News — knife care

If you want to keep your kitchen knives sharper for longer, a wooden board with a Janka hardness between about 900 and 1,600 lbf is usually best, which includes bamboo and acacia. For raw meat in British homes, acacia is typically kinder to knife edges than most plastic boards, as it gives slightly under the blade instead of fighting it. Why board material matters for knife sharpness Every cut is a tiny collision between steel and surface. If the chopping board is much harder than the knife edge, the blade rolls or chips. If it is too soft or rough,...

If you care about keeping your kitchen knives sharp for 5 to 10 years, the best UK chopping boards for knife care are medium hardness wooden boards, and in real everyday use that means choosing between bamboo, carbonised bamboo and acacia. For most home cooks using Western stainless steel knives, a 45x35cm bamboo or acacia board hits the sweet spot between edge friendliness, durability and hygiene, while carbonised bamboo suits those who want a slightly softer feel and darker look. How your chopping board affects knife life Every time your knife hits a board, you are either protecting the edge...

If you care about sharp knives and precise cuts, bamboo chopping boards are usually the best everyday choice for UK knife enthusiasts, especially in the 38x28cm to 45x35cm size range, because they are kinder to edges than glass or plastic and last 5 to 10 years with basic care. What knife enthusiasts in the UK actually need from a chopping board If you own a 20cm chef's knife, a 24cm sujihiki or a set of Japanese gyutos, your chopping board matters just as much as your steel. The wrong surface can dull an edge in a single weekend. The right...

If you want to save your knives, the simplest rule is this: maintain your acacia chopping board with oil every 4 to 6 weeks and avoid soaking it. With regular care like this, a quality acacia board can help keep your knives sharper for 2 to 3 times longer than using glass, marble or very hard plastic. Why acacia chopping boards help save your knives Acacia sits in the sweet spot between durability and gentleness. On the Janka hardness scale it is hard enough to resist deep cuts, but not so hard that it chips or rolls your knife edge....