When sharpening a knife, what exactly does honing do?

Question

When sharpening a knife, what exactly does honing do?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Generally, you don’t hone when sharpening.

You sharpen the blade on a stone and use a strop to remove tiny particles, etc., left over from the sharpening.

Honing aligns the edge of the blade and is generally done right before using the knife.

(If you ever watch a cooking show, notice how the chefs will quickly hone their knives right before they start cutting.)