Dexter-Russell 14SXL Butcher Steel

This is a honing steel, not a sharpener. It is designed to realign the edge of your knife blade, keeping it straight and effective between sharpenings rather than removing metal to create a new edge.

The coarse cut surface is designed for more aggressive realignment. It is ideal for knives that see heavy, daily use and need a bit more friction to straighten out rolled edges quickly.

While 14 inches is standard in professional butcher shops to accommodate large blades, it may be overkill for a standard home kitchen. If you primarily use 6- to 8-inch chef's knives, a shorter 10- or 12-inch steel is usually easier to maneuver.

Yes, you can use this on serrated knives, but be careful. Because the steel is coarse, it can help realign the teeth of the serrations, but it won't sharpen the gullets between them.

For professional or high-volume use, you should give your knife a few passes on the steel before every shift or every few hours of heavy cutting. For home use, honing before every major meal preparation is a good habit to keep your blade performing at its best.