With each use of your knife, the razor-sharp edge naturally bends over just a tiny bit. The edge is still sharp, but the sharpest part isn't making contact with the food. The answer is honing with the Shun Classic Combination Honing Steel. It gently realigns the edge of the blade, prolonging the knife's sharpness. The Shun Classic Combination Honing Steel has two surfaces: a smooth one for weekly honing, and a micro-ribbed one for monthly honing. While fine European knives can require honing after each use, Shun's harder steel means you can hone just once a week or so, depending on your level of use. To make honing to the correct 16° Shun angle easier, the Shun Classic Combination Honing Steel has a built-in 16° angle on the handle. The premium Pakkawood handle provides a secure grip and matches the handles of the rest of the beautiful Shun Classic line.