If this contraption is unfamiliar to you, it's called a honing rod, and it's not too hard to use. In fact, making a habit of honing your kitchen knives is not only easy, it's also a wise safety move.

The most common way to hone a knife is with a honing steel. These inexpensive tools, starting at around $10, are essentially steel rods with a handle. The surface of the rod is coarse ...

But what if you don't have one? Don't worry -- you can keep your knives sharp using pull-through sharpeners or steel rods for either sharpening or honing. While there are lots of reasons to ...