Running your knives back and forth over a steel, a long, thin, metal rod usually with a plastic or rubber handle, thinking that you are in fact sharpening your blade is a myth.

Running your knife over a honing steel does NOT sharpen your knife.

Sharpening a knife can only be accomplished by actually grinding or shaving off tiny bits of the blade’s metal, giving the blade a completely new edge. You need professional sharpening equipment, a whetstone, or a professional knife sharpening service to actually sharpen you knives. 

What your honing steel does is help keep the blade straight. Every time you cut, chop or slice, the blade of your knife is bent ever so slightly as a result of coming into contact with the food and your cutting board. The more you use your knife, the more tiny twists and turns for your blade. A honing steel literally moves your blade back into place. It straightens the blade, but doesn’t sharpen it.