Usage Trends
Steels have traditionally been used in the West, especially in heavy use scenarios (e.g. butchering, where the edge deforms due to forceful contact with bone.) These scenarios also lead Western trends toward blades tempered to a lower level of hardness (and thus, lower brittleness.) In East Asia, notably Japan, harder knives are preferred, so there is little need for steeling intra-day, as the edge does not deform as much. Instead, the blade is honed as needed on a waterstone. While tradition has kept the practice of steeling alive in Western kitchens, the majority of Honing Steels sold are abrasive rather than smooth, and knives are harder and more frequently made of stainless steel, which does not respond to traditional steeling techniques as well as high-carbon/low alloy tool steels.
Read more about this topic: Honing Steel
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