Final answer:
To true the edge of a sharpened knife, a honing rod or honing steel is used. This tool straightens the blade's edge to maintain its effectiveness in cutting efficiently.
Step-by-step explanation:
The piece of equipment used to true the edge of a sharpened knife is called a honing rod or honing steel. Truing the edge refers to the process of straightening the blade's edge after sharpening, which can get slightly bent or folded over during use.
A honing rod doesn't actually sharpen the blade; instead, it realigns the edge to restore its proper cutting angle, ensuring that the knife maintains its effectiveness in cutting with high pressure and efficiency. The sharpened edge of a knife has a smaller surface area, which translates to higher pressure with the same amount of force, allowing it to cut through material more efficiently.