People assume a knife goes blunt from cutting. It mostly does not.
A knife spends about an hour a week being used and the rest being stored, washed and put away. Almost all the damage happens in that second category.
1. The drawer
A knife loose in a drawer knocks against every other metal object every time the drawer opens. That is hundreds of small impacts a week, each one rolling the edge over slightly.
This is the single largest cause and the easiest to fix. Getting the knives onto a wall-mounted magnetic strip holds the blade flat with nothing touching the edge. A block is second best — better than a drawer, worse than a strip, because the blade drags across wood every time it goes in.
2. The board
Glass and stone boards look clean and destroy an edge in weeks. The blade has nowhere to go, so the edge takes the whole force.
Wood and plastic give slightly under the blade. That give is the entire point of a cutting board.
3. The dishwasher
Two things happen in there. Knives knock against everything else during the cycle, and the detergent is abrasive enough to dull an edge over time.
Wash by hand and dry immediately. This takes twenty seconds and is the second-biggest change on this page.
4. Scraping with the blade
Everyone does it: chop something, then use the edge of the knife to sweep it off the board. That drags the sharpened edge sideways across the board, which is precisely the motion that rolls it over.
Turn the knife over and use the spine. It costs nothing and it is the habit that separates a knife that stays sharp from one that does not.
What sharpening actually is
Most knives that feel blunt are not blunt. The edge has rolled over to one side and needs straightening, not removing metal. A honing steel does this in ten seconds and should be used far more often than a sharpener.
Actual sharpening — removing metal to make a new edge — is a twice-a-year job for a home kitchen, not a monthly one.
The order that matters
Get them out of the drawer. Stop scraping with the edge. Stop putting them in the dishwasher. Then worry about sharpening.
The rest of the kitchen is in the Kitchen.
More like this
- Four Things That Make Home Coffee Better
- Getting a Small Kitchen Counter Back
- Making a Rented Flat Feel Like Yours Without Losing the Deposit
Common questions
What actually makes a kitchen knife go blunt?
Mostly storage and handling, not cutting. A knife loose in a drawer knocks against other metal every time the drawer opens, and that is the single largest cause of a dull edge.
Are glass or stone cutting boards bad for knives?
Yes. They give the blade nowhere to flex, so the whole force of each cut lands on the edge. Wood and plastic give slightly under the blade, which is the entire point of a cutting board.
Can kitchen knives go in the dishwasher?
Better to hand wash them. In a dishwasher they knock against other items during the cycle, and the detergent is abrasive enough to dull an edge over time.
What is the difference between honing and sharpening a knife?
Honing straightens a rolled edge in seconds with a steel and should be done often. Sharpening removes metal to create a new edge and is only a twice-a-year job in a home kitchen.
