How to care for your freshly Sharpened Knives:

The most important tool for any cook or chef is a sharp knife. You may have also heard that a sharp knife is safer to use than a dull one, which is true! Dull blades require the cook or chef to apply more pressure, which is more dangerous and harmful if the knife slips during use. Not to mention very frustrating and a slower process for cutting.

1) Don't cut anything you can't bite through (for example don't try to cut or pry apart frozen food or puncture a can with your knife.) Use your knife in slicing motions.

2) Do not Tork/Twist your knife, after cutting, with a twisting motion that can damage or chip the blade. Also not recommended to scrape your cutting board with your knife as that can damage or chip your blade as well.

3) Hone the edges to maintain the bevel and get rid of knife dulling burrs. A Honing Steel is ideal.

4) Choosing the right cutting board/surface. NO Glass, Steel or Stone Surfaces. Use wood or plastics. Bamboo is really a form of grass and is very hard on knife edges but better than the above, ideally a softer wood like Larch or similar species are ideal and contain natural bacteria protection.

5) Clean your knives after use. Use a damp towel, rinse under faucet or hand wash with dish soap. DO NOT WASH IN DISHWASHER as detergents can pit the knife steel and the rattling around can damage edges.

6) Thoroughly Hand Dry your knives to avoid water marks or discoloration

7) Oil your knives with a food safe oil to coat and protect the steel

8) Storing of your knives. In Drawer use an organizer to keep edges from hitting together (preferable wood or soft plastic); on a wall use a magnetic strip; or if free-standing, use a magnetic knife block. 

 

How often should I get my Knives Sharpened:

1) Sharpen based on use. If using your knives every day in a kitchen you may need to have your knives done every 1-2 months.

2) Typically, home use would look to have sharpened 1 -2 times a year for normal use and more frequently if there is apparent damage. However, that all is dependent on usage and wear on the knife. Below is an article from the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) about what they recommend.

 

Misconceptions about having your knives sharpened:

1) Cheaper or lower quality knives aren't worth sharpening - Not true. A lower quality knife typically has a softer steel that will sharpen to a nice edge but may not hold the edge as long as a premium knife steel. More premium knives are made from higher grade steels that generally carry a higher temper to the blade (making it harder) which makes sharpening a little slower and the need to use more premium abrasives exists, but they will hold a sharper edge longer. 

2) A sharpened knife will be good for a year or more - Typically not true as daily or weekly use wears the edges down or causes micro burrs to form which dulls the blade. 

3) How I store my knives doesn't really matter - Not True as knives thrown into a drawer loose with other knives collide edges which can dull your knife, even various organizers, while better than loosely thrown into drawers will over time dull the knife edges as they are in essence cutting every time they are slid into the holder.

4) What I cut on doesn't matter to the knife sharpness - Not True as cutting surfaces made from glass, Stainless Steel, stone (granite, marble, quartz, etc.), even some species of wood like bamboo or tight grained hardwoods can all dull the knife over time. Certainly, wood cutting blocks are preferred and slows that dulling effect whereas glass, stone, stainless steel cutting surfaces will dull a knife almost instantly.

5) How a knife is sharpened doesn't matter as long as I get it sharp - Not True. There are a wide array of sharpening methods and not always the best. Faster isn't always better either! While we have high speed belt systems in our shop, we DO NOT USE those to sharpen with as they can induce unneeded heat into the blade and change the temper. The systems we use induce little to no heat, use high end diamond abrasives combined with high quality very fine grit ceramics that can impart a mirrored finish on your knife edge if desired or particular to a specific type of knife (ie/ Japanese Knives). We at To The Point Sharpening focus on the quality NOT the quantity of products we sharpen. We may not always be the cheapest, but we feel we are one of the best at providing you a quality knife that will amaze you in the kitchen!

 

A great article here from the Institue of Culinary Education (ICE) and Chef Heard:

How often should I be sharpening my knife?

The question "how often should you sharpen your knife" is very common in a culinary school.

“You know, I hear that question all the time, and I always say ‘if your knife is sharp, you’re good — it truly depends on how you’re using it, and how often,” Chef Hervé says.

For a home cook, Chef Hervé suggests giving it a refresh about once or twice a month, while professional chefs generally take out their whetstone about once every ten days, though they are often rotating through several different knives day by day or task by task.

“A Japanese blade tends to be more delicate so it sharpens faster, but a US or German knife that you would use to cut through bone or something is going to take a little more time to get a super sharp edge,” he says. 

How do I know if my knife is sharp?

Chef Hervé's telltale sign of when it’s time to re-sharpen?

“If you can cut through a tomato without having to apply pressure, your knife is extremely sharp,” he says.

Heard, Chef.

 

Remember, a Dull Knife Cuts and is more dangerous than a sharp knife.