As you use your knife, the razor-sharp edge naturally bends over just a tiny bit as the edge contacts the cutting board. Eventually, this means the sharp edge is no longer making direct contact with the food. The knife feels dull. The Shun combination honing steel is the solution. It gently realigns the edge of your blade, bringing the “sharp” back. It offers two honing surfaces: a smooth one for weekly honing and a micro-ribbed one for monthly honing—depending on your usage, of course. A built-in angle guide makes it easy to hone your Shuns with ease and precision. The steel-gray handle looks beautiful with the rest of your knives.