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Although I'm not completely sure about this, but I personally think that the knife was the first cooking tool ever created by man. 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. 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, the fact remains that still very few people know how to properly handle and care for a knife. A friend once jokingly explained that perhaps it's because knives don't have manuals when we buy them.

One of the things that really annoy me is watching people handle knives wrongly. But then, no one showed us how to use knives properly whe we were little. Our parents just told us that knives were dangerous and to keep away from them. Knives may not come with instruction manuals indeed, but it's no 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, but it depends on the kind of knife and what is it going to be used for. For cutting against a board, a knife should be held with the thumb and forefinger gripping the blade. The handle should be held with the other fingers. When cutting 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, one or two fingers should grip the blade, with the othersthe rest around the handle.

Learn also how to care for your knives. Use a wooden board 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? The end-grain is the least abrasive surface to cut against, and side-grains will chip off eventually.

Always store a knife in a way that protects the blade, such as a plastic sleeve or a paperboard. Clean the knife first after use, then dry before storing it away. Do not wash knives in a dishwasher, or just throw it in the wash basin. Always protect the knife's edge against other hard surfaces. 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. 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 case knives and supplies you need.