Also known as “sharpening steels,” honing steels are actually maintenance devices—not sharpeners. A honing steel will realign the edge of your knife when it starts to dull, keeping it sharper for longer so you don’t have to sharpen it as often. For safety, your honing steel should be as long as the longest knife in your collection. Choose a chromium, ceramic, or diamond honing steel to suit your needs best.

Find the best honing steels from among brands like Chef’s Choice, Fischer Steels, EdgeLogix, Shun, Wüsthof, and Zwilling J.A. Henckels.