Kitchen Knife Safety

While it may sound obvious, keeping safe when using sharp blades in the kitchen is something we have to talk about according to emergency room statistics and the number of band aids sold each day. So lets start with some basics.

1. Don’t run around with a sharp knife in your hand.
2. Please don’t point a knife at anyone.
3. Always cut away from yourself.
4. Don’t try the knife out on your finger to see how sharp it is.
5. Don’t use your knife as a screwdriver or a pry bar.
6. Please, don’t let youngsters handle or play with the knives.

I know, right now you’re feeling guilty because you’ve done all those things. That’s ok, nearly everyone else has done the same thing at some point in time. Now that you know better you won’t do that anymore, right?

Always keep your knives sharpened. A dull blade is dangerous simply because you must use more pressure to cut an object than if that knife was sharp. More pressure subjects your hand, or the knife, to slipping and causing an accident. Unless a blade is severely dull simply using the honing steel realigns the edge and brings back a good cutting edge. Steeling the blade frequently will keep your knife cutting like new for many months or years.

Always use the right knife for the job. In other words don’t use your serrated bread knife for chopping carrots or onions, use your Chef’s knife or the Utility knife. Save the Bread knife for cutting bread. Use your Paring knife for peeling, trimming, cutting and slicing small items…remember, don’t use it to pry apart those frozen stacks of hamburgers. If you need to de-bone a ham use your Boning knife. It’s not a good idea to use any of your good kitchen knives to cut cardboard or trim the top off a plastic milk jug. It only takes a couple of passes through those materials to dull your knives completely.

Follow these simple safety rules and you’ll keep more of your fingers on your hands…and your quality cutlery will last for a very long time.