Sharpening, Honing, and Stropping
Unless you’re content with replacing your knives every time the edge gets dull, you’ll need to practice knife edge maintenance. Sharpening is one way to do that, but frequent touch-ups with a honing rod or a fine abrasive material make it easier to maintain a razor-sharp edge.
What’s the difference between honing and sharpening a knife? Sharpening involves reshaping the blade’s bevel and removing material to create a new edge. Honing realigns the edge without removing much material, perfect for maintaining the edge between sharpening sessions.
And if you really want to bring back that mirror-like finish, stropping is a great way to polish and refine a blade’s edge. Stropping removes microscopic burrs and further aligns the edge for maximum sharpness, and it doesn’t require any fancy tools—a leather strop and some polishing compound are all you need to bring back the shine.