How To Make Your Knife Last Longer

It’s a very easy task to make your knife last longer. You may have seen your neighbors knife which was bought the same time with yours still in its best shape, while yours is gone already. This may keep you wondering what exactly you got wrong about your own knife that reduced its quality. The truth is, by paying attention to some little things, you’ll begin to see your knife last longer too. In order to make your knife last longer, follow the tips below:

• Use the knife to serve the only purpose it is designed for: imagine using the edge of your kitchen knife to crush bones or even open cans. These are the common things we do, and they are the reasons why many knives don’t last. Engaging in such an act means you’re destroying the edge of the knife; hence, it begins to lose its sharpness. If your kitchen knife is designed to only cut soft foods like meats and fish, you should let it serve only that purpose. If you have a knife that is designed for cutting bread, you shouldn’t use it for cutting meat because doing so will destroy the edge of the knife. As you know, a knife designed for the purpose of slicing bread usually has a zigzag edge; hence, the tip may begin to wear out if it is used in cutting hard food substances. If you have to crack hard materials like bones, you should go for a specialty boning knife. Don’t use your bread knife to serve this purpose. It is also common to find people using a style of pocket knife in the kitchen. This will end up destroying such a knife.

• Clean your Knife after every use: the most appropriate way to clean your knife is by washing and drying after use. Immediately you’re done preparing your meal, take your knife, wash it with warm water and dish soap and then dry it. After drying, you can store your knife using knife magnets which will help avoid rusting and discoloration
• Use mineral oil to treat your knife: once in a while, you can rub food-grade mineral oil on the handle and blade of your knife. Highly acidic foods like limes and lemons can react with blades. Applying this kind of oil will help to prevent such acidic reactions on your blade. Applying food-grade mineral oil is also a good way to keep your blade from getting rust. If you also want to reverse patination on a stainless blade, applying this oil can be of good help. To avoid corrosion for knives that are made of high-carbon, non-stainless blade, you should also apply food-grade mineral oil after every use. In case your blade is corroding, you can reverse it by using this oil as well.
• Sharpen your knife at the right time: the cutting edge of your knife will eventually get dull and be unable to cut smoothly as you want it. When this happens, you should sharpen the knife before further use. This is important because if you refuse to sharpen the knife and just continue to manage it, you will be exerting too much pressure on the handle before you can successfully cut through the object you want. This way, you may just end up destroying the handle. On the other hand, if the blade is sharpened when needed, you will need less energy to cut through the item. In fact, you may end up breaking your knife and get yourself injured in the process by just trying to use a blunt knife. For casual home cooks, weekly ceramic rod honing is recommended, while for professional cooks, daily ceramic rod honing is recommended.
• ●       Store your knife properly: another important thing you need to do is to ensure that your knife is being stored correctly. You don’t want to leave your knife in a wet spot or just dump it anywhere you like. There are several ways to store a knife. You can get a knife guard to be clipped to your knife before storing it in the drawer. This will prevent them from being exposed to any reactive substance that may be in their surroundings. Don’t just store your knife without clipping or rapping unreactive substances around them. If you can’t afford to get a magnet or knife guard, you can simply wrap your knife with thick papers before storing them. This will go a long way in preventing rusting and corrosion.

Following all these rules will surely make your knives last longer and keep them in good condition all through their lifetime.