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Although I'm not completely sure on this, but I personally think that the knife was the first cooking tool ever created by man. Ever since the beginning of the Stone Age, knives were used by man to gather and hunt for food, and when he learned how to make fire, the knife was a major tool in food preparation as well. Several centuries later, the knife is still one of the most common and most used tools everywhere you can find a kitchen. Everywhere you go, from homes to cafes and restaurants, you will find all sorts of knives being used for almost every food preparation and cooking task.

But although we can all agree about the importance of this versatile tool, it's sad to see that very few people know how to properly handle and care for a knife. A friend once jokingly told me that perhaps it's because knives don't have instruction manuals.

One of my pet peeves is watching people use knives wrongly. The problem is that nobody taught us how to do it properly when we were just kids. Our parents just told us that knives were dangerous and to keep away from them. There may be no instruction manuals for knives, but it's no reason why people shouldn't learn to use them properly.

First, learn how to hold the knife properly. There are three basic ways to hold a knife, depending on the knife and what is being cut. For cutting against a board, the knife should usually be held with the blade between thumb and forefinger. Grip the handle with your other three fingers. When cutting hanging meat, hold the knife in a dagger-like fashion to get the right amount of 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.

Learn also how to care for your knives. A wooden board should be used for chopping and cutting. Plastic boards are not as gentle on the edge of the knife as wooden boards. It's also better to use one where the cutting surface is end grain, rather than side grain. The end-grain is the 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 a knife after using it, then dry and store. Never wash knives in a dishwasher, or just throw it in the wash basin. Always protect the knife's edge against other hard surfaces. 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 automatic knives and supplies you need.

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

- Azlan Irda