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WÜSTHOF 10" Sharpening Steel

By WÜSTHOF · Knife Sharpening · Kitchen & Cooking · More from WÜSTHOF

  • 10-inch stainless steel rod
  • Textured black handle with protective guard
  • Made in Germany, SKU 3049700726
  • Hanging ring for storage

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Summary

A 10-inch grooved honing steel from a German cutlery maker, meant to realign a knife edge between sharpenings rather than restore a blunt one. It has no moving parts and no independent test data, so the case for it rests on brand reputation and build.

Strengths

  • The grooved rod is hard chromium plated to 65 Rockwell, so it holds up to regular honing.
  • A textured handle and protective guard give a secure grip.
  • Made in Germany by an established cutlery brand.
  • It has no moving parts and needs only a wipe to maintain.
  • WÜSTHOF also sells diamond and ceramic steels for restoring a genuinely blunt knife, so this one has a clear job.

Weaknesses

  • There is no independent testing of this SKU, and only one manufacturer-site review.
  • No weight or warranty terms are published for it.
  • It realigns an edge but removes no metal, so it will not bring back a dull knife.
  • Seller listings can conflate it with visually similar polished-rod and diamond-coated WÜSTHOF 10-inch steels.

Verified specifications

ModelHoning Steel 26 cm / 10 inch, SKU 3049700726.
Country of originGermany.
Rodstainless steel, grooved.
Rod hardness65 Rockwell, hard chromium plated; alloy tool steel (material no. 2210) with 1.15% carbon, 0.6% chromium and 0.03% vanadium.
Handleblack, textured, with a protective guard and a hanging ring.
Overall length10 inches (26 cm).
Carewipe gently with a damp cloth and towel-dry.
Recommended honing angle14° per side for standard blades, 10° per side for Asian-style knives.
Warrantynot stated on the manufacturer pages found.
Price on the manufacturer US site$60.00.
Full research notes and sources

A honing steel, not a sharpening steel

The grooved rod realigns a tilted edge rather than grinding steel away, so it is a maintenance tool to use between full sharpenings. WÜSTHOF recommends a diamond or ceramic steel when a knife is genuinely blunt, and suggests matching the steel to the hardness of your knives. Ridged rods like this one hone; some makers still sell them labeled as sharpening steels.

How to use it

WÜSTHOF’s UK guide describes the technique: point the steel downward, tilt the knife to 14.5° for standard blades or 10° for Asian-style knives, and draw the blade from heel to tip 6 to 8 times, alternating sides. Rinse the knife afterward to remove steel particles. The US product page gives the honing angle as 14° per side, so the two manufacturer sources differ slightly.

Is it worth it?

At $60 on WÜSTHOF’s US site it sits mid-range for a honing steel, and WÜSTHOF Germany lists its 26 cm steel at €49.90. It is a single-function tool with no moving parts, and with no independent test of this SKU, the case for it rests on brand reputation rather than measured performance. If you want proof of build quality before paying, there is none to find.

Which model this is

This is the WÜSTHOF 10-inch honing steel, SKU 3049700726: a grooved stainless rod, a textured black handle, a protective guard and a hanging ring. WÜSTHOF sells visually similar 10-inch steels — a polished rod (SKU 3049700526), a polished rod with a hanging loop (SKU 3049700626) and a diamond-coated version (SKU 3039705226) — so match the SKU before buying. The Amazon listing for this model is ASIN B00009WDT8.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

  • No independent tests of this SKU were found.

Owner reports:

  • No first-hand owner threads for this model were found.

Community discussions:

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