Dull knives are not only frustrating to work with—they are dangerous because they require more force and can easily slip. With a little maintenance, you can prevent your quality knives from dulling and keep them in good shape for years to come.

Storage and Cutting Surfaces
Although knives will need sharpening, storage and cutting surfaces also play a role in how quickly knives dull. Protect yourself and your knives by using a block, tray or magnetic strip for storage. Never store knives in a drawer with other utensils—all the banging around will dull them. If you have to store your knives in a drawer, use protective sleeves. Since the dishwasher can dull quality cutlery, always hand wash your knives. Be sure to dry them off before putting away, otherwise they could rust.

When working with a knife, always use a cutting board, preferably wood or plastic. Cutting on porcelain, steel, glass and other hard surfaces will make your knives dull faster. A simple cutting surface tip: don’t cut on surfaces harder than the blade of your knife.

Honing
The steel rod that comes with most knife sets is called a “sharpening steel.” To keep your straight-edge knives in good shape, use this tool before each use to realign the blades.

Tips for honing a knife: Keep the steel steady in one hand and hold the knife handle in the other. Then draw the knife blade across the steel at a 20-degree angle.

Sharpening
Knives should be sharpened once or twice a year. You can have it done professionally at some grocery stores, butcher shops, kitchen specialty stores and cutlery shops. For the do-it-yourself types, there are hundreds of sharpening tools available, including sharpening stones, manual sharpeners and electric sharpeners.

Sharpening stones can be “wet” or “dry.” Working with sharpening stones can be tricky. If using a wet stone, moisten it with water before getting started. Place the blade across the stone and slant it at a 10- to 20- degree angle. Working from tip to handle, pull the knife across the stone. Repeat the same number of strokes on the other side of the blade. For more detailed information, follow the instructions that came with your sharpening stone.

You may find manual or electric sharpeners easier to use. These tools sharpen knives as you pull the blade through the sharpener. Some manual and electric sharpeners have a two-step process that will sharpen and hone the blade.

Note: Serrated knives require special honing and sharpening. Check the guide that came with your knives for appropriate sharpening instructions.

Visit our ManualsOnline Library to locate the knife sharpener user’s manual for a model you already own.