hone

A knife edge is thin enough that ordinary use bends it slightly out of line. The knife feels dull, but the metal is still there. Honing on a steel pushes the edge back into alignment.

Sharpening grinds away metal to make a new edge. You need it a few times a year. Honing takes ten seconds and can happen every time you cook.

A sharp knife is safer than a dull one. It goes where you aim it instead of skidding off a tomato and toward your hand.

$ slice tomatoerror: blade skidded on skin$ hone knife --strokes 6edge realigned.$ slice tomatook: 12 slices, 0 crushed