Having a sharp knife to use for cooking is essential for both the preparation of the meal and your safety. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. There are certain rules you must follow in order to handle a knife safely. Nothing will ruin a dinner quicker than cutting your self.

Rules for handling a knife safely are:

1. Think about what you are doing. Getting distracted while using a knife is a sure way to cut the wrong item.2. Use the correct type of knife for what you are doing.3. Use a cutting board that won’t slide around.4. Don’t talk with your hands while cutting. You could injure yourself and whoever is standing close to you.5. Even though you’ve played baseball as a kid, don’t try to catch a knife if you drop it. 6. Don’t leave a knife in the sink for someone else to wash. Anyone could reach into the water not seeing the knife.

To sharpen a knife, the best way I found, was to take it back to the store where you bought the knife and have them sharpen it. But if you prefer to do it yourself, you will have to buy a whetstone. To use a whetstone, place the heel of the blade against the whetstone at a 20-degree angle. Keeping that angle, press down on the blade while pushing it away from you in one long arc. The entire blade should come in contact with the whetstone. Keep the stone wet with either water or mineral oil, but not both. Do not use vegetable oil.

A steel is used for honing or straightening the blade. The blade is placed at a 20-degree angle on the steel and run along it several times on each side of the blade.

Gripping a knife should be what is most comfortable to you. One method is to hold the handle with three fingers while gripping the blade between the thumb and index finger.

There are many different types of slicing and dicing. But with any of them, safety with a knife is the primary concern.