A knife has so many uses both indoors and outdoors. Outside, a knife could be used for hunting while inside it is used for various things like doing crafts and to prepare a sumptuous family meal. No matter what you use your knife for, though, it is imperative that it remains sharp for efficient cutting and to avoid injury. This is most especially important in the kitchen where a knife or a set thereof is frequently used. Having a dull blade can cause more harm because you would be spending extra time slicing and dicing and the higher effort you exert, the greater chances for injury. The best kitchen knives, then, is really vital and to maintain its sharpness even more so.
Knowing how to take care of knives properly is to know the parts of the knives and what kind of material they are made of. A good set of knives can be a wise investment and one has to care for them properly so they won't rust early or get damaged. Your best kitchen knives must only be used in the kitchen and only to slice or cut ingredients for your meal. No matter how sharp it is, if it is not intended for paper or plastic then do not use it to cut one. Whenever you need to slice something, always use your cutting board. The board, if possible, has to be made of soft wood. Other materials can be used but you have to make sure to replace them regularly. Some of these materials can easily dull your sharp knife so choose wood if you must.
To ensure that your good set of knives last longer, clean them always after use. If possible, it is better to hand wash your knives instead of just placing them inside the dishwater. It might be easier to just pop them in there but this will do nothing to increase the shelf life of your knives. Handles will get broken or splintered and the knife's blade could get chipped or detached from the handle. Oiling your knives also helps maintain them in mint condition. The real trick is to oil the handle if it's wood and not just the blade. Store the knives in their knife block or drawer but make sure they're sheathed properly. Keeping the knives sharp and ready to use is essential and one of the most vital aspect of knife care. Sharpening can be tedious at times but very important. It is frustrating to be cutting something yet takes you longer than it should and with more effort than you should have.
There are all kinds of knife sharpener that you could use like whetstone, steel or electric knife sharpener. Whetstone has a rough side and a finer side. When using this kind of sharpener, use a cutting board to lend support. Placing a towel on top also helps. Place the whetstone on top and the rough side of it facing up. When you start sharpening, hold the knife at a 20 degree angle to the whetstone. Sharpen in just one direction and when done, use the finer side of the stone. When using steel as a sharpener, hold the knife in your dominant hand and the steel on the other hand. After sharpening it around 12 times, make sure to clean it well and store properly. The electric sharpener is easy; just pass the knife through it for several times (depending on the recommendation) and you're done.
