Previous published on myRegence.com

Unless you’re really into sharpening your knives at home, I recommend finding someone local who either sharpens by hand using a series of stones or who uses a wheel. These techniques are more precise than a knife sharpening machine and they don’t tear apart your knife. With proper maintenance at home, you should only need to get your knives professionally sharpened every one and half to two years.

My husband and I recently took a professional knife sharpening class taught by Daniel O’Malley, owner of Epicurean Edge in Kirkland, Washington. He had some simple suggestions for keeping knives sharper longer:

Honing rod
When a knife is used, the very fine edge bends to one side or another – this is normal but can make your blade feel dull. David likes using a honing rod made from ceramic that is completely smooth. Instead of removing particles from the knife (like the sharpening steels that come with most knife sets), a honing rod simply re-straightens the edge. Knives should be honed every two to three hours of continuous use. For me, that’s once a day. For the average home cook, that’s once or twice a week.

Hand wash
Never put your knives in the dishwasher. Not only can it damage the blade and make it dull, but the knife can damage other items during the cycle. The extreme heat in the dishwasher can also damage the handle and make it separate from the rest of the knife. Instead, hand wash knives in soapy water and dry them with a soft cloth.

Storage
Avoid storing knives in a drawer where the edge can get damaged. Instead, protect your knife with plastic edge guards, keep them in a knife block or store them on a wall-mounted magnet.

Cutting board
A soft cutting surface keeps your knife sharper longer. Cutting on plastic, glass, and countertops should be avoided. Natural wood such as maple is best. My personal favorite is bamboo from Totally Bamboo because it looks beautiful and it’s a renewable resource. Studies have shown that wood cutting boards are also less likely to harbor bacteria than plastic, so they are safe to use with raw meat. To keep your wood cutting board in good shape, wash it with hot soapy water (some bamboo boards are dishwasher safe), dry it with a clean towel and store it on its side. It’s also a good idea to rub the board with mineral oil once every six months to keep the wood from drying out.

Pastry scraper
Although it’s tempting to use the knife edge to scrape foods together on the cutting board and pick them up, don’t. This action dulls the blade quickly. Instead, use a metal or plastic pastry scraper to pick up foods.

With proper care and a little love, your knives can last a lifetime. Take good care of them and they’ll make chopping faster and more enjoyable.



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