Knife Tips

There are a couple of key points to always remember and to ensure you gain maximum enjoyment from your investment

Hand clean and dry them thoroughly after use

Store them correctly to minimise dulling the edge and to keep them safe
Never try and catch a knife if you drop it
Never leave in the sink
Do not leave near the edge of work surfaces or hidden under food
Avoid storing loose in a drawer or on a high shelf above eye level

Use the correct knife for the task – do not use a knife to chop bones, use a cleaver!

Keep them sharp at all times – it is safer and makes the task easier

Sharpen the knives either professionally or at home

Keep them honed between sharpening

At home

Honing steel – everyone will be familiar with these and see their local butcher use it before and after using their knife. It maintains the edge rather than sharpening it.

Ceramic Sharpening steel – these are less aggressive and will also give the blade a fine edge. They are more suited for Japanese style blades rather than the German steel.

Diamond sharpening steel – coated in diamonds and will give a very sharp edge but should be limited use for sharpening and not honing.

Whetstones – comes in range of grades similar to glass paper with a 2000 being one of the finest. Needs a lot more practice than a steel but will give superior results.