The 9-inch Honing Steel features a half-grooved and half-smooth finish. The grooved, coarse side of the steel is used for regular maintenance, to realign the microscopic teeth on the blade's edge. The smooth, fine side of the steel is used to finish the edge with a few swipes of the blade after honing on the grooved side. For average use, the grooved side can be used weekly and the smooth side, daily.