5 Mistakes That Ruin Knife Edges

Hint: Your cutting board may be doing more damage than your cooking.

A kitchen knife is meant for use, not display. Cutting tomatoes, onions, meat, and herbs will gradually wear down any edge.

But normal use is not always what makes a knife go dull quickly.

Several everyday kitchen habits can roll, dull, or chip an edge long before it should need sharpening. The good news is that these habits aren’t hard to fix.

Here are five of the most common mistakes we see.

1. Cutting on Glass, Stone, or Ceramic

Your cutting board has a bigger effect on your knife than you might think.

Glass, granite, marble, ceramic plates, and metal surfaces are much harder than a knife edge. Every time the blade hits one of them, the thin edge pays a price. It may bend, flatten, or develop tiny chips that make the knife dull.

Glass cutting boards may look great on the counter, but your knives will likely file a formal complaint.

A better habit: Use a wood or food-grade plastic cutting board. These materials have enough give to be easier on the edge.

2. Putting Knives in the Dishwasher

The dishwasher is convenient for plates, but it is not a friendly place for a food-prep knife.

High heat, strong detergent, prolonged moisture, and contact with other utensils can damage the blade, handle, and cutting edge. A knife can also knock against the rack or silverware during the wash cycle, leaving the edge dull or chipped.

A better habit: Hand wash your knives with mild soap and warm water, then dry them immediately. It takes less than a minute and will preserve the life of the knife’s edge.

3. Scraping Food With the Cutting Edge

You finish chopping an onion and use the knife to push everything into the pan. It feels harmless, but dragging the cutting edge sideways across the board can roll or dull it.

A knife is built to cut forward and down. Scraping sideways puts pressure on the thinnest and most delicate part of the blade.

A better habit: Flip the knife over and use the spine to move food, or reach for a bench scraper. Your onions will still make it to the pan, and your edge will stay sharp.

4. Storing Knives Loosely in a Drawer

A drawer full of loose knives and utensils is hard on the edges and has the potential to really hurt someone reaching inside.

When an unprotected blade rubs against other knives, peelers, or metal utensils, the edge can become dull or damaged.

A better habit: Store knives in a block, on a properly designed magnetic strip, in an in-drawer organizer, or in individual blade sleeves. The goal is simple: keep the edge protected and reduce the risk of injury.

5. Using a Kitchen Knife for the Wrong Job

A chef’s knife is versatile, but it is not a can opener, screwdriver, pry bar, or frozen-food chisel.

Cutting bones, joints, or frozen food with the wrong knife can chip or break the edge. Twisting the blade while it is buried in something hard can also damage the edge and be dangerous.

A better habit: Match the tool to the job. Use a cleaver for appropriate bone work, kitchen shears where they make sense, and let frozen food thaw before cutting it. If the task feels more like construction than cooking, put the chef’s knife down.

The Bottom Line

Even the best knife will eventually need sharpening, but good habits can help the edge last much longer between sharpening services.

Use a knife-friendly cutting board, wash and dry your knives by hand, move food with the spine, protect the blades during storage, and save the hard jobs for the right tools.

Not sure whether your knives are actually dull? Try the simple tests in How Often Should You Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives? If the edge is no longer performing, Blade Butlers would be honored to get it right again.

Schedule your Blade Butlers sharpening appointment today.