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Stop Dulling Your Knives: Simple Tips to Keep Them Sharp at Home
So, you just got your knives professionally sharpened at Cowboy Sharp®. (Thanks for that!)
They glide through tomatoes like butter, slice meat effortlessly, and make prep a joy.
Now the real question is — how do you keep them that way?
Quick Knife Care Summary
• Use the spine to scrape
• Hand wash & dry immediately
• Use wood boards
• Store with protection
• Hone gently with ceramic (or skip it safely)
Here’s what matters most regarding your sharp knives…
1. How you use them.
2. What you cut on.
3. How you wash/dry them
4. How you store them.
Simple, but important.
With a few simple habits, you can keep your knives performing beautifully between visits.
Here’s what to avoid — and what actually works.
What Dulls Knives (Don’t Do This!)
Even a freshly sharpened knife can be ruined quickly if it’s treated poorly.
Avoid these common mistakes:
• #1 Dulling habit — Scraping the edge to move food
• Dishwasher use — detergent causes corrosion, standing moisture causes rust
• Hard cutting surfaces — titanium, granite, glass
• Loose drawer storage
• Twisting and heavy chopping
Avoiding these habits is your first big step in keeping your knives razor-sharp.
Do This Instead: Proper Knife Care Tips from Ronnie
1. The Solution to Avoiding the “Scrape and Scoot”
Many of us scrape the board. Colleen and I did it, we admit it. But we’ve since changed our habit – we didn’t stop scraping altogether. Cuz, you know, once a “scraper” always a scraper, right?
Cowboy Sharp® Knife Care Tip: Here’s the trick! Flip your knife on the spine and scrape with the back of the knife! This allows you the satisfaction of scraping to scoot your food and doesn’t require any other tools. Just flip carefully!
2. Hand Wash & Dry Immediately
Wash knives in warm, soapy water and dry them right away. It’s really not a hard habit to develop and if you want to own good sharp knives, it’s a good practice to start doing.
Say to yourself, “Self, you paid good money for a great sharpen on this knife and it feels good to hand wash/dry it! You’re keeping it sharp as long as possible.” 😉
Avoid leaving them soaking or in a sink full of dishes — water spots, rust, and dulling can happen fast. If you don’t avoid this, you’ll be needing to see us more often. We don’t mind but we want you to get the most out of your knives!
Cowboy Sharp® Knife Care Tip: keep a clean dry Bar Mop Towel right next to the sink and only use it for drying your sharp knives. Mop towels are cheap and absorbent. They dry well and it won’t matter if your really sharp knife accidentally cuts the towel over time. Just don’t use your good towels for drying your Cowboy Sharp® knives. These are our favorite Bar Mop Towels.
*Bonus Cowboy Sharp® Knife Care Tip: Use a bottle brush to wash your knives to help avoid slipping and cutting yourself under soapy water conditions. At Cowboy Sharp, we use a bottle brush like this to wash our knives. It keeps our hands a good 6″ away from the edge under soap conditions.
3. Use the Right Cutting Surface
“End Grain” or “Edge Grain” Wood boards are best. We know, we know, “what about germs on wood boards?” We address the germies in another post.
For now, we just need to tell you that wood is the most gentle on the blade and helps maintain sharpness the longest.
Cowboy Sharp® Knife Care Tip: Want the full low-down on choosing the best cutting board to keep your knives sharp the longest? Scoot on over and read our post “choosing a cutting board”. (Cowboy Sharp® recommended board included).
4. Store Safely
Knife blocks, magnetic strips, or edge guards are ideal. Keep them separate from other utensils.
We like magnetic strips or edge guards the best. If you use a knife block, make sure your knives are totally dry before storing and store them “edge up” in the block. This protects the edge more than “edge down”.
5. Mind Your Technique
Let the knife do the work. Avoid twisting or forcing it through tough food. Choose the right knife for the job. Smooth, controlled motions protect the edge. Technique matters.
Smooth, controlled motions protect the edge — and your fingers.
6. Hone Regularly, But Choose Wisely!
A quick pass along a honing rod straightens the edge and prolongs time between professional sharpenings. However…
Honing is not sharpening — it realigns the blade to keep it cutting cleanly.
The type of honing rod you use after a professional sharpen MATTERS. A lot.
Get yourself a ceramic honing rod. Like the HXT Ceramic Thick Honing Rod. It even comes with angle guides.
After a Cowboy Sharp® sharpening, you’re going to have a fantastic smooth sharp edge on your knife and you want to keep it that way, right?
Steel rods are far too aggressive (coarse) for the polish that Ronnie just put on your knife.
So, we always recommend a ceramic rod — 1500 grit will do the trick in most cases.
Not sure how to properly use a honing rod?
What angle?
Knives are sharpened at different angles. Ask Ronnie which angle yours is best kept sharp at. He’s happy to chat with you about it.
How often?
For home cooks, after a professional sharpening, usually about every 3-4 cooking sessions.
How much pressure?
Hardly any! Very gently – just the weight of your knife. Only 2-3 light strokes per side.
Ronnie is happy to demonstrate for you at the market. One of these days, we’ll post a demo video on it.
*** Important *** If you’re still unsure about how to properly hone or you’re just not comfortable doing it, it’s ok – you can skip it. Yep, just skip it. Because, if you do it wrong, you can do more damage than good. You’ll still be leaps and bounds ahead of where you were with your sharp knives if you skip honing and follow all the other knife care tips we recommend.
“You’re all set to keep your knives sharp between Cowboy Sharp® visits!”
When It’s Time for a Professional Edge Touch-Up
No matter how careful you are, even well-maintained knives eventually need professional sharpening.
When your knives stop gliding, don’t fight them.
Round ’em up — we’ll make them Cowboy Sharp® again.
Find Us at:
Drop-Off Lockers (48hr turnaround)
Farmers Market Schedule (Onsite Sharpening)
Ronnie’s Closing Thought:
With proper care, your knives will last longer, perform better, and make every kitchen task easier and safer. Follow these knife care tips, and you’ll enjoy the pleasure of a truly sharp knife every day — until your next Cowboy Sharp® visit.
Sharpening is only as good as the steel you start with. So, if your knives are feeling a little lackluster in the kitchen and you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen knives and gear, check out:
Ronnie’s Sharp Picks and Favorite Gear
Quick Knife Care Questions
Can I put my knives in the dishwasher?
No — heat, detergent, and movement dull and damage edges quickly.
Is honing the same as sharpening?
No — honing realigns, sharpening removes metal.
What cutting board is best for knives?
End-grain or edge-grain wood. Never titanium — that’s a marketing gimmick.