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Your kitchen knives will probably be a big investment and given proper care, will last for many years so it is important to look after them.
Most manufacturers of good quality kitchen knives do not recommend that you wash your knives in the dishwasher. The blades of sharp knives can be damaged in the dishwasher or in a bowl where they will come into contact with other knives or utensils. Wooden handles will also swell and work loose with constant washing in a dishwasher. Dishwashing detergents can be very abrasive and cause staining or pitting on the blades of your knives. Stains or rust marks can be cleaned using a wet cork dipped in scouring powder or a mildly abrasive dish scouring pad, however these marks will not be covered by the manufacturers guarantee.
To protect the cutting edge of your knives, make sure that the cutting edge of the blade lands on something relatively soft such as a wooden block or polypropylene board rather than a ceramic, stone, metal or laminated surface. It is the continual striking of unyielding surfaces that dulls a blade, not the cutting.
To check whether a knife is sharp, hold the edge towards the light against a dark surface. Any sparks or reflected light indicates blunted or burred areas.
It is important to sharpen your knives according to the manufacturers recommendations.
A whetstone will always be the preferred method of sharpening Japanese knives (i.e. Global, Kasumi) It is possible to buy inexpensive guide rails to help you sharpen at the correct angle which is usually between 10-15 degrees. If you are not confident in using a whetstone, a roll through ceramic water sharpener is available which takes the guesswork out of the task and will give your knives a very sharp edge with just a few strokes. The same type of sharpeners are available for the more traditional European style knives (i.e. Sabatier, Henckels, Wusthof, Victorinox & Gustav), they will sharpen your knives at the correct angle for these knives which is about 20 degrees.
All knives can also be sharpened on a sharpening “steel” as long as you are sharpening your knives at the correct angle. For longer life it is possible to obtain ceramic and diamond coated “steels”. These are the two hardest materials known to man. Both are suitable for sharpening all good quality knives. The diamond rod is harder, and will be quicker to bring back an edge to your knife, however the ceramic pole will last longer (unless it is dropped!).
Storing your Knives:
Knives kept loose in a drawer are likely to be damaged by the blades continually knocking against each other.
The recommended way of storing knives so that they are not damaged is either on a magnetic wall rack or in a knife block on your kitchen worktop. It is also possible to buy specially designed knife cases for chefs or anyone that needs to safely store and transport their knives.
If you decide to use a magnetic wall rack, I would recommend that you purchase the longest rack possible for the available space, as they are also useful for storing scissors, palette knives and lots more.
Knife blocks are now available in a variety of materials and sizes, it is important to ensure that they are easy to clean. They will keep your knives in good condition and you will always have the correct knife to hand.
Article courtesy of Sandra Leek on behalf of www.kitchenknivesdirect.co.uk. Log on to their site to browse and buy other Global Knife products.
