Although I'm not completely sure on this, but I personally think that the first cooking implement created by man was the knife. Ages ago, knives were used by man to gather and hunt for 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 my pet peeves is watching people use 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.

You have to learn how to correctly hold a knife. Basically, there are three ways to hold a knife, depending on the knife and what is being cut. When cutting against the board, a knife should usually be held with the blade between thumb and forefinger. Grip the handle with your other three fingers. When cutting hanging meat, the knife should be held like a dagger for proper 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.

There are also several ways to properly 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. It's also better to use one where the cutting surface is end grain, rather than side grain. End-grain surfaces are the smoothest, least abrasive surface to cut against, so your knife's edge will last a longer time.

Always store a knife in a way that protects the blade, such as a plastic sleeve or a paperboard. Clean a knife after using it, then dry and store. Never 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 gerber knives and supplies you need.