Home & Kitchen · Head-to-head
Messermeister 1200 Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod - 12" vs MAC 8 1/2" White Ceramic Honing Rod (SR-85)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Honing Rods: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
Ceramic sidesteps the whole hardness argument, because it is harder than any kitchen knife steel and so it can realign a 63 HRC Japanese blade and a 56 HRC European one with the same few passes. The Messermeister rod gets the nod over the MAC on length alone: 12 inches of rod covers a 10 inch chef's knife, and 8.5 inches does not.
Messermeister 1200 Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod - 12"
Buy itA 12 inch fine ceramic rod that realigns edges on soft and hard knives alike without grinding them down.
- Ceramic is harder than kitchen knife steel, so it works on European and Japanese blades without the hardness guessing game.
- At 12 inches the rod covers a 10 inch chef's knife in a single stroke.
- Messermeister describes the 1200 grit surface as honing and polishing rather than grinding, which is what you want from a daily rod.
- No angle guide, so you supply the 15 to 20 degrees yourself.
- Ceramic loads up with grey steel swarf and needs an occasional scrub to keep working.
- Drop it on a tile floor and a ceramic rod can break in a way a steel rod will not.
MAC 8 1/2" White Ceramic Honing Rod (SR-85)
Buy itThe same 1200 grit ceramic idea in a shorter, cheaper rod that fits a home kitchen and most home knives.
- MAC states plainly that it hones and does not sharpen, and that it does not replace sharpening, which is the honest framing this category usually avoids.
- The 1200 grit white ceramic polishes the edge smooth rather than scraping it.
- Natural wood handle with a guard, and it costs less than most steel rods.
- At 8.5 inches the rod is shorter than a 10 inch chef's knife, so long blades need two passes per side.
- MAC warns it is fragile and will shatter if it hits a hard surface.
- MAC recommends daily use in a commercial kitchen and only every few weeks at home, so it will feel underused by some buyers.
Side by side
| Messermeister 1200 Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod - 12" | MAC 8 1/2" White Ceramic Honing Rod (SR-85) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | A mixed knife drawer where some blades are German and some are Japanese, and you want one rod for all of them. | Home cooks whose longest knife is an 8 inch chef's knife and who want ceramic without paying for length they will not use. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Messermeister 1200 Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod - 12" - A 12 inch fine ceramic rod that realigns edges on soft and hard knives alike without grinding them down. Choose the MAC 8 1/2" White Ceramic Honing Rod (SR-85) instead if home cooks whose longest knife is an 8 inch chef's knife and who want ceramic without paying for length they will not use.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Honing Rods: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).