This Tool Makes Your Knives Feel Like New—No Sharpening Required

30.12.2025 06:12

Grindtv.com

Regularly sharpening your kitchen knives, pocket knives, and multitools is essential for both accuracy and control. A sharp blade can slice through tough surfaces without slipping, making it much safer to use than a dull blade.

However, blades do not always need to be sharpened. That’s where a honing steel comes into play. A honing steel doesn’t typically remove material from the knife like a sharpener does. It realigns the microscopic edge, eliminating slightly bent or folded over edges, so that the blade can cut more accurately. Using a honing rod is a great way to keep knives in good shape between true sharpening sessions with a tool like a whetstone. Use this guide to learn how to use a honing steel and properly hone a knife.

What a Honing Steel Does (and Doesn’t Do)

Understanding the difference between using a honing steel vs sharpening is essential for knife and blade maintenance. “A honing steel is a rod used to realign the microscopic edge of a knife blade. During normal use, a knife’s edge doesn’t immediately become dull, rather, the very thin cutting edge of the knife starts to bend slightly to one side. Honing straightens that edge back into alignment,” explains Bill Joseph, founder of Frontier Blades.

A honing rod is essentially a maintenance tool to be used between sharpenings to help maintain the current sharpness of the blade, allowing you to extend the life of the knife by reducing how often you need to sharpen it. However, a honing rod does not replace a sharpener because it cannot be used to remove any significant amount of metal from the knife to sharpen it or fix chips. For this, you need a whetstone or a similar sharpener.

When to Use a Honing Steel

Signs Your Knife Needs Honing

There are a few signs to watch out for that indicate the edge of your blade may be bent or misaligned and requires honing. “Your knife needs honing if it feels like the knife is dragging rather than slicing. For instance, when cutting vegetables like tomatoes, if you feel the knife start to 'skate' on the tomato skin rather than biting into it, the edge is likely just rolled, and a quick hone will fix this,” says Joseph.

Additionally, if the blade has an inconsistent feel, like you can move the blade through the target material, but it doesn’t seem to be cutting cleanly, this can be a sign that the knife needs honing. Similarly, the frequency of use is an indicator of when honing is required. When you use a knife regularly, the edge can bend from hitting cutting boards or other hard surfaces, so ideally you should hone the blade before or after each use, especially if you use that particular knife a lot.

Anyone who wants to preserve the life of their knives should have a honing steel and learn how to use it between knife-sharpening sessions.

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When Honing Won’t Fix the Problem

If you are wondering why honing doesn’t sharpen, the answer is simple: Sharpening removes material from the blade to create a new edge, but honing only realigns or moderately polishes the edge. It’s a simple maintenance process that helps to reduce the amount you need to sharpen the blade, but it doesn’t replace the sharpening process.

Joseph notes that “if you’ve honed the knife yet it continues to slide off the tomato skin without cutting it, or if you can see visible light reflecting off the edge of the blade (indicating a rounded edge rather than a sharp edge), honing won’t help. In this scenario, you will need to remove metal through sharpening. In other words, if honing doesn’t restore the performance of the knife, then the knife needs to be sharpened.”

Generally, if you have honed the blade, but the knife still crushes or slips on soft items, rather than cutting, then sharpening is the best option. Similarly, if you are testing the blade on paper and it tears or catches, then the blade likely requires sharpening. Also, if the edge of the blade looks uneven or damaged, then honing won’t be able to fix the issue, so you will need to sharpen the blade to remove the damaged material and create a new edge.

Types of Honing Steels

Traditional Steel Rods

Typically used for daily maintenance, a steel honing rod is made of hardened steel, which can also sometimes be chromium-plated. “This is the most common type of honing steel. Stainless honing steels have ridges which physically grab the edge to straighten it, without removing much metal,” says Joseph.

Ceramic Honing Rods

Knowing the difference between ceramic vs steel honing rods will help when you are deciding on the best option for your kitchen. Ceramic honing rods are finer and harder, allowing them to both realign the edge and remove a small amount of metal for a polished finish. “As a result, ceramic provides a slightly sharper finish compared to stainless steel. It is versatile, and can be used for both softer Western and harder Japanese knives,” mentions Joseph.

Diamond-Coated Rods

It’s not often recommended to use a diamond-coated honing rod because these tools are extremely abrasive. Joseph explains that “diamond honing rods are coated in diamond dust and actually remove the metal quickly. This can be useful for dull knives, but can also wear blades faster if used too often, and is therefore not recommended for daily maintenance.”

Knife Basics You Need Before Honing

Blade Edge Anatomy

It’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of the anatomy of a knife before you start honing the blade.

Spine: The unsharpened top of the blade.
Edge: The sharpened bottom of the blade.
Tip: The point of the blade.
Belly: The curved arc of the cutting edge.
Heel: The back of the blade near the handle.
Bevels: The angled surface that tapers down to form the edge.
Primary Bevel: The main grind creating the edge's initial angle. Secondary Bevel: An additional angle, often added for a finer edge.
Single Bevel: One side is ground, common in Japanese knives.
Double Bevel (or Compound): Symmetrical angles on both sides, standard in Western knives.

Finding the Correct Honing Angle

Finding the correct honing angle for knives generally involves matching the position of the honing rod to the type of knife. For instance, Japanese knives are often honed at a 10 to 15 degree angle, while Western knives are honed at a 15 to 25 degree angle. Additionally, hunting knives or EDC knives should be honed at about a 25 to 30 degree angle, while heavy-duty blades, like cleavers or machetes, should be honed at around 30 to 35 degrees.

You can fold paper to find sharpening angles and create easy guides for how to set your blade on the rod, with 22.5 degrees being a great starting point for many knives. Fold a standard sheet in half diagonally to get a 45-degree angle, then in half diagonally again for a 22.5-degree angle, and a third time to get an 11.25-degree angle. Use these folds as visual cues to get your hand position and blade angle correct before you start honing.

Western vs Japanese Knife Considerations

There are certain differences that you need to pay attention to when you are honing your knives, especially between Western and Japanese blades. “Western knives are more flexible as they are typically constructed from softer steel (HRC 56-58). These knives have edges which roll more easily, and can therefore benefit from frequent honing. On the other hand, Japanese knives are made with harder and more brittle steel (HRC 60+). Their edges tend to chip rather than roll, and thus, they require less frequent honing,” notes Joseph.

Additionally, Western knives are typically honed at a 15 to 25 degree angle per side, while you should hone a Japanese blade at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees. Also, traditional Japanese knives tend to be single-bevel tools, so you should not hone on both sides of the blade when maintaining these knives.

How to Use a Honing Rod

Choose a Safe Honing Method

Before you start honing the blade, decide on whether you will use the freehand, braced/body-braced, or bench/vertical honing method.

Freehand: Holding the steel vertically or angled, sweeping the knife edge from heel to tip at a consistent 15-20° angle, cutting into the steel.
Braced/Body-Braced: Bracing the steel's tip on a surface (or your body) and sweeping the knife down and away from the handle.
Bench/Vertical: Placing the steel tip on a non-slip surface and drawing the knife down, which is often easier for beginners.

Set the Correct Angle

Take some time to get the correct angle to ensure that you are properly honing the edge of the blade. “Place the tip of the honing rod vertically on a cutting board while holding the handle up, then place the heel of the knife blade against the top of the rod. Tilt the knife to your target angle (approximately 15 to 25 degrees),” explains Joseph. Imagine 90 degrees (straight up and down), halve it to 45 degrees, then halve that to get around 22.5 degrees, and come in slightly from there.

Hone Each Side Evenly (for Western Knives)

Starting at the heel of the blade, gently draw the knife down the steel in a slight arc, as if slicing it, maintaining that consistent angle. Ensure you move from the heel to the tip, using the entire length of the steel. Repeat the motion on the other side of the blade. Make four to eight strokes on each side, alternating sides each time, until the knife feels sharp and responsive.

Use Light, Controlled Pressure

With light pressure, draw the blade down the length of the steel, sweeping from heel to tip, as if taking a thin slice off the steel. Use light, consistent pressure, enough to feel the blade working but not so much that you damage the edge.

Wipe and Test the Blade

After honing, the steel can leave behind tiny metal shavings (a black residue). Wipe the blade gently with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel to remove this residue. Hold a sheet of paper by the edge and try to slice it downward cleanly. A truly sharp knife will slice through the paper smoothly without tearing or catching. Alternatively, you can slice through a ripe tomato or grapes. If the blade slices cleanly, rather than crushing or tearing, then it is sharp enough for use.

Common Honing Steel Mistakes

Using Too Much Force

Heavy force bends the edge further or removes too much metal, creating a dull, rounded edge. Joseph says that “when honing, you only need to use the weight of the knife. Pressing too hard can roll the edge in the opposite direction and can further damage it.”

Honing Too Often

Honing too frequently or aggressively can round the edge and wear down the blade unnecessarily. Also, Joseph mentions that “if the knife shows signs of wear and is truly dull, it will require sharpening rather than honing.” When this occurs, simply honing the blade repeatedly will not fix the issue and can actually cause damage to the knife.

Poor Angle Consistency

Varying the angle (too wide or too narrow) between strokes makes the honing ineffective or even aggressive. Additionally, Joseph notes that “holding the knife too flat or shallow can scratch the face of the blade. On the other hand, holding it too steep can dull the edge.”

Using the Wrong Rod for Your Knife

Make sure that when you are honing your knives that you are using the correct type of honing rod for the blade. A very abrasive diamond rod used too often on a soft steel knife removes too much material. Similarly, using a common steel honing rod on a Japanese knife may contribute to micro-chipping instead of actually helping to maintain the edge of the knife. In this instance, it’s better to opt for a ceramic honing rod to get the job done.

How Often to Use a Honing Steel

Home Cooks vs Professionals

When you are trying to figure out how often to use a honing steel, it’s important to differentiate between home cooks and pros. Generally, home cooks should hone their knives about once or twice a week or before a major cooking session, like food prepping for the week. This will keep your knives cutting well without needing to sharpen them as often.

For professionals, the frequency with which you hone your knives should be far more often than a home cook. Plan to hone your blades daily, before each use, or even multiple times a day, depending on how frequently you use that specific knife. This will help to maintain a razor-sharp edge for precision and efficiency.

Honing Schedule by Knife Type

You should also consider the type of knife when you are trying to determine the best frequency with which to hone your knives. If you have Western knives, which are made with softer steel, then it’s a good idea to hone them after every use or at least once or twice a week for home cooks and possibly several times a day for pros.

However, if you are using Japanese knives, then even pros may only need to hone them once a week or every few days due to the hardness of the steel. Instead, it’s better to sharpen these blades more frequently, since they are prone to micro-chipping rather than edge rolling.

Safety Tips for Using a Honing Steel

Countertop vs Freehand Method

The countertop or vertical method is significantly safer than the freehand method for using a honing steel. Joseph says that “for beginners, using the vertical method is better for its added safety and consistency.” The freehand method, while faster for advanced cooks, increases the risk of injury because the knife blade is moving in the open air, often towards the user's hand or wrist.

Finger and Hand Placement

Firmly pinch the base of the blade (near the handle) between your thumb and index finger, keeping your other fingers wrapped around the handle for control. “When honing, it is recommended to keep an eye on your thumb. If you are holding the rod in the air, ensure your thumb is behind the guard (i.e. the hilt of the rod),” notes Joseph. Maintain a consistent angle as you slide the heel to tip along the steel in a controlled motion.

Slipping and Stability Prevention

To safely use a honing steel, prevent slipping by placing the tip on a stable, non-slip surface like a damp towel or cutting board. Joseph mentions that “it is important to hone on a stable surface (e.g., anchor the rod on a cutting board), as it removes the variable of an unstable hand.”

Use firm but controlled pressure, maintain a consistent angle, and always move the knife away from you in slow, deliberate strokes, focusing entirely on the task to keep fingers clear and avoid distractions. Hold the knife handle firmly in your dominant hand. Your non-knife hand should support the steel. Keep your area free of clutter to avoid bumping the steel or knife.

Honing Steel FAQs

Can Honing Damage a Knife?

If you are using a honing steel incorrectly or honing your blades too often then you can damage a knife by honing it. Similarly, if you use the wrong angle, excessive pressure, or a honing steel that isn’t right for the blade, then it can lead to you chipping the blade, rolling the edge, or even removing too much metal, which is why it is important to learn how to properly hone a blade.

Do All Knives Need Honing?

Most knives need to be honed, but not all knives require honing. Japanese-style knives with very hard steel are an exception, since they typically benefit more from frequent sharpening rather than honing, since their edges are more prone to micro-chipping than rolling.

Is Honing Necessary if I Use a Whetstone?

Even if you use a whetstone to sharpen a blade, you should still use a honing rod between sharpenings to straighten the cutting edge of the blade and keep it aligned, improving the performance of the knife.

Should You Hone Serrated Knives?

You can hone serrated knives with tools that act like honing rods, but the goal isn’t traditional honing, which typically straightens the edge. Instead, these tools target the beveled side and match the serration’s curve to refine the existing points.