How to Take Care of Your Knives Like a Professional Chef

Great knives work best when they’re cared for consistently. Professional chefs don’t do anything complicated—they just follow a few habits that protect the blade, maintain sharpness and keep knives safe to use over time. 

At home, those same habits make a noticeable difference. How you clean a knife, what you cut on, where you store it and how you maintain the edge all affect performance and longevity. Even high-quality knives will dull faster or chip if those basics are overlooked. 

This guide breaks down how chefs care for their knives in real kitchens, with practical advice you can use every day to keep your knives sharp, dependable and enjoyable to cook with.

Your knives work hard—taking care of them is part of the craft. Shop Sur La Table’s curated knife collection and care tools, or visit us in store to keep your blades performing at their best with expert support. 

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Why Knife Care Matters More Than You Think

Good knives are designed to do one thing extremely well: cut cleanly and predictably. When they’re sharp and well cared for, they move through food with control instead of force, which is why professional kitchens put so much emphasis on knife care.  

Even the best knives are still just steel, and steel responds to how it’s treated. Hard surfaces, improper storage and skipping maintenance will wear down an edge faster than most people expect. Over time, that doesn’t just affect sharpness—it changes how a knife feels in your hand, how much pressure you need to use and how precise your cuts can be. 

When you take care of your knives, you protect more than the blade. You preserve balance, edge geometry and the qualities you paid for in the first place. That’s why chefs think of knives as long-term tools, not disposable gear. With the right care, a well-made chef’s knife can last decades (and often gets better as you learn how to maintain it properly). 

How Professional Chefs Clean and Handle Their Knives

In professional kitchens, knife care is baked into the workflow. Chefs aren’t doing anything fancy—they’re just consistent about a few habits that prevent damage and keep knives working the way they should. 

Cleaning habits chefs stick to:

• Wash by hand, always. Dishwashers are hard on blades and handles—heat, detergent and rattling do real damage.
• Clean soon after use. Letting acids (think citrus, tomatoes, vinegar) sit on the blade can stain or pit the steel over time.
• Dry immediately. Water left on the blade or near the handle can lead to corrosion, even on stainless knives.

How chefs handle knives during prep:

• Use the spine, not the edge. When moving food off the board, flip the knife and use the spine to protect the edge.
• Avoid scraping side-to-side on hard surfaces. That lateral pressure dulls an edge faster than cutting does.
• Never toss knives in a sink. It’s unsafe and a common cause of chips when blades knock against other tools.

These small choices add up. Treated well, a chef’s knife keeps its edge longer and feels more predictable every time you pick it up. 

The Best Cutting Boards to Protect Your Knife’s Edge

What you cut on matters just as much as how you cut. In professional kitchens, cutting board choice is intentional because the wrong surface can undo good knife care quickly. 

Knife-friendly cutting board materials

• Wood (maple, walnut, beech): Gentle on knife edges, with fibers that compress slightly under the blade instead of chipping or flattening the edge.
• Rubber composite boards: Popular in commercial kitchens for their grip, durability and edge protection.
• High-quality plastic: Acceptable for everyday use, especially for raw proteins—just replace when deeply scarred.

Surfaces to avoid:

• Glass, marble, granite or stone: These materials dull blades almost immediately.
• Ceramic or porcelain boards: Extremely hard and unforgiving on knife edges.

A good rule of thumb: if the surface feels harder than the knife, it’s probably not doing your blade any favors. Pairing the best cooking knives with the right cutting board keeps edges sharper, longer.

How to Store Knives Safely and Properly

Proper knife storage protects the blade when it’s not in use—and just as importantly, it protects you. Chefs focus on storage that keeps edges covered and accessible without contact or friction. 

Smart knife storage options: 

• Knife blocks: Keep blades separated and edges protected. 
• In-drawer trays: A clean, low-profile way to store a full chef knife set safely. 
• Magnetic strips: A favorite in professional kitchens when mounted securely and used carefully. 

What chefs avoid: 

• Loose storage in drawers. Knives bang into other tools, dulling edges and increasing injury risk. 
• Edge-down contact. Any storage method that presses the edge against a hard surface will shorten blade life. 
   

No single storage solution is “best.” The right choice depends on your space, your habits and your knife collection—but the goal is always the same: protect the edge, prevent accidents and keep knives ready to use. 

Honing vs. Sharpening: What’s the Difference?

If your chef’s knife doesn’t feel as sharp as it used to, sharpening might seem like the obvious fix. In reality, most knives don’t need to be sharpened nearly as often as people think—they need to be honed. 

Honing doesn’t remove metal from the blade. Instead, it realigns the edge, which naturally bends out of place with regular use. That’s why a knife can feel dull even when it hasn’t actually lost much steel. A few passes on a honing rod can bring that edge back into line and restore the clean, controlled cutting you expect from good kitchen knives. 

Sharpening is a different process entirely. It removes metal to create a new edge, reshaping the blade when honing no longer makes a difference. You’ll know it’s time to sharpen when your knife struggles with tasks it used to handle easily—like slicing tomatoes cleanly or gliding through onions without pressure. 

Professional chefs hone frequently and sharpen sparingly. That balance is key. Regular honing keeps knives performing well day to day, while occasional sharpening resets the edge when it’s truly worn down. Understanding the difference helps you maintain your knives properly and avoid unnecessary wear over time. 

How Often Should You Sharpen a Chef’s Knife?

Most home cooks sharpen too often—or wait too long. Professional chefs focus less on timing and more on performance, and that mindset works just as well at home. 

How often you need to sharpen a chef’s knife depends on a few variables: how frequently you cook, what you cut, the hardness of the knife steel and the surfaces you use. A knife used daily on edge-friendly boards will hold its edge far longer than one used occasionally on unforgiving surfaces. 

As a general rule, many home cooks find that sharpening once or twice a year is enough. If you cook occasionally, even once a year may be plenty. The clearest signal isn’t the calendar—it’s the knife itself. When honing no longer improves cutting and you need extra pressure to get through food, it’s time to sharpen. 

When to Use a Sharpener—and When to Trust a Professional

Home knife sharpeners can be helpful tools, especially for routine maintenance. They’re convenient and accessible, but they’re not the right solution for every knife or every situation. 

A home sharpener makes sense when:

• You want to touch up an everyday chef’s knife
• You’re maintaining an edge between professional sharpening
• The blade is in good condition without chips or uneven wear

Professional knife sharpening is the better choice when:

• You’re working with higher-end or harder steel knives
• The blade has visible damage or inconsistent sharpness
• You want to preserve the knife’s original shape and performance

Professional sharpening removes metal more evenly and conservatively, which helps extend the life of a good knife over time. It’s why many serious home cooks rely on it as part of regular maintenance—not just as a last resort. 

Pro tip: Bring your knives in-store 

Sur La Table offers professional knife sharpening in select stores for a flat fee of $8 per knife. It’s an easy way to reset an edge without guesswork—and a good excuse to test a few knives in hand or ask a chef for care advice while you’re there. 

Common Knife Care Mistakes That Shorten Blade Life

Most knife damage doesn’t come from dramatic accidents. It comes from everyday shortcuts that seem harmless in the moment—and quietly wear down even the best kitchen knives over time. 

A few of the most common mistakes: 

• Using the wrong cutting surface. Glass, stone, ceramic and metal boards dull edges quickly and can cause micro-chipping. 

• Storing knives loose in drawers. Blades knocking into other tools lose their edge and can become a safety hazard. 

• Letting knives soak in the sink. Moisture and contact with other items increase the risk of corrosion and damage. 

• Skipping drying after washing. Even stainless steel benefits from being dried right away. 

• Scraping food with the edge. Turning the knife sideways and dragging the edge across the board wears it down faster than cutting does. 

How Sur La Table Supports Your Knife Care Journey

One of the biggest questions people have is whether they need a full knife set or just a couple of great knives. (For many home cooks, the answer is fewer than you think.) 

At Sur La Table, the focus is on helping you sort that out. In-store, you can handle different knives, compare weight and balance and get guidance on what’s worth investing in—and what isn’t. Whether that’s a single chef’s knife you’ll use every day or a small, purposeful set, the goal is choosing tools that make sense for your kitchen. 

You’ll also find practical support for everything that comes after: 

• Cutting boards and knife storage options that protect your blades 
• Sharpening tools for regular at-home maintenance 
• In-store knife sharpening when it’s time for a professional reset 
• Ask-a-Chef conversations to help troubleshoot care questions or refine your setup 

Ultimately, taking care of your knives is part of becoming a better, more confident cook. When your blades are sharp, well cared for and suited to how you actually cook, prep feels smoother and more intuitive—and you spend less time fighting your tools. 

Your knives work hard—taking care of them is part of the craft. Shop Sur La Table’s curated knife collection and care tools, or visit us in store to keep your blades performing at their best with expert support. 

Shop Knives & Knife Accessories