This Shun Honing Steel is designed to gently realign the cutting edge of your Shun cutlery. 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. This combination honing steel gently realigns the edge of the blade, prolonging the knife's sharpness. Features two surfaces, including a smooth one for day-to-day honing and a micro-ribbed surface for weekly 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, this steel has a built-in 16° angle on the handle. The premium black pakkawood handle with stainless end-cap provides a secure grip.