Sharp ideas on knife care

Good knives, as any professional chef will tell you, are the cornerstone of a proper kitchen. And quality knives will last longer, cut better and be safer if they are used, cleaned and stored properly.

Nancy Pollard, owner of La Cuisine, a specialty cookware store in Alexandria, Va., has been selling and sharpening knives for 25 years. She has good advice about making good knives well worth the investment.

Cleaning: It’s okay to put knives made of stainless steel in the dishwasher, but not those made of carbon steel. (Unsure of the type you own? Stainless blades will be shiny; carbon becomes dark gray and spotted.) Repeated exposure to extreme temperatures can shorten the lifespan of the handle, and therefore the knife. To extend the life of a quality knife, wash by hand. Dry thoroughly.

Storage: Protect the blade. Knives kept in a drawer should, at the very least, have the blade covered with a sleeve or guard. A guard prevents the blade from being chipped or chipping something else. It also protects rummaging hands. Wooden knife blocks, in drawers or on the counter, are another option, as long as they are kept clean. Pollard prefers wall-mounted magnetic storage bars, for blade protection and convenience.

Surface area: Wooden cutting boards are easier on knives than plastic surfaces, Pollard says. Plastic doesn’t have as much give and will dull the edge more quickly.

Maintenance: All knives need to be sharpened regularly (Pollard recommends professional sharpening; she has seen much damage done by electric sharpeners used in the home.) Two low-tech habits will help keep knives on the cutting edge longer: Make sure blades are protected when not in use, and give them a few swipes with a sharpening steel regularly. Pollard said she steels her blades after every other use but she says steeling after every use would be better still. “Steeling keeps a knife that’s been sharpened in better shape,” she says. “Kind of like a pedicure.”