Knowledge Base > Plant-Based Pro - Map of Cooking & Knife Skills

Question:

Does the honing steel have to be magnetic? Mine isn't magnetic but will it still work?

— Joyce Taylor

Answer:

So don't worry about that. The magnetic steel is is useful but not 100% necessary. What it does is when you are honing your blade. You're essentially realigning the very very tippy top of that pointy piece of metal, which we call the Burr and the Burr is essentially very very thin. It's microscopically thin and when it's magnetic it helps to align and shape that Burr just a little bit easier again. It's it's steel. So it's just a little bit of extra Force helping to line up that Burr but not not needed whatsoever.