Caring for your Knives

Knives are used in our daily lives and should be something of ease and enjoyment. Buying a well-made fancy knife is all good and well but if you’re not taking care of it, it’s not going to last long and you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t just buy the cheap option in the first place. Caring for your knives takes just a bit of know-how and a very small amount of effort. As in most cases doing it right from the start is the best policy.

One of the first steps is storing and keeping your knives in a safe place. It is important to keep them safe from moisture and scratches and of course away from children. The best way to store your knives which is convenient and tidy is either in a knife organiser in a drawer or a knife block. There are plenty of different designs out there to find the right one that works for you.

Regular sharpening is also an essential in general upkeep. Keeping your knife sharp every now and then is a great idea. The best angle to sharpen at is a 20 degree angle. This keeps the knife even.

Unfortunately rust can occur even with stainless steel knives. Therefore it is essential to keep your knives clean and dry as much as possible. High heat and humidity can have an effect on your knife causing it to rust. You can prevent this by putting a small drop of oil on your knives every now and then. It takes hardly any time after each use of your knife to give it a quick wash with warm soapy water and dry it off to put it away till the next time.

The right chopping board also makes a difference. Cutting on surfaces like glass, stone and plastic can damage your knives and cause them to go blunt much faster. Wood is one of the best options as it has a very short bacteria life. It is also the most easy going on your knife. Bamboo and epicurean also make fantastic chopping board options. Ideally choose end grain boards as the wood “re-heals” itself, so your chopping board won’t be covered in scratch marks.

Quality knives are like anything else in that even if they are strong, if you mistreat them they are most likely going to break. It is necessary to be conscious of which knife you are using for what function.

The bottom line is that a struggle with a bad knife just isn’t worth the time or effort never mind a dull blunt knife being even more of a safety hazard. A well-made knife should last you a life time. A bad knife just doesn’t quite make the cut!