Most home cooks sharpen maybe once a year. They hone never. That's backwards.
What's happening to your edge
A knife edge is a very thin strip of metal. Every cut bends it sideways, slightly. The knife feels dull — but the steel is still there, just rolled over.
Honing straightens it back. Ten seconds. A honing rod is all you need.
Honing: weekly
Hold the rod tip-down on a cutting board. Draw the knife down and across at 15–20°, heel to tip, alternating sides. Six passes per side.
No pressure. Let the knife's own weight do the work.
Your knife will feel sharp again. Because it is.
Sharpening: twice a year
Sharpening removes metal. It grinds a new edge. Use a whetstone or a pull-through sharpener — a pull-through is the lesser tool, but it works.
On a whetstone: 1000-grit to repair a beaten edge, 3000–6000 grit to finish. Wet the stone. Draw the blade toward you at 15°. Twenty strokes per side, alternating. Then hone once to remove the wire edge left behind.
The rule
Hone weekly. Sharpen twice a year.
A dull knife is the most dangerous thing in your kitchen. It slips. It needs force — and force causes accidents. Two minutes a week keeps you safe.
