Bitman, I don't want this thread to get buried in a knife debate, nor a Knife Sharpening 101 thread but you are either saying much the same as I did (using a steel most of the time--it seems you call it a "straightened) OR you are seriously misinformed. I'm just not sure. Perhaps it is all in the wording. If you are advocating the use of a Steel on the knives, you will note that I did also. I also recommend the occasional professional sharpening. There is only so much a Steel can do. It's the :Garbage-in-Garbage-out" theory. You can't take a POS knife and make it sharp with a Steel; straightening the burr does no good if that burr is dull. At the same time, a top of the line knife can lose its edge (burr) over time and the Steel would not do much to improve it; i.e. the burr has lost its sharpness and straightening it out does nothing to improve the edge. I worked in the food industry for over 23 years; a good portion of that as a Chef. Knives are our tools that allow us to make a living, so I know of what I am saying. BTW, using the "can opener knife sharpener" is one of the worse things in the world you can do to a knife. I don't care how good you say it works for you; facts are facts. I've seen more knives almost ruined by housewife?s and husbands who happily ground away on their knives with one of those, wondering why it never worked. Those sharpeners do not properly control the angle of the edge and heat that small edge area to the point where it is losing its tempering. Once that happens you can't keep the edge sharp for any length of time because the steel is weakened. The edge (burr) simply bends over practically any time you use it. That's usually when you hear someone say, "My knives won't stay sharp, no matter what I do".
Just for clarity's sake, the "burr" is the actual edge of the knife, the area that is created by the sharpening process. It is an extremely thin "edge" of metal that, when used, can fold or bend to one side. Depending upon the quality of the metal in the blade, this edge/burr can also flake or break off. Using a Steel "sharpens" a knife because it causes this burr to line back up properly (you call it "straightening" I guess). A fairly dull knife (with a decent but bent over burr) can be made sharper by proper use of the Steel. A good quality knife with good metal in the blade will hold that burr longer than a low quality, el cheapo one. The Steel will do its trick for much longer. However, over time that burr will lose its "edge" (pardon the pun); no matter HOW GOOD the blade is. That is when it must be re-ground; preferably by use of a wet stone and a professional who will also keep the proper alignment and angle of the blade's edge. That is the key to longevity of the edge.
Sorry this was a bit too wordy; I sometimes feel the need to "over-explain" when I see misleading information.
[gets down off his teaching podium]