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KYOCERA Dual-Sided Ceramic Sharpening Rod – For Steel Knives & Scissors

KYOCERA Dual-Sided Ceramic Sharpening Rod – For Steel Knives & Scissors

By KYOCERA · Knife Sharpening · Kitchen & Cooking

  • 9 in ceramic sharpening rod, 13.75 in overall length
  • Dual-sided: ribbed side for sharpening, smooth side for honing
  • Advanced ceramic (aluminum oxide) close in hardness to diamond
  • Weight 0.32 lb
  • Made in Japan

Price not listed

New
Used, refurbished, open-box

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Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A dual-sided ceramic rod for steel knives and scissors: a ribbed side sharpens, a smooth side hones, and there is nothing to plug in or replace. Check the overall length before you buy, because Kyocera’s own spec table and retailer listings disagree on it.

Strengths

  • Two surfaces in one tool: ribbed to sharpen, smooth to hone and finish.
  • Food Network’s 2022 sharpener test chose it as its honing-rod recommendation.
  • Photo instructions cover sharpening at 20-25 degrees and honing at 15-20 degrees, which helps beginners.
  • Light at 0.32 lb and easy to grip.
  • Made in Japan with no power and no consumables, so there is nothing to maintain.
  • The compact 9-inch rod fits standard knife blocks that longer rods do not.

Weaknesses

  • The ribbed side removes metal, so this is a sharpener on one side, not a pure honing steel.
  • One roundup reports that some users find it too aggressive for true honing.
  • It cannot be used on ceramic knives.
  • Kyocera publishes no grit rating, so you cannot compare fineness numerically.
  • No hanging loop or magnetic mount; it stores flat.
  • The warranty is one year, and coverage excludes accidental damage and normal wear.

Verified specifications

ModelCSW-18-BK, the 9-inch rod Kyocera sells in the US.
Rod length9 in.
Overall length16.3 in per Kyocera’s US spec table; one retailer and the product listing say 13.75 in.
Weight0.32 lb.
Materialspolypropylene resin handle and an aluminum oxide ceramic rod.
Made inJapan.
Two sidesa ribbed side for sharpening dull steel and a smooth side for honing to finish.
Intended forsteel knives, scissors and other steel cutting tools, including titanium-based steel; not for ceramic knives.
CareKyocera calls the rod rust-proof, lightweight and easy to clean.
GritKyocera publishes no grit rating for either surface.
DimensionsKyocera lists 16.3 × 3.6 × 1.2 in; the width and height read as packaging, since the rod itself is far narrower.
Full research notes and sources

What it does

The ribbed side removes metal to bring back a dull steel edge, and the smooth side hones and finishes it. Kyocera instructs using the ribbed side first for dull blades, then the smooth side. It works on steel knives, scissors and other steel cutting tools, including titanium-based steel, and not on ceramic knives.

Food Network’s 2022 test liked the two-texture design, found the photo instructions (sharpening 20-25 degrees, honing 15-20 degrees) beginner-friendly, and reported a full sharpening plus hone took a couple of minutes; afterwards the knife sliced a tomato easily. Independent testing is thin beyond that: no coverage from RTINGS, Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, CNET, PCMag, Serious Eats, America’s Test Kitchen or Cook’s Illustrated was found.

Running costs and upkeep

There is nothing to plug in, no parts and no consumables. Hand-wash with warm soapy water; Kyocera calls the rod rust-proof, lightweight and easy to clean, and one roundup suggests a magic eraser for steel residue on the white ceramic. A broken rod is replaced, not repaired, because there are no serviceable parts and ceramic is brittle, so dropping it is the real risk.

Owner discussion is sparse. One 2017 r/BuyItForLife owner endorsed the rod for steel knives, and no complaint patterns surfaced anywhere.

Kyocera’s official store lists the rod at $28.00 (2026-10-19). KitchenCookStore lists $23.99, marked down from $29.99, on a page dated 2026-09-15, and a Miller Marketing snapshot from 2020-08-31 shows $18.00, useful only as historical context.

Below $20 it would be a strong budget find if you see it new. Between $21 and $28 it is reasonable: a dual-purpose tool made in Japan with no recurring costs. Above $28 there is little evidence that it beats longer or angle-guided ceramic rods.

Is it worth it?

For a steel-knife owner who wants one compact tool to sharpen and hone without power or subscriptions, it is a defensible buy around $24-28. The case rests on the dual-sided design, the beginner angle instructions and the Japan build; the caveats are the missing grit spec, the aggressiveness reports, the one-year warranty and the thin independent testing. If you want a labeled abrasive or measured angle guidance, look for a rod that publishes its grit.

Which model this is

This page covers the KYOCERA 9" Ceramic Sharpening Rod for Steel Knives, US SKU CSW-18-BK. Kyocera’s Asia-Pacific site sells related rods, the 8-inch CSW-18 and the 6-inch CSW-12, which are siblings rather than this product.

The ASIN for this listing is B000KKLZ68. Do not confuse the rod with Kyocera’s ceramic knives, which it cannot sharpen.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

Buying guides for this category

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