When that time comes that you need to touch up the sharp edge of your Royalford knife Sharpening Rod is a good option. The steel rod can realign your knife edge quickly and easily. Honing steels are often confused as sharpeners. Your honing steel will realign your knife edge but will not put a new edge on it. In trying to explain what honing steel does try to imaging your sharpening steel and your toothbrush. It is a maintenance tool that you use every day. In the case of your knife, this would be maintaining the knifes edge. To maintain a sharp knife you should steel your knife every day with the Royalford Knife Sharpener.