Whetstones & Honing Rods

Many people new to the world of knives will ask if they should use a sharpening steel or a sharpening stone. They may have a misconception about these two items and their intended uses.

First of all, the title of sharpening rod/sharpening steel is rather misleading, they are actually called “Honing Rods” and they do not sharpen at all. Essentially, a honing rod is a rod usually between 15-30cm made of either steel, ceramic or diamond-coated steel that helps to re-align your edge. It removes bends and folds in a blade edge, that form after you have cut with it.

Ideally, you would use a honing rod every few days to maintain the edge you already have. Some people hone after every use of their knife, especially people who use Western-made Kitchen knives, the honing rod is specifically designed for these softer steels.

A sharpening stone is generally known as a Whetstone. Whetstones are blocks of natural or synthetic stone, that removes steel from your blade edge, thereby sharpening it. There are many varieties of Whetstones, some are soft and some are hard. Some are for finishing work only and are often called finishing stones.