How to Care for Your Kitchen Knives Correctly
A good knife should feel effortless to use. But even the finest blade won’t stay sharp forever. At Divertimenti, we pride ourselves on helping cooks choose and care for their premium knives, and one thing is certain: proper maintenance transforms not just your knife, but your entire cooking experience.
As Jules, Head of the Divertimenti Cookery School, often advises, keeping your kitchen knives properly maintained is one of the simplest ways to improve your confidence and precision in the kitchen. Whether you’re using German or Japanese knives, we can guide you on the best way to keep them in excellent condition.
In this article, we’ll explain why sharpening is essential, how often your knives really need attention, de-mystify terminology like honing and burr and how proper storage protects your investments. We will also share our recommended knife sharpener to help you keep your blades performing at their best. 
Why do you need to sharpen your kitchen knives?
There are several important reasons to keep your kitchen knives properly sharpened. First and foremost, the longevity of any knife is directly determined by the care it receives. Regular sharpening prevents premature wear, preserves the blade’s structural integrity and ensures your knife performs as it was designed to.
Safety is equally crucial. A blunt knife requires significantly more force to cut, increasing the likelihood of slipping and causing injury. A sharp blade, by contrast, works with precision and control. There’s also an ergonomic benefit: a correctly sharpened knife transforms the way you cook. Slicing should feel smooth and effortless- never forced. When a knife is truly sharp, it does the work for you.
How often should you sharpen your kitchen knives?
As Jules advises, how often you sharpen your kitchen knives depends largely on how frequently you use them. The knives you reach for every day-typically a chef’s knife or santoku-will naturally require more regular maintenance than those used only occasionally. As a general guide, a well-used kitchen knife should be sharpened every 2-5 months, though keen home cooks may find they benefit from more frequent attention.
The quality and composition of the steel also play an important role. Hardness is measured on the Rockwell scale (often listed by the manufacturer as an HRC rating). Knives made from harder steel-commonly Japanese blades -hold their edge for longer, meaning they require sharpening less often. However, that hardness also makes them more brittle and potentially prone to chipping if misused.
Western knives are typically made from slightly softer steel. While they may need sharpening more frequently, they are generally tougher and more forgiving in everyday use. We recommend you sharpen every 2-3 months.
A simple way to tell if your knife needs sharpening? If it struggles to slice cleanly through a tomato or slips on the surface of an onion, it’s time.
Our recommendation to sharpen your knives:
In the Divertimenti Cookery School, we maintain our knives using the Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener. Developed through Swedish engineering, the Tormek T-1 is designed to revolutionise the way knives are cared for and maintained. Its precision fine diamond grinding wheel delivers fast, controlled sharpening, while the composite honing wheel refines and polishes the edge from heel to tip for consistent results. Powered by a quiet 45 dB motor, the Tormek T-1 is unique in its ability to sharpen the entire bevel of your knife-not just the outer edge-helping keep knives performing at their best for longer.
The Tormek T-1 stands out for many reasons. It is suitable for a wide range of knives and highly adjustable, allowing it to accommodate different blade lengths and larger handles. The guide on the diamond grinding wheel makes sharpening simple and precise, while a magnet beneath the guide captures the removed metal particles. With both grinding and honing wheels integrated into one compact machine, the Tormek T-1 allows all aspects of knife care to be carried out in one place-which is exactly why it is our preferred choice for knife maintenance in the cookery school. 
Sharpening vs honing?
When looking after your knives one of the most common misconceptions is that honing and sharpening are the same thing.
Honing is routine maintenance. When you use a knife, the ultra-fine edge gradually bends and rolls to one side. A honing tool would not remove the steel that has rolled but it rather re-aligns the edge. Honing is the straightening of the blade, it will make your knife sharp and extend the period between sharpening, but it is not the true process of knife sharpening. However, it is important to regularly hone your knives, so they are fit for use, we recommend honing your knives weekly to see the best results.
Sharpening is the process of removing a small amount of steel to restore a fresh, precise cutting edge. While honing maintains alignment, it cannot replace metal that has worn away. When honing no longer improves performance, it’s time to sharpen and create a new edge entirely. The Tormek T-1 is unique because it will sharpen the entire bevel of your knife, restoring the whole surface of your knife not just the outer edge, it is the best treatment your knives can receive.
Proper sharpening requires maintaining the correct angle for your knife and working both sides of the blade evenly. Tormek recommends that, to maintain consistency in your sharpening, each edge should be sharpened at the same angle. This helps you remove the least amount of steel possible while preserving your knife’s longevity. As you sharpen the first side, you’ll eventually feel or see a burr forming along the opposite edge.
Note: Japanese knives are typically sharpened to a narrower angle than Western knives, which is why consistency matters.
A burr is a fine ridge of steel that folds over to the other side of the blade. It indicates that you have sharpened all the way to the very edge. Once a consistent burr has formed along the length of the blade, you can move to the other side and repeat the process. The Tormek T-1 includes a magnet beneath the sharpening wheel that collects the micro pieces of steel, making for a no mess sharpening experience.
You then return to honing the knife to remove the burr. Tormek recommends adding moisture to the honing wheel before use. Using a damp sponge, lightly apply water to the composite wheel to reduce friction and help achieve a fine bevel. It is then that your knife is ready to use again. 
Knife storage recommendations:
Once your knives have been sharpened, with the Tormek T-1 - good storage will help maintain that fresh edge.
A knife block or magnetic wall strip keeps blades protected and within easy reach, while blade guards are a simple solution if you prefer drawer storage or need to transport your knives in a roll.
Sharpening restores the edge; careful storage helps it stay that way.