The sharper your knife, the safer it is ... start with a medium-Arkansas stone around 600 grit. And for blades that just need a fine polish or tune-up, go right to a soft-Arkansas stone 1,000 ...

To determine whether the blade is sharpened to your liking, run the paper test again, looking for a nice, clean cut. Lay the stone flat on the table and wet it down. Place the knife's edge on the ...

While many may not think to regularly clean the knife block, the slits inside your holder are actually home to a whole host of bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli, yeast, and mould.