Smith’s 3001 10” Oval Diamond Sharpening Steel Rod – Grey – Oval Design – Rubber Grip Handle – Plastic Sharpening Tip

This is my second time purchasing the Smith’s 10” Oval Diamond Sharpening Rod—I bought my first one back in 2019 and it lasted me all these years with regular use. It keeps my knives razor-sharp with minimal effort, and the oval shape gives great contact on the blade. The grip is comfortable, and it feels solid and well-made. I didn’t hesitate to buy it again—worth every penny!

We have been using our Smith's hone for eight (8!) years, and still love it--honed regularly, our beat-up 50+ year-old kitchen knife still cuts like a razor! We've purchased this for friends we've visited who had knives that were difficult--and dangerous--to use, due to a dull edge. Several households had those long round grooved-type hones in their knife-blocks that took forever to get much of an improvement in sharpness. When we bought this hone, we would never go back to that. It has stayed effective and useful for the duration of time we've owned it--it's easy and quick to use, and is easy to maintain--you just use a damp cloth to rub the tiny particles from the rod, and dry it off. That's it. We much prefer it to whetstones, etc. which are harder (and riskier) to use.

Every kitchen knife in my wife's arsenal is now dangerously sharp if handled wrong. We had some very old knives in their original wooden storage block hidden away for at least 15 years in the back of the cabinet because they were worthlessly dull but didn't want to throw away. I start the sharpening process with the Smith's 10" Diamond Sharpening Steel or my Dexter 12" Diamond Sharpening Steel. Normally, I use the Smith's and the Dexter in conjunction with each other. Then, several swipes using a smooth 12" Butchers Steel and lastly I finish the process with a 12" Ceramic Sharpening Rod. I always do a paper cutting test and then I go back to the ceramic rod and/or the smooth butchers steel to undo any dulling of the knife caused by the paper cutting test. Those hidden old knives are no longer hidden. They are now part of her repertoire. None of her knives are what a real Chef would consider worth having. But, for my wife, they cut anything she throws at it with absolute ease. I'm really a rookie when it comes to knife sharpening and some of my sharpening methods may be on the side of overkill or perhaps out of sequence to a real pro. But make no bones about it, this much I do know, the Smith's 10" flat Diamond Sharpening Steel is well made and does the job perfectly. If I can get all the knives we have honed to such a sharp condition, you can too.

In the great scheme of things, this diamond steel is a Very Good Deal, but... at 800 grit, it's much too coarse for making a razor-sharp edge. Diamond stones cut incredibly fast, which is great for reestablishing an edge on very dull stainless knives. (Diamond stones are overkill for soft (carbon-steel) blades.) However, 800-grit stones leave a lot of roughness, or "tooth," and cutting feels like sawing. A sharpener that works quickly will often remove more metal than necessary, reducing the life of your blades. To give a sense of what a sharp edge requires, I have an 8000-grit water stone for polishing.

As a chef, I have never found a more powerful honing rod. Honing rods are not traditionally meant for sharpening, but this thing is so tough and course that you can actually put a quick new edge on your blade in a few swipes. It is a little strange to use and if you don't have the muscle memory built up for a honing rod already, it might not seem like it is working right, but trust me, this thing is insanely effective. Keep in mind you might want to keep a standard ceramic honing rod around as well to finish up with and smooth out your edge, because it is so coarse and diveted. Definitely NOT FOR BEGINNER COOKS, but not that hard to figure out with a little hands-on demo

I always had this thing with regard to my knives. They had to be very sharp. I had a sharpener similar to this one. It was completely worn out. The quality of this Smith's sharpener is perfect. It might cost more than the competition, but I believe in good quality. "Ya, get what ya pay for". You can sharpen every knife and even more like Exacto modeling blades restoring their sharpness.

The length and handle on the sharpener are incredible. It has a webbed diamond blade structure. The only major gripe I have with it, is it got dull way too quick. I found a work around, i bought a tube of diamond paste and I spread it on my finger. Even though I shouldn't have to do that, I'm keeping this sharpener just for the ergonomics and handle alone.

Great knife sharpener. My husband uses it often