Well, you did your research and you bought your knives.  Believe it or not, all that research and shopping around you did was the easy part!

It’s now all about keeping them in prime condition for many years to come.  After all, since you’ve dropped a couple hundred dollars or more into a set of great knives, wouldn’t you want to protect your investment?

High quality knives will lose their durability, longevity, and sharpness rather quickly if they are not properly cared for.  I have put together a list of Do’s and Don’ts, and a few options in keeping your knives sharp to guide you in the right direction.  So let’s get started.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Knife Care

Do’s

• Do use a knife block or magnetic strip to hold the knives
• Do hand wash your knives with warm, soapy water and dry them off immediately
• Do keep them sharp!  If you don’t know how to keep the knives honed, take them to a professional knife sharpener at least twice a year.
• Do only use knives for their intended purpose!  Don’t use it to cut through bone if it wasn’t made to cut bone, don’t use it to cut cardboard…you get the idea.
• Do use a sturdy and level cutting board and chopping block
• Do have easy access to a first aid kit, just in case
• Respect your knives

Don’ts

• Don’t store your knives with the rest of your utensils
• Don’t use your finger to test how sharp the blade is
• Don’t  leave knives in the sink after use
• Don’t put your knives into the dishwasher
• Don’t use a knife unless the blade and handle are completely dry!   You do want to keep your fingers, right?

Knife Sharpening

No how matter what brand or type of knife, the edge will not stay sharp forever.  There are a few options when it comes to sharpening your knives.

Honing Steels – The most common tool to keep knife edges in tip-top shape is the honing steel.  Most knife sets containing 10 pieces or more will most likely include one.

Whetstones – The whetstone is suited for more experienced knife users.  The stones comes in different types of grit, from course to fine.  Whetstones will provide sharper edges than those from honing steels, but takes more skill and patience to use.

Electric Knife Sharpeners – Another route to look into is an electric knife sharpener.  I’m not big on these because the edges on different brands of knives do not conform to a standard specification.

If you’re uneasy about sharpening your own knives, you can always take it to a professional knife sharpener.

How To Sharpen A Knife With A Honing Steel and Whetstone

Don’t forget to buff up on your knife knowledge!  Knife Knowledge 101!