To the OP - the reason you never found the sharpening steel very effective is because a steel does not sharpen, it hones; there's a difference, and its simple and important to remember. Basically, the edge of a knife is very very thin. German knives, in particular, use *relatively* soft metal in their blades (compared to modern Japanese knives, especially). Just in normal use, the edge deforms on a microscopic level, interfering with cutting ability...when you hone using a steel, you are essentially bending the edge back into shape. You are not, however, removing any metal at all. You should hone often. Doing it everytime you start a job is not too often. If you do this, you will maintain your initial sharpness much much longer. Note that on many of the manual pull-through systems, and some electric, the "final" sharpening level is actually a honing level, so you can use that instead. Note also that "diamond steels" are a different beast entirely; they are much more abrasive, and are best treated as true sharpeners. Regardless of how often and religiously you hone, however, at a certain point the edge will still get dull...and at that point, you need to sharpen by actually removing some metal to reshape and sharpen the edge. To do this, you need something more abrasive than a steel - a diamond rod, ceramic rods, stones, a mechanical sharpener, etc. Practically speaking, this is something you probably only *have* to do once or maybe twice a year. Learning to use sharpening stones is relatively easy, and they can be relatively affordable, but it does take some commitment and a bit of practice to be able to hold the correct angle. The systems like the the EdgePro and Wicked Edge get you the same results consistently without requiring as much user skill/commitment, but they are a bit expensive initially. For a cheaper option that still requires less commitment/skill than flat stones, and is very well reviewed, you might look at the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker. Note, however, that all of these methods take a while to use - they aren't a quick 5 minute task. The electric sharpeners are quicker and have almost no learning curve. The downside is they are harder on your knives (removing more metal more quickly), and the edges they produce are serviceable but not at the same level a skilled manual sharpener can achieve. For many people, the tradeoff is worth it. Do you live close to a Williams Sonoma? I believe they are currently offering to sharpen one knife free, with an electric sharpener (Chef's Choice, I think) on Saturdays. I would recommend you take one in to them and get a hand's on demonstration, and then you will have an actual edge on your own knife to test with. If possible, I would also take another of your knives to a good professional hand sharpener (will probably cost between $1 an $2 per inch). Then, I would see whether the difference is worth it, to you. I'd also second the recommendation for the "An Edge in the Kitchen" book. There is also a book you can get a Sur la Table called "Knives Cooks Love" which is a good overview and is currently on sale for $4.99.

Sharpening a santuko is no different from sharpening a regular knife. The angle might be a little different, but that is minor. Finer angles make a knife sharper, but less durabe, as there is less metal supporting the edge. Sharpening angles are therefore always a compromise between sharpness and durability. All non-ceramic knives should be steeled frequently. All steeling does is restore the bent portions of an edge. It does not remove metal. Myself, I use a plain steel, one without any texture at all. With kullenschiffs (the 'dimples' on many santukos and slicers), you have to understand that once enough metal is removed that the kullenschiffs reach the cutting edge, the knife can no longer be used. The metal in the kullens is so thin that now that it is no longer supported by thicker steel on all sides it may break off in food and possibly injure your diners.

I've never been a fan of any of the draw-through systems. This one seems as good as any, I suppose but I guess I'm kinda 'old school' in that I think the sharpening motion should be like slicing a very thin layer off the sharpener. I have used a Lansky, it's very good and the Syderco sharpener does serrated edges like nobody's business. Even just a regular stone works great for any kitchen knife I own. Ken

Vickie, the pictures really don't do it justice. It looks awesome in person. CeltinNE - the smoked salmon is pretty straightforward. I brine overnight in a mixture of water, salt, sugar, molasses, oregano, and tarragon. I warm-smoke it for about 4 hours at around 200F. Although to be honest it's been a while since I've done it, so I forget the exact temperature. The sauce is a simple balsamic reduction. I use maybe 1/2 cup of balsamic, add brown sugar and apples (sometimes figs when they're in season), and reduce by about 66%. Sometimes I'll add a bit of butter at the end. Sometimes I'll also brush the finished salmon with truffle oil if I'm in the mood. Oddly enough I find farmed atlantic salmon to be better for this than wild salmon, as the texture holds up a bit better. Try both and see which you prefer. This is a good accompaniment. I oven-toast the bread, brush with truffle oil, sprinkle a touch of sea salt, and add balsamic cream.