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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 when he learned how to make fire, the knife was a major tool in food preparation as well. Today, the knife remains as one of the most important tools you could have. 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.

However, even if we know that the knife is a very important piece of equipment, it's sad to see that very few people know how to properly handle and care for a knife. Perhaps it's because knives don't come with an instruction manual.

One of the things that really annoy me is watching people handle knives incorrectly. 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, a knife should be held with the thumb and forefinger gripping the blade. Grip the handle with your other three fingers. When you want to cut hanging meat, the knife should be held like a dagger to get the right amount of leverage. When using a small knife to turn or peel, 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. Get a board with the end-grain as a cutting surface, rather than side grain. Why? 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 a knife after using it, then dry and store. Do not 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. It's more dangerous to use a dull knife than a sharp one, so always keep your knives as sharp as possible. To truly sharpen it, an abrasive surface that is harder than the knife must be used, such as a diamond honer. Of course, you can always use a whetstone, but it takes a lot of experience to be able to sharpen a knife to razor-like sharpness with it.

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