When maintaining a japanese knife: Is a honing steel still necessary if I have a fine 3000/8000 grit whetstone?which do you prefer?
A steel is to clean off an edge and remove any bends on the bevel, it is not directly for sharpening as it removes no material from the knife (or should not). A whetstone, however fine, does remove material. A steel to maintain an edge, a stone to restore an edge. They are different items for different purposes.
