening stone (whetstone) is the best tool for sharpening knives. The steel is only used to align the blade after it has been sharpened.

It you don’t have access to a good electric sharpener, take your knives to a professional sharpener or learn to use a sharpening stone.

To use a stone, hold the blade at a constant 20-degree angle and make light, even strokes in one direction across the stone. Make the same number of strokes on each side of the blade. Finish with a few strokes on the steel and wipe the blade clean.

To maintain your knives, use the steel to hone or true the edges. Again, hold the blade at a constant 20-degree angle to the steel, making light strokes. Alternate each pass of the blade first on one side of the steel, then on the other.

You’ll only need to pass the blade five or six times across the steel. If you use the steel often, you’ll rarely need to sharpen your knives. Over-using a sharpener can wear away too much of the knife blade and you still won’t have a sharp edge.

And, never put your knives in the dishwasher, as the high heat and chemicals can damage the fine edge.

* Lisa Fritz, a longtime Bryan food and nutrition educator, answers readers’ questions about food, cooking and recipes. Her e-mail address is .

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32601-003 Even the best knife will lose its initial sharpness during the course of time. The Twinsharp knife sharpener can quickly and easily restore the edge on all of your knives. Always use a J.A. Henckels sharpener or steel for your J.A. Henckels knives. This innovative and knife sharpener with its two separate sharpening modules sharpens knives simply, safely and effectively. It is easy to use because, in contrast to the sharpening steel, the angle is pre-set. Thus it is nearly impossible to use this sharpener the wrong way. Using its steel wheels, module 1 is able to gently remove small damages to the edge. Module 2 gently smoothes the edge and restores the knife to its high sharpness. Beyond that Twinsharp Select works equally for left- and right-handers. This knife sharpener may only be used for uncoated knives with a straight edge. It comprises two modules which are marked: Module I with steel wheels for coarse sharpening, pre-sharpening respectively and Module II with ceramic wheels for fine sharpening and smoothing. How to use it: Place your Twinsharp Select on an even, anti-slip surface. Make sure the knife blade is clean. Take your Twinsharp Select with either left or right hand, thumb and index finger should touch, and press it slightly on the surface. Place the end of the cutting edge (near the handle) in a 90 angle into the respective module. Draw the blade with little pressure towards yourself, never apply too much pressure or use a see-saw movement. Depending upon the degree of bluntness, you may have to repeat the process up to five times. Should your knife be very blunt, use module I first followed by module II. Knives with a little degree of bluntness may only require the use of module II to bring back the original sharpness. Check the result by cutting into a sheet of paper. Important note: No liquids are necessary to sharpen knives with the Twinsharp Select. To clean the Twinsharp Select, simply turn it upside down to get rid of the residualHenckels Twin Sharp Duo knife sharpener is suitable for all knives with a fine edge, with the exception of coated knives. The stainless-steel sharpener comprises two modules, which are marked on the sharpener. The first module features steel wheels for coarse sharpening and presharpening, and the second module uses ceramic wheels for fine sharpening and smoothing. This sharpener works well for both right- and left-handed people, features rubber feet so it won’t skid on the countertop, and measures approximately 8 inches across and 3 inches tall, so you can store it in a drawer or display it in a small space. To use, place the knife sharpener on a flat surface, pressing down slightly with one hand. Draw the knife blade with a little pressure towards yourself, repeating up to five times for the dullest blades. For very blunt knives, use the first module and then the second. Knives with a bit of bluntness may require only the first module to bring back the original sharpness. Check the results by cutting into a sheet of paper.

• Suitable for all knives with a fine edge
• Comprises two modules: one for coarse sharpening and one for fine sharpening
• Rubber feet prevent skidding on the counter top
• Measures approximately 8 inches across and 3 inches tall
• Works well for both right- and left-handed people

Price: $ 19.85

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This is one of the deals of the day at Newegg: It is a 19 piece Cuisinart 5037009 CA-X 19-Piece Cutlery Block Set. Usually priced at $149.99 it is on sale for $79.99, with free shipping! You save $70 and shipping costs, which would be around another $10.

• Click here for the Cusinart 19 piece cutlery set

• 8-inch chef’s knife
• 7-inch bread knife
• 6-inch chef’s knife
• 5-inch serrated utility knife
• 6-inch santoku knife
• 3-1/2-inch paring knife
• 4-inch fine edge utility knife
• 5-inch santoku knife
• Eight steak knives
• Shears
• Sharpening steel
• One cherry finish storage block

There are some very positive, and very negative reviews on the website for this set. I checked the set out on amazon.com (which had it on for $90, but out of stock)  and 2/3 of the reviews on there were positive. The main consensus on Amazon seemed to be that you need to hand-wash these knives. We do that with our Henkels anyway, so I don’t see that being a huge problem. For the price though, this is a huge set – 19 pieces – and Cuisinart is generally a great brand.

To manage a kitchen is a tedious task. You need all the accessories, which are handy to make your task easy. Knife is one of such accessories, which is most important in any kitchen. The knives must have good sharpness. One needs to take proper care of knives. This care can be taken through the varieties of sharpening steels available in the market. These sharpening steel tools can sharpen your knife in seconds while giving it a brightening look.

All the sharpening tools are made up of metal. A knife is rubbed on the surface of the steel sharpener and the edges are sharpened. Its utility is thus, minimized. People, who work for a maximum time in kitchen, require sharp knives for easy cutting of vegetables and fruits.

The best knife sharpening steels in the world have a quality of sharpening edges of any knife. It facilitates to give smooth cutting edges to a knife. This can save a lot of time and energy of a person. With a regular use of best sharpeners, you can maintain a good healthy life of your knives. Any dull knife requires more pressure and is thus, more dangerous than the sharpened knives.

There is a good range of sharpeners that can sharpen your blunt knives. You must also make sure to use branded knife sharpeners, which are durable and guaranteed.

Types of Knife Sharpening Steels:

Global sharpeners: These sharpeners can be used for any kind of knives such as standard, professional, army and hunting knives.

Two Stone Sharpeners: One-angle sharpeners lead to incorrect angle of knives thereby, lowering the sharpening ability of your knives. These sharpeners have two angles to sharpen the knife effectively by keeping them at the right angle.

Electric Sharpeners: These types of sharpeners have two stones that will rotate around the knife. It is the most easiest and automated form of sharpener to sharpen the knives with ease and grace.

Manual Sharpeners: They too have stone grinders. Here, knives are placed in between the two stones and a person has to sharpen the edges of knives manually.

All the best knife sharpening steels have the quality to bring back back the original sharpness of your knife. It is also necessary to do a good research on the quality and types of knife sharpeners available in the market these days, as there are many fake out there. You must choose the product by comparing it with the quality of the other product and its utility too.

Currently, electric knife sharpeners are in huge demands. They are today available in variety of shapes, structures and designs. Be it a small kitchen of your home or a large industry, electric sharpeners have gained intense popularity. Irrespective of manual sharpeners that require more of manual pressure to sharpen your knife, electric knife sharpeners are the best options today.

These are the best sharpening steel tools that can sharpen your knife in second along with maintaining its quality.

Great price for a ridgy-didge Voodoo…the chrome is awesome!!! I’m very tempted…

FWIW, I bought two of the cheapies from 1-day for $24.95 each plus $5.99 shipping…$55.89 total, I’m quite happy with mine, and my friends who went halves in the deal love theirs too!

I know this is gonna sound odd, but I really like the knives…I’ve got some experience with knives (no, I’m not a psychopath…just a one time commercial cook), but they are so light, thin & sharp they are awesome to cut with even if they don’t hold an edge that well…a quick trip across the sharpening steel when they get dull sorts that out though!

Mind you, my favourite cooking knives are the Kiwi brand Chinese cheapies from the asian supermarkets…they come razor sharp, hold that edge for ages, and are cheap as chips so when they get dull you can just turf them without remorse!

[edit] Spewing about the two colours thing…odd they suddenly don’t have the other two!

Paula Deen Knife Set, 14-Piece

• Includes: 8″ Slicer, 6″ Utility, 8″ Chef, 8″ Bread, 3.5″ Parer, Six 5″ Steak Knives, 8″ Sharpening Steel, Kitchen Shears, Acacia Wood Block
• Hardened and tempered high carbon steel with a tapered ground edge is designed for perfect cutting performance. Exceptional control and balance is offered by the full tang
• Smooth, contoured handles are perfectly crafted and shaped to ensure safety and comfort when handling the knives. Handles are nonporous to prevent the growth of odor causing bacteria
• Block is made from sustainable, eco-friendly acacia hardwood. This complete set contains the knives you’ll need for all your kitchen needs
• Lifetime Limited Warranty

Knife Block Set

A good set of knives is just as important as quality cookware. Chefs go crazy over knives, and I can understand why – they become an extension of your hand in the kitchen. My new collection is razor-sharp to get the job done will and fast, and feel comfortable so you won’t get fatigued. I love the storage block from acacia wood, an eco-friendly hardwood that has such a rich, warm grain.

Knife Block Set Rating: