Keep Knives Sharp

Keep Kitchen Knives Sharp

Having quality knives is important in every kitchen, whether at home or in a professional setting. Keeping those knives SHARP is equally important! Find out how you can sharpen your own kitchen knives–no professional services needed.

Did you know that dull knives are dangerous–even more so than sharp ones?

Why Dull Knives are Dangerous

It seems obvious that SHARP knives–with their scary-looking pointy tips and razor-sharp cutting edge–are more dangerous than dull knives. Right?

In this case, the obvious answer is wrong.

Dull knives take more force to cut through food. So when you’re slicing that big ol’ sweet onion, you’re actually forcing (or PUSHING) the blade through it. That’s clumsy. And the chances increase that you’ll lose control, allowing the knife to slip.

A sharp knife, on the other hand, glides through nice and easy. The blade does most of the work.

Is a sharp knife dangerous? Of course! You still need to be careful. But when your knives are sharp, you KNOW they’re sharp–and there’s no need to force them through food.

To read more about knife safety, check out Rada’s Knife Skills Guide.

At-Home vs. Professional Knife Sharpening

If your knives are dull, you COULD have them sharpened by a professional. Keep these things in mind though:

• If there’s not a knife sharpening pro nearby, you’ll either have to drive a distance or you may need to ship your knives through the mail.
• There’s a good chance you’ll have to wait a while for your knives to be sharpened.
• Professional services can be expensive.

Or, you COULD sharpen your non-serrated (a.k.a. straight-edge) blades yourself. At home. Quickly, easily, and inexpensively.

You can keep a small manual knife sharpener, like Rada’s Quick Edge Knife Sharpener, tucked away in a drawer until you need it. With it, you simply hold the base with one hand and pull your knife’s blade between the sharpener’s steel wheels a few times with the other hand. (These steel wheels are specially edged and hardened, expertly making your blades super sharp again.) Then wipe the blade on a soft cloth and you’re done.

√ DIY √ Sharpens in seconds √ Easy to use √ Efficient √ Inexpensive √ Stores easily

Don’t forget to sharpen the non-serrated knives in your craft room, garage, toolbox, and tacklebox too!  

How to Protect Your Knives (& Your Fingers)

1. Cutting on metal, glass, or tile dulls your knives’ blades. Your best bet is to use a wood or plastic cutting board. 

2. Hand washing all fine cutlery is recommended. Why?

• A dishwasher–where water pressure could make knives clink and clank together–can cause tiny dings on their cutting edge. That makes them less effective.
• The water in a dishwasher gets hot and detergents can be abrasive. This can cause corrosion. And corrosion may shorten the life of that beautiful finish on your knives.
• Washing by hand means you can dry them immediately. Getting into this habit eliminates ugly water stains and protects the knife.

3. Keep your knives stored in a knife block if possible. If you MUST store them in a drawer, NEVER, EVER toss them in there willy-nilly. Instead, insert the blade into a protective sleeve, keeping knives AND fingers safe!

When purchasing knives, look for those with either an offset handle or finger guard.

• An offset handle, sometimes called a stepped design, is often found on larger knives. Because the blade is lower than the handle, your hand is elevated. And that means knuckles are protected from getting banged up on the cutting board while you slice.
• A finger guard is often built in to a knife’s design. When it is, the finger guard is located between the knife’s handle and blade. This keeps your fingers protected from slipping into–or under–the blade while you cut.

All Rada knives have either an offset handle or built-in finger guard.

Rada Cutlery knives are handcrafted in Iowa and have an incredible lifetime guarantee.

ALL Rada products are 100% made in America–from the materials that go into the product all the way through final production. Packaged in and shipped from America too.

Are you part of a group that needs to raise money for day-to-day expenses, a trip, or a service project? Rada Cutlery is the best way to raise the funds you need! With Rada, you’ll be selling quality American-made cutlery and kitchen tools that people will use every day and actually WANT to buy! Every year, thousands of groups–from churches, schools, and sports teams to clubs and civic organizations–partner with Rada for their fundraiser with great results!

Click here to view our fundraising catalog!

Find more information on starting a fundraiser here.

Start a Rada Fundraiser Today!