Maintain the edge with best practices (prevention and care)

Follow proper knife care and cutting habits to keep your edge sharp longer, reducing how often you need to sharpen. A well-maintained knife can go months between sharpenings, while a poorly treated knife dulls in days. Prevention is the most effective sharpening strategy.

Cutting Surface Matters Most

The number one cause of premature dulling is cutting on hard surfaces. Every time the blade edge contacts a hard surface, the thin steel at the edge deforms, folds, or chips.

• Use: Wood (maple, walnut, cherry), end-grain butcher block, or soft plastic (HDPE/polyethylene) cutting boards
• Never cut on: Glass, ceramic, granite, marble, stainless steel, bamboo (surprisingly hard), or plates
• End-grain wood boards are the gold standard: the knife edge pushes between wood fibers rather than hitting them

Honing Between Sharpenings

• Use a honing steel or ceramic rod before or after every cooking session
• Honing realigns the microscopic edge without removing metal
• 5-10 light strokes per side at a consistent angle is sufficient
• This single habit is the most impactful thing you can do for knife maintenance

Storage

• Use a magnetic knife strip, a knife block, or blade guards
• Never store knives loose in a drawer where they bang against other utensils
• Drawer knife trays with slots are acceptable if a strip or block is not practical

Cleaning

• Hand wash and dry immediately after use; never put kitchen knives in the dishwasher
• Dishwasher detergent is chemically aggressive on steel
• Knives banging against racks and other items in the dishwasher cause edge damage
• Dry the blade promptly to prevent corrosion (even on stainless steel)

Cutting Technique

• Use a rocking or push-cut motion; avoid twisting or prying with the blade
• Do not use your chef's knife to cut through bones, frozen food, or hard packaging; use appropriate tools for those tasks
• Let the knife's weight and sharpness do the work; forcing a dull knife is what causes injuries

Sharpening Schedule

• Hone with a steel rod: every use or every few uses
• Touch up with a ceramic rod or fine stone: every 2-4 weeks
• Full sharpening (whetstone or professional): every 3-6 months for a home cook, or when honing no longer restores cutting performance

Tips

• If you do one thing, make it this: stop cutting on hard surfaces and start honing regularly
• A sharp knife is safer than a dull one; dull knives require more force and are more likely to slip
• Carbon steel knives take a sharper edge but require more care (oiling, drying) than stainless steel