ZWILLING Sharpening Steel

Welcome

Thank you for choosing a quality ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS product. You will experience what sharpness really means when you use your knives for the first time. We are especially proud of the fact that our products are often handed down from generation to generation, despite being used every day. This is by far the best proof of their quality.

Instructions for Use

Please read these instructions carefully before using the sharpening steel for the first time to avoid any damage to your knife.

⚠️ Important: The ZWILLING sharpening steels are only suitable for non-coated knives with a smooth cutting edge.

✔️ Suitable for smooth-edged, non-coated knives.

❌ Not suitable for serrated or coated knives.

Always use a high-quality sharpening steel from ZWILLING to sharpen a ZWILLING knife. This is because it is precisely matched to the steel of the blades and guarantees you an optimal result.

Steps:

1. Position the sharpening steel with its tip pointing down on an even surface. Place the clean knife blade against the sharpening steel as shown in the illustration. The angle between the blade and the steel should be approximately 15 degrees. The transition from the handle end to the sharpening steel serves as a guide. For Japanese knives and ZWILLING Santoku knives, the angle should not exceed 10 degrees. Depending on the wear of the cutting edge, sharpening can be performed with less or more pressure.
2. Now draw the knife downwards along the steel in a slight curve. The speed of your movement does not matter.
3. Repeat the process on the other side of the steel to sharpen the blade on both sides.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 five to ten times, always alternating the right and left side of the cutting edge. Check the sharpening success with a cutting test on a piece of paper.

How to Use It:

1. Setting the Angle: Place the sharpening steel tip-down on a flat surface. Position the knife blade against the steel at the correct angle (approximately 15 degrees for standard knives, or 10 degrees for Japanese/Santoku knives). The handle-to-steel transition provides a visual guide for the angle.

2. Sharpening Motion: Draw the knife downwards along the steel in a slight, controlled curve. The speed of this motion is not critical for the outcome.

3. Alternating Sides: Repeat the same downward motion on the opposite side of the sharpening steel to sharpen the other edge of the blade. Continue alternating sides for the recommended number of strokes.

Important Notes

In principle, the sharpening steel should be harder than the blade steel; otherwise, sharpening success cannot be achieved. Our diamond and ceramic sharpening steels are suitable for knives with a blade hardness of up to 67 HRC. Chrome-plated sharpening steels are suitable for knives with a blade hardness of up to 60 HRC. For knives with higher blade hardness, we also recommend gentle sharpening with a sharpening stone (e.g., TWIN Stone Pro and TWIN Finishing Stone Pro).

A sharp knife is safer than a blunt one because you need to apply less pressure when cutting. The blade cuts through material better, and your hand tires less quickly. However, even the best knife can lose its cutting point if it is overly worn, and its sharpness cannot be restored with a sharpening steel alone. In this case, the knife needs to be reground. For this purpose, you can either use our ZWILLING sharpening stones or the ZWILLING sharpening service (if available in your country).

For more tips and information on sharpening your knives, please visit: www.zwilling.com