Honing Isn't Sharpening
A honing steel doesn't remove metal — it just straightens the microscopic edge that bends out of alignment with use, which is why running your knife over it before each use keeps it cutting well longer. Actual sharpening (with a whetstone or pull-through sharpener) removes a small amount of metal to create a new edge, and most home cooks only need to do that every few months, not every few uses.
Sources & methodology: These tips draw on established food-science references —
Harold McGee's food-science writing, America's Test Kitchen /
Cook's Illustrated testing, Serious Eats'
technique reporting, USDA food safety guidance,
and peer-reviewed food-safety research (including UC Davis
cutting-board studies) — not reworded recipe-blog consensus.