Kleine Messerkunde

A brief introduction to knives

To keep kitchen knives sharp and reliable for a long time, they need proper care. Our short knife guide explains how to sharpen, clean, and store knives correctly. This way, you can enjoy your blades for years to come and always cut precisely.

This is how often you should sharpen your knife

How often a knife needs sharpening depends on its use and wear . With frequent use, it may be necessary to sharpen the knife every few weeks or months. Less frequently used knives may only need sharpening once a year or less often.

How to sharpen your knife correctly

The importance of properly sharpening a kitchen knife blade is often underestimated. Using the wrong technique can completely ruin the edge of any knife. Therefore, knife sharpening should be left to a professional or learned correctly.

In addition to using a professional sharpening service , we therefore recommend sharpening devices with guide slots (depending on the model) for the knife, i.e. an auxiliary device that ensures that the cutting edge of the knife rests on the grinding stone at the correct angle.

Tips from Fissler

Recognizing a dull knife

To test if a knife is sharp, you can try cutting a sheet of paper or a thin slice of tomato with it. A sharp knife should glide through the material effortlessly and precisely.

Use the correct surface

The right cutting board keeps knives sharp. Avoid glass, stone, and hardwoods like bamboo. Softwoods with natural antibacterial properties or dishwasher-safe cellulose boards are ideal.

Especially sharp & easy to resharpen

Fissler PrimeCut Collection by Alexander Herrmann

Made in Solingen , the knives in the Fissler PrimeCut Collection by Alexander Herrmann are precise in their cutting action, comfortable to handle, and individually designed. Laser-cutting technology allows for the use of a particularly hard blade steel (60 Rockwell) specifically developed for the demands of the kitchen. This steel retains its edge for a very long time and is easy to resharpen.

Discover the collection

2. Cleaning & Maintenance

How to properly clean knives

Never clean knives in the dishwasher. Instead, wash them by hand with mild dish soap and lukewarm water, and dry them thoroughly to prevent rust. This is because dishwasher salts can damage the blade, causing knives to dull much faster. If your knife has a wooden handle, prolonged exposure to water can also damage it.

With proper care, your knife will last a lifetime.

Depending on how often a knife is used and what material it's made of, its blade will wear down at different rates. However, with proper care, any blade can have a long lifespan. But how do I clean a knife correctly? This depends very much on the knife itself.

Knife with wooden handle

Knives with wooden handles require gentle care: Briefly rinse them by hand under running water (blade facing down) or wipe the handle with a damp cloth. Avoid heat, moisture, and harsh cleaners. Occasionally rub the handle with cooking oil or wax to protect it from moisture and preserve the wood grain.

Knives with plastic handles

Knives with plastic handles generally require no special care. However, to avoid damage, they should not be put in the dishwasher.

3. Storage

Where should I store knives properly?

As a general rule: Never simply put your knives in a drawer. If unprotected blades rub against each other, they will dull and the cutting edge can be damaged by other blades. Therefore, always ensure that the blade is protected during storage. We recommend storing your knives in a knife block , a drawer insert , or on a magnetic knife holder on the wall.