How to Look After the SEIDO Cookware Honing Steel
Published 27 February 2026 · Updated 12 October 2026
Look after a honing steel by wiping the rod with a damp cloth after each use, drying the rod and handle straight away and storing it where the rod cannot knock against other tools. Check the rod and handle now and then. The SEIDO Cookware honing steel carries a 5-Year Limited Warranty.
The SEIDO Cookware honing steel has a 20 cm (8 in) rod on a riveted handle, with a guard at the base of the rod. This card covers everyday cleaning, drying and storage, a quick check of the rod and handle, and how the warranty works.
How do you clean a honing steel after use?
Each stroke of a knife along the rod can leave fine metal dust and traces of food behind. Hold the steel by its handle, with your hand behind the guard, and wipe the rod from the guard towards the tip with a damp cloth; a drop of washing-up liquid on the cloth lifts anything greasy. Finish with a cloth rinsed in clean water.
Give the handle and the guard a wipe too, where hands and food leave their mark. There is no need to soak the steel: a damp cloth is all it needs.
How do you dry and store it?
Dry the rod, the guard and the handle with a towel straight away, before the steel goes back in the drawer or the block.
Store it somewhere dry, where the rod cannot knock against other metal tools: the steel slot of a knife block, or a drawer space of its own. Knocks and drops can damage the rod. Keeping the steel beside the knives it looks after also keeps honing a quick habit.
How do you check a honing steel?
Every so often, look along the rod in good light. It should be straight and clean, with no nicks, bends or build-up; run a cloth along it rather than a fingertip.
Check that the handle sits firmly on the rod, the rivets are flush and the guard is sound. A steel that has been dropped is worth checking before you next use it.
Honing steel care at a glance
Five habits keep the honing steel in good order:
- After each use: wipe the rod with a damp cloth, from the guard to the tip
- Then: dry the rod, the guard and the handle straight away
- Storage: dry, and away from other metal tools — the steel slot of a knife block, or a drawer space of its own
- Now and then: check that the rod is straight and clean and the handle is firm
- Always: hold it by the handle, with your hand behind the guard
What does the warranty cover?
The SEIDO Cookware honing steel carries a 5-Year Limited Warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal home use, for five years from the date of purchase. Normal wear, and damage from drops or misuse, are not covered.
To claim, email customerservice@seidocookware.co.uk with your Amazon order number and photos of the issue.
Keeping a knife edge in line is what our honing steel is built for.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you clean a honing steel?
- Wipe the rod from the guard towards the tip with a damp cloth after each use, with a drop of washing-up liquid if it is greasy, then wipe it again with a cloth rinsed in clean water. Dry the rod, guard and handle straight away, and store the steel where the rod cannot knock against other tools.
- Why wipe a honing steel after every use?
- Honing can leave fine metal dust and traces of food on the rod. Wiping them off after each use keeps the rod clean for the next knife and stops residue building up on the rod, the guard and the handle.
- How should you store a honing steel?
- Somewhere dry, where the rod cannot knock against other metal tools: the steel slot of a knife block, or a drawer space of its own. Keep it near the knives it looks after, so honing stays a quick habit.
- Is the SEIDO Cookware honing steel covered by a warranty?
- Yes. The SEIDO Cookware 20 cm Honing Steel carries a 5-Year Limited Warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal home use. Normal wear, and damage from drops or misuse, are not covered. To claim, email customerservice@seidocookware.co.uk with your Amazon order number and photos of the issue.
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SEIDO 20 cm Honing Steel
See the honing steel