The Zwilling Sharpening Steel is the ideal equipment to give your knife a little extra sharpness. The 9-inch length is long enough to hone most all knives while the black poly handle features a finger guard and a hanging loop for superior comfort and use. Even the best knife will lose its initial sharpness during the course of time. Using a sharpening steel each time you use your knives will keep the edge aligned, resulting in a sharper, safer knife. For most home chefs the sharpening steel will realign the edge and remove any niche or burr. An oval rod provides more surface contact with the edge to achieve same results as traditional rod but with fewer strokes.