Made from a solid rod of chrome vanadium stainless steel and embedded with a matrix of fine industrial diamonds, this unusual honing steel was developed for the Global knives manufactured by Yoshikin of Japan. Global recommends sharpening with their series of ceramic powder stones, an improvement over the Japanese waterstone method. The thin sharp blades of Global knives don't fare well when honed with the usual sharpening steel. The cutting edge could be chipped rather than reset.

The diamond steel makes this old and very convenient approach to edge maintenance appropriate for fine Global cutlery. The flattened oval applies more of the diamond grit to the knife edge, shaping by steel removal rather than resetting. The action is like a fine grit whetstone without the mess.

Use some caution. If you work with this hone too aggressively, the same old chipping problems could result. The hone also needs some breaking it before it will do its finest work. In a diamond abrasive, the new stone or steel contains many diamond crystals set just above the level of the intended abrasive surface. That makes the first few uses fast but rougher than expected. Using the hone on cheaper knives will remove that top layer of crystals, leaving a flatter abrasive that polishes more and grinds less.

Steel particles could build up on the diamond matrix and clog the grit, but regular rinsing after use will keep the Global 10-Inch Diamond Sharpening Steel free of problems.

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