Sharp Facts

A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. Dull knives require excessive use of pressure, which can cause you to slip. Additionally, not thinking of a blade as "sharp" can lead to using less care and caution.

Whetstones are better than pull-through sharpeners. Whetstones have a wider surface area which means slower wear on your blade. Pull-through sharpeners are generally less of a true sharpener more like a hone.

A steel hone only realigns the edge, it does not sharpen it. This is because the hone is not removing material, only moving it around.

All knife steels will dull over time. This is more wear and tear than anything else.

Without proper experience, it is possible to sharpen a knife too much, and doing so damages the edge. When we sharpen, we do so by removing material. If too much is removed, it will cause a structural problem and the blade has the potential to snap.

A cut from a sharp knife heals better and faster with less scaring. A sharp knife gives a clean cut which means it will reattach and heal faster.

A sharpened knife will cut in the direction you choose. The edge has been aligned and straightened after sharpening.

A dull knife will cause fatigue and can cause carpal tunnel to act up. You have to work harder and force the blade to cut.

You may not know, but...

The oldest knife was found in Ethiopia around 2.5 million years ago.

A sharp knife cuts through onion cell walls better, lessening or even preventing you from crying.

The most expensive knife at this time is the Gem of Orient. Valued at 2 million dollars, it includes 153 emeralds and 9 diamonds.

Obsidian knives cut the finest. So fine they are used in precision surgery as they cut between the cellular walls.

The Swiss knife has 33 tools, all but one are manufactured in Switzerland. The corkscrew comes from Japan.

The Miséricorde' or 'act of mercy', was a knife used in the high Middle Ages to end a knight's life with a mortal wound.