Knife sharpening and honing are two distinctive processes carried out using different tools. Sharpening actually takes off some of the blade, clearing out the old and making way for new metal to emerge. A whetstone is the best tool for this purpose. Honing is done after sharpening and can be carried out more frequently, even several times a week. To hone your knife, drag the blade against the steel honing tool several times. This helps straighten and realign the blade after use.