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I'm not completely sure, but I believe that the first cooking implement created by man was the knife. Ages ago, man used knives to hunt and gather their food, and later on used to prepare food when fire was discovered. Today, the knife remains as one of the most important tools you could have. The ubiquitous knife is used everywhere, from homes to restaurants to cruise ships.

However, even if we know that the knife is a very important piece of equipment, the fact remains that still a lot of people don't know how to handle and take care of their knives correctly. Perhaps it's because knives don't have manuals when we buy them.

One of the things that really annoy me is watching people use knives wrongly. But then, no one showed us how to use knives properly whe we were little. All we knew at that time was that knives were dangerous and better kept away from us kids. There may be no instruction manuals for knives, but it's not a reason why people shouldn't learn to use them properly.

First, learn how to hold the knife properly. Basically, there are three ways to hold a knife, depending on the knife and what is being cut. When cutting against the board, a knife should generally be held with the thumb and forefinger gripping the blade. Grip the handle with your other three fingers. When cutting hanging meat, for example, hold the knife in a dagger-like fashion for proper leverage. And when turning or peeling with a small knife, it should be held with one or two fingers gripping the blade, with the othersthe rest around the handle.

There are also several ways to properly care for your knives. A wooden board should be used for chopping and cutting. Plastic boards require more cleaning, and they are not quite as gentle on the edge of a knife as wooden boards. It's also better to use one where the cutting surface is end grain, rather than side grain. End-grain surfaces are the smoothest, least abrasive surface to cut against, so your knife's edge will last a longer time.

When storing knives after use, it's better to use paperboards or plastic sleeves. Clean the knife first after use, then dry before storing it away. Never wash knives in a dishwasher, or just throw it in the wash basin. Remember that you have to protect the edge from other hard objects. To properly sharpen a knife, the best way is to use a knife sharpener with an abrasive, diamond surface. Using a whetstone needs lots of experience to achieve a fine, razor's edge.

Azlan Irda is the co-founder of AfterKnife.com, which provides high-quality knives and supplies. Visit our website to get all the benchmade knives and supplies you need.