Sharpening Rods

RODS

An IOXIO® ceramic sharpener is the perfect knife sharpener for sharpening and keeping your kitchen knives sharp.



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sharpening rods

An IOXIO® ceramic sharpening rod is harder than any sharpening steel. The sharpness is created by raising the burr and removing material from the blade.
An IOXIO® sharpening rod is made of sintered ceramic. It combines the hardness of the sharpening stone with the shape of the conventional sharpening steel. The difference compared to a sharpening steel (made of steel) is that with a ceramic sharpening rod you rub off material from the blade ("material abrasion"), which is why the knife edge is reshaped and ground. Since ceramic is much harder than any knife made of steel, the ceramic rod hardly wears out when sharpened.

Extra tip: The larger the knife, the longer the sharpening steel. For large chef's knives, use an extra-long sharpening steel with a working length of at least 26.00 cm.

FAQ - Ceramic sharpening rod

How to clean a ceramic sharpening rod?
A ceramic sharpening rod is best cleaned with a damp eraser sponge and soap. Alternatively, a damp sponge can also be used. The metal abrasion marks on the ceramic sharpening rod are not bad. They show the function of the rod. The softer the knife, the more abrasion occurs.

What is the correct sharpening angle for kitchen knives?

It depends on your knife. The sharpening angle for chef's and kitchen knives is between 10 and 20 degrees. For modern kitchen knives we recommend a sharpening angle of 15 degrees.

Why are sharpening rods colored?

The color indicates the grain size of the sharpening rod and is used for visual differentiation. It is a visual distinguishing feature to quickly find the right rod and serves the better undercutting

  • Blue Ceramic has F360/J800) is for sharpening dull knives
  • White Ceramic (F1000/J3000) is for resharpening and keeping sharp
  • The Duo sharpening rod is a combination of blue and white ceramic (patent holder is Udo Rieser)
  • Light blue ceramic with grainsize F1300/4200 are for sharpening extremely hard knives
  • Cream white is even finer than F1300/4200 and perfect for daily use in professional kitchens. Cooks choose this sharpening rod.

How long do ceramic sharpening rods last?
With normal use, a ceramic sharpening rod will last a lifetime - if it doesn't fall off.
IOXIO ceramic sharpening rods are not coated, but consist of solid material. The grain is added to the raw mass and then compacted at high temperature, which is why wear of the rod is almost impossible.
Our sharpening rods are durable and qualitative products.

Sharpening rod or sharpening steel?

Sharpening rods are originally made of steel. A sharpening rod can be made of any material. The important thing is that a sharpening rod as well as the grain is harder than the knife to be sharpened.

Remember:
A sharpening steel is for keeping sharp. A ceramic sharpening rod is for sharpening.

How to sharpen knives correct?

To achieve a sharp result, it is important that you use your ceramic sharpening rod correctly.

  • Knife sharpening with ceramic shrapening rodHow to use a ceramic sharpening rodTo do this, place the end of the blade at the tip of the IOXIO ceramic sharpening rod. Make sure that the angle between the knife blade and the IOXIO ceramic sharpening rod should always be approx. 10 to 20 degrees. This value depends on the initial sharpening of your knife.
  • Pull the knife in a slight arc on the IOXIO ceramic sharpening rod down.
  • Starting from the end of the blade to the beginning of the knife blade.
    The speed of your movement does not matter here, the angle of 10 to 20 degrees is important. Please take your time when sharpening and consciously pull the blade over the sharpening rod.
  • Repeat this movement behind the ceramic to sharpen the other side of the knife blade.
  • Repeat Steps 2 and 3 a few times, alternating sharpening the front and back sides of the knife blade.
  • Afterwards, clean the blade with a soft damp cloth to remove steel residue caused by honing on the rod.

Which sharpening steel do cooks use?
Professional chefs prefer fine sharpening rods with grits from F1000/J3000 to polishing sharpening rods. Chefs depend on sharp knife blades. They usually sharpen their chef's knives several times a day to maintain sharpness. Sharpening rods without added grit are ideal to maintain the degree of the blade in daily use.

Round or oval sharpening rod?
With oval sharpening rods, you can better control the pressure point by turning the sharpening rod. With the sharper side, you can apply more force to the knife blade. The oval shape of the oxide ceramic allows additional variation of the sharpening pressure by simply rotating the rod. The wide face of the oval grinding surface exerts less pressure on the blade than the narrow grinding surface.
Advantage of oval sharpening rods: With the wider grinding surface succeeds a more uniform grinding pattern on the blade. For regular honing, we recommend blue ceramic. The white rod is ideal for fine honing. The use is safe even for inexperienced cooks due to a metal protection toggle.
Oval ceramic sharpening rod
Round ceramic sharpening rod blue

Grinding angle and cutting angle
The cutting angle is twice the grinding angle. For most kitchen knives, the grinding angle is between 15 and 20 degrees, or a cutting angle of 30 and 40 degrees.
Original Ceramic - Made in European Union
Original Ceramic Made in European Union

At IOXIO®, development, manufacturing and production are all done from a single source and from the heart of Europe. Regional manufacturing allows us to provide a more personalised service at all stages of production.

All raw materials used in the manufacture of IOXIO® products are REACH compliant, certified and sourced exclusively from distributors based in the EU.  

Made in the EU also means shorter transport routes and climate-friendly shipping.

Which sharpening rod is the right one?

Choosing the right sharpening steel

When choosing a sharpening rod, the grit should be taken into account. The higher the grit number, the finer the sharpening rod. We at IOXIO® distinguish the grits by different colours.

All grains at a glance

Grinding dull knives

IOXIO® Sharpening Rod Blue

Grit: F360/J800
normal/coarse

Regular re-sharpening, fine grinding, Damascus, carbon steel and Japanese knives

IOXIO® Sharpening Rod White

Grit: F1000/J3000
fine

Japanese knives, damask steel knives, carbon steel knives, fine grinding

IOXIO® Sharpening Rod Ultrafine

Grit size: F1300/J4200
very fine

Japanese knives, Damascus steel knives, Carbon steel knives, Fine grinding, Knife lovers

IOXIO® Sharpening Rod Origin

Grain size: None - pure Al2O3
Professional use

Sharpening steel or sharpening rod?

The classic sharpening steel or sharpening rod straightens the burr on the blade and is used by professional and amateur chefs to maintain sharpness. Especially knife blades made of chrome-molybdenum-vanadium steel or stainless steel wear out more quickly and become dull. You can keep your knife sharp for longer by sharpening it briefly with a sharpening rod before or after each use. The aim is to straighten the burr again to keep your knife sharp.
Quality and sustainability - IOXIO® ceramic sharpening rod
IOXIO® ceramic sharpening rods are made of solid material. Their abrasive surface is part of the rod and it is not coated, as is the case with a sharpening rod. Coatings wear off with use over time. With ceramic sharpening rods, on the other hand, the abrasive grain is added to the raw material and then compacted at high temperature. This makes it almost impossible for the sintered ceramic to wear out. Our all-ceramic sharpening steels are more durable than grinding rods.

IOXIO® Sharp Guide - Sharpening aid for rods

Do you need help with the correct sharpening with a sharpening stick?
Then try our "Sharp Guide" sharpening aid. It helps you sharpen your knives and protects the blade from unintentional scratches caused by misuse.

Sharpening aid Sharp Guide for cutting angle 30° sharpening 15°

Sharp guide for sharpening steels: Sharp Guide

The simple solution for learning or improving the perfect sharpening with a sharpening steel.

    Constant angle between blade and sharpening rod when sharpening.
    Protects your steel knife blade from scratches caused by incorrect use
    Perfect addition for inexperienced and unsure cooks

Fits round sharpening rods with a diameter of 13.5mm and 14mm and knife blades up to 3mm thick
Which sharpening aids are available?

  •     Sharp Guide 30° for knives with a cutting angle of 30° (grinding angle 15°)
  •     Sharp Guide 35° for knives with a cutting angle of 35° (grinding angle 17.5°)
  •     Sharp Guide 40° for knives with a cutting angle of 40° (grinding angle 20°)