How to Maintain Your Knives Between Sharpenings

A freshly sharpened knife is a joy to use, but that pristine edge doesn't last forever. How quickly your blade dulls depends largely on how you treat it between sharpening sessions. With proper daily maintenance, you can extend your edge life from weeks to months, reducing wear on your knives and the frequency of more intensive sharpening.

These simple habits require just minutes of attention but make a dramatic difference in how your knives perform over time.

Understanding Edge Degradation

Before diving into maintenance, it helps to understand what happens to your edge during normal use. The cutting edge is incredibly thin—sometimes just microns across at the very apex. During cutting:

• The edge folds: Contact with cutting boards and food causes the thin edge to roll or bend to one side
• Micro-chipping occurs: Hard ingredients or bone create tiny chips along the edge
• Abrasive wear: Cutting surfaces gradually remove small amounts of metal
• Corrosion begins: Acids and moisture attack the exposed edge

Daily maintenance primarily addresses the first issue—edge folding—which is also the most common cause of perceived dullness.

The Power of Regular Honing

Honing is the single most important maintenance habit you can develop. Unlike sharpening, which removes metal to create a new edge, honing realigns a folded or bent edge without significant metal removal.

How to Hone Properly

1. Hold your honing steel vertically with the tip resting on a stable surface, or hold it horizontally if more comfortable
2. Place your knife against the steel at approximately 15-20 degrees (similar to your sharpening angle)
3. Draw the blade down and across the steel in a smooth arc, from heel to tip
4. Repeat on the other side, alternating for 4-6 strokes total per side
5. Use light pressure—you're realigning, not grinding

Choose Your Cutting Surface Wisely

What you cut on affects your edge almost as much as what you cut. Cutting boards fall into two categories:

Edge-Friendly Options

• End-grain wood: The fibres absorb the blade rather than resist it—the gentlest option
• Edge-grain wood: Slightly less forgiving than end-grain but still excellent
• High-quality plastic: Softer plastics are reasonably gentle on edges and easy to sanitise

Edge-Hostile Surfaces to Avoid

• Glass: Instantly dulls edges—never cut on glass boards or countertops
• Ceramic: As hard as some sharpening stones—destructive to edges
• Stone or granite: Beautiful countertops but deadly for knives
• Metal: Plates, pans, and stainless counters all damage blades

Proper Cleaning Practices

How you clean your knives directly impacts edge preservation:

• Hand wash only: Dishwashers expose blades to harsh detergents, high heat, and impact damage. Hand wash with mild dish soap
• Dry immediately: Water promotes corrosion, especially on carbon steel. Dry your knife completely before storage
• Clean promptly: Acidic foods (tomatoes, citrus, onions) accelerate corrosion. Don't leave food residue on the blade
• Avoid abrasive scrubbers: Scratching the blade can affect both appearance and edge performance

Storage That Protects

Proper storage prevents damage when knives aren't in use:

• Magnetic strips: Keep blades separated and visible—store edge-up to avoid contact with the strip's surface
• Knife blocks: Insert blades spine-down so edges don't contact the slot
• Blade guards: Essential if storing in drawers to prevent edge contact with other utensils
• Dedicated drawer trays: Keep knives separated and organised

Use the Right Knife for the Task

Using a knife for unintended purposes accelerates edge wear:

• Don't use your chef's knife on frozen foods—use a dedicated cleaver or let items thaw
• Avoid cutting through bones unless using a knife designed for it
• Don't use fine blades for hard squash or pumpkin—use a cleaver or large knife with a thicker spine
• Reserve precision knives for precision tasks; use beater knives for rough work

Recognise When Honing Isn't Enough

Honing can only do so much. Signs that your knife needs actual sharpening include:

• Performance doesn't improve after honing
• Visual inspection reveals chips or significant wear
• The edge feels rounded rather than just misaligned
• Several months have passed since the last sharpening

When honing stops helping, it's time for a proper sharpening session. No amount of maintenance can restore an edge that's genuinely worn—that requires removing metal to establish a new edge.

Building Your Maintenance Routine

Effective knife maintenance doesn't require much time—just consistency:

1. Before cooking: A few honing strokes (30 seconds)
2. After cooking: Hand wash, dry, store properly (1 minute)
3. Weekly: Inspect edges for visible damage
4. Monthly: Evaluate performance—do knives still feel sharp after honing?
5. As needed: True sharpening when maintenance no longer suffices

These small investments of attention pay dividends in extended edge life, better cutting performance, and reduced wear on your knife collection. Your future self—facing a pile of vegetables for prep—will thank you for building these habits now.