Every time you use a knife, the edge bends over just a tiny bit. The knife is still sharp, but the sharpest part of the edge just does not come into contact with the food anymore. The solution is to regularly hone your blades. Honing steels gently realign the edges of your knives in order to prolong their sharpness. Most European knives require honing with each use, but thanks to Shun’s harder steel, their knives only require honing once a week or so, depending on how often the knives are used. The Shun Kanso Steel has two sides: one smooth for day-to-day honing, and one micro-ribbed for weekly honing. The steel also has a built in 16° angle to make honing at the correct angle easier.