Because Japanese kitchen knives are made from such hard steels, it is necessary to use special tools to maintain them.
Honing rods made from fine grit ceramic work by removing a small amount of material in order to realign the edge and remove any minor bits of damage. Classic steel honing rods are great for softer Western knives, but they are too rough to use on knives made with Japanese steels.
Leather strops provide a soft, smooth surface to polish any imperfections from the edge of the blade.
