Many people mix up sharpening and honing or just aren’t aware of the importance of honing your blade. Honing should be regular maintenance of your blade and some argue that your blade ought to be honed prior to every use; whereas sharpening needn’t be done so often. Honing your blade takes care of straightening the microscopic teeth of your blade to make certain that your edges are aligned and your blade cuts what it should as it should each and every time. There are many options for honing and practice, research and personal preference will help you to determine which option is best for you. The importance of honing your blades, even blades you would consider as cheap or not worth the effort cannot be overlooked. Having your blade sharp, honed, and well tended actually makes for a far safer knife than one that isn’t cared for regularly. Blades that are not regularly honed will often bend and become malformed so when you use it, it doesn’t cut properly and can slip to cut the operator. When honing your blade, you are also able to add a nice shine using the slurry, further insuring your blade is in top form.