It is important to understand the difference between sharpening and honing. Sharpening involves removing steel from the knife to create a new edge. Honing, on the other hand, is simply moving that edge back into proper alignment. While it might vary based on the frequency of use, type of steel, and other factors, as a rule of thumb you should only sharpen your knives two or three times a year. The remainder of the time, honing should be enough to keep a sharp edge, and many people will hone the knife before or after each use.