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Kermit Perlmutter wrote: "I have never seen a truly smooth knife steel. 
Anyone have a photo? I love older steels for their fine teeth."

For my money there is but one steel: F. DICK. Ask any butcher you know who 
made his steel."

Tom Conroy
Berkeley

I don't post often, I read a lot, but  for this I just have to chime in.

I have two steels that do the majority of my Knife edge maintenance, along 
with one tool that will no doubt make some shudder, an ACCU-SHARP.
I do have a TON of other sharpening tools wet grinders, stones (Both oil and 
water), ceramics (Rods and stones.), Norton tri hone, Lansky's, leather 
strops, flat steel an granite plates, etc.

All do great work, but these days it's mostly the FINE-CUT F. Dick 12' long 
flattened oval steel, if I've gotten lax , some passes down the REGULAR CUT 
steel first will usually restore my edge.
But if I've been very lazy and don't pay sufficient attention when steeling 
my edge and let my edge bevels erode away I restore a bevel on my knife with 
the ACCU-sharp before going to the two steels.

Yes the ACCU-Sharp is a rough tool and I try to avoid it, but if my bevel is 
gone I no longer spend a lot of time restoring it, I rough it in and then 
smooth things up with my steels.

The knives cut fine afterward. And at least for a while after that treatment 
I pay more attention to my steeling on my knives.