In article >,
"osmium" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" writes:
>
> > It was on sale for $60. We also got him
> > a Wusthof steel ($10 for the 7"), and a couple paring knives (a birds
> > beak and a 'regular' one) [ ..]
>
> I would recommend a diamond "steel" for a beginner. It is actually a grind
> stone with a grit of about 600 or 800.
>
> I loved your description in an earlier post, Melba, of "whatever a steel
> does" or words to that effect.
>
> As a teenager I worked in a packing house and the knives those guys (not us
> kids) used were *sharp*. I would like to know what their steel looks like.
> Is it smooth or does it have grooves on it in some pattern or other?
>
> I wouldn't expect to buy a diamond steel for $10, though.

It is not a diamond steel. My Man Ken didn't recommend it for a
beginner.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007