Don't run your knife through a knife system or device. Running your blade through a device will unevenly chew up the edge, can scratch the face of the blade, and will not get your knife as sharp as using a whetstone to sharpen.
Here are the most common mistakes and proven ways to avoid them:
Rule #1: It is important to use a knife adapted to what you want to do / food you want to prepare. For example, you shouldn't use a bread knife to slice a roast or use the blade of a paring knife and use it as a screwdriver (don't laugh, we've all done it!) Rule #2: Don't drop your knife on the floor.
Knife sharpening mistakes can have costly consequences: Chipped Edges: Incorrect angles and rough handling can chip the blade. Uneven Edges: Poor technique causes uneven sharpening, reducing cutting precision. Blade Weakening: Over-sharpening or improper tools erode the blade faster than normal.
Cutco knives with straight edges (Paring, Chef, Santoku, Boning, etc.) require periodic sharpening to maintain optimum performance. We recommend our Cutco Sharpener, but any sharpening stone, steel or other sharpening device may be used.
Cutco knives are made using stamped steel which means they're cheaper to produce. Although there's nothing wrong with stamped knives, they don't always hold their edge as long as forged knives. That means that you'll have to sharpen stamped knives sooner than forged knives.
In the sharpening phase, we do not recommend any current WD-40® Brand Products although some may be used later for storage & protection. For sharpening stones the lubrication can come from water or oil.
Cutting boards made of glass, granite, ceramic, or your dinner plate may look stylish or convenient, but they are the fastest way to destroy a knife's edge. These surfaces are harder than your knife's steel. So every time your blade contacts them, it suffers microscopic edge deformation, chipping, or even rolling.
Pull-through sharpeners are the most popular way to sharpen knives, and with good reason: They are quicker than whetstones and more precise than sharpening steels. However, they shed the most amount of metal, which weakens the durability of knives.
In particular, the holding and carrying of a knife in public is prohibited without good reason or lawful authority, unless it is a folding pocketknife with a folding blade of 3 inches/7.62 cm long or less.
FAQs on Gifting Knives
According to an old superstition, one should not give away knives as they can sever the bonds of friendship or love. However, this belief can be circumvented by having the recipient give the giver a symbolic cent. This way, the knife is not given away, but rather purchased in a symbolic manner.
Do not use the knife while distracted. Do not leave the knife near the edge of counters or tables or in a sink full of soapy water. Use knives only for cutting food. Carry knives with the blade pointed downward.
The hardness of steel is measured on the Rockwell scale (HRC). A good quality knife usually has an HRC value between 56 and 621. A higher HRC value means that the blade stays sharp longer and is generally more stable. Knives with a hardness of up to 52 HRC are often considered to be of lower quality.
By removing too much metal from the blade, you can actually make the knife duller than it was before you started sharpening it. To avoid this problem, start by understanding the angle at which your knife is currently sharpened.
A popular knife with Military and Tactical Law Enforcement Personnel, the SRK is the standard issue knife of the Navy SEALS for their BUDS - or Basic Underwater Demolition training - the SRK has proved its worth time and time again in the most demanding environments.
In many cultures, giving someone a knife or another sharp object is thought to symbolically cut or sever the bond between giver and receiver. The knife's sharp edge represents division, which can be interpreted as bringing misfortune to a friendship, romantic relationship, or family tie.
Yet despite all the talk about knives that goes on in both home and professional kitchens — and despite all the knives out there that are truly great to have — there are just three knives every kitchen ultimately needs: a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife.
The Best Knife Sharpeners of 2026, Tested and Reviewed
Quality Steel
Cheap knives are often made from decent quality stainless steel, while it may not be the fancy high carbon, hardened steel found on more expensive knives good quality stainless steel still takes a great edge and can be sharpened to be extremely sharp.
3-Finger Test
Lightly place the knife edge on your fingers (sideways, not pointing down) and gently pull. A sharp blade will feel very "grabby" and not slip easily over your skin.
We tend to grind to 13-16 degrees per side. If you match the existing edge angle and hold the knife against the stone to cut evenly across the edge grind, you will produce an edge with a similar angle.
The Case Small Texas Toothpick 410096 SS is a slim, lightweight pocket knife designed for precise everyday cutting. It features a long clip blade made from Case Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel, offering excellent corrosion resistance and easy...