Smiths 3001 Diamond Sharpening Stone for 10 Inch Blades Review

Wow, I was impressed. This steel is very easy to handle and forgiving. I wouldn't recommend the shorter version and actually wish it was longer. I use it for kitchen and utility knives. It's pretty rough compared to other steels and picks up a decent amount of metal. I actually prefer it that way. The jagged edge is still very sharp and creates a sort of jagged effect when cutting food. I'm really amazed at its durability and how many uses it will have from its grinding surface. However, I find

Excellent purchase. Now I can sharpen my kitchen knives without having to pull out my old whetstone. I'm not sure the edge will stay sharp for very long as it's so easy to touch up quickly. It is recommended to put the end on a non-slip surface, otherwise it will slip off and you may hurt yourself. Just about 5-6 hits on each side at an angle less than 33 degrees and my knives stay sharp. Of course, this happens after fixing the edge of the blade with a whetstone. I don't think it's meant to…

On the whole, this diamond steel is a very good deal, but. at 800 grit it is too coarse for a razor sharp edge. Diamond stones cut incredibly fast which is great for restoring an edge to very dull stainless steel knives. (Diamond stones are overkill for soft (carbon) blades.) However, 800 grit stones leave behind a lot of roughness, or "teeth," and cutting feels like sawing. A sharpener that works quickly often removes more metal than necessary, shortening the life of your blades. To give you…