I cooked for sometime employing knives of the finest caliber and found them scary. I was naive about the as tools and what they did as tools.

It has already been mentioned. Keep the knife sharp. A dull knife requires extra pressure to cut. They slide instead of cutting. They wander to places you do not want them to go. How do you keep a knife sharp? Don't wait until it gets dull to try and sharpen it. It gets a little dull with each use. Sharpen it after each use and it will stay sharp. Familiarize yourself with how to use a knife steel (sharpener). Do not cut on anything other than wood or plastic. Cutting on ceramic or glass surfaces will ruin a sharp edge very quickly. Always wash your good knives by hand. Do not let them sit dirty or wet. Keep your good knives in a block and keep them with their blades "up" if it is safe.

Use the right knife for the right job. There are a whole bunch of different knife designs designed for specific tasks. You do not have to own them all but a few will absolutely be required. Study them and how they are each used.

In this same vein do not shun electric knives. They are a godsend when carving meats. Just push a button and they cut. You can concentrate on what you're doing and not fret about carving motions. I will use nothing else on a turkey or big roast. It is safer and the cuts of meat turn out more uniform. Electric knives are also damn sharp so understand them also.

Get a good meat fork. Those twin tined, long handled meat forks will keep your paws away from the cutting arena and will limit where that razor sharp blade can go.

My knives and knife skills are now a point of personal pride. They look good and I look good using them. I even look good washing them. Let's just say it, I'm good.

a food processor is better and safer than any knife. also the craving of a great roast or turkey etc is always done best with a good knife and fork set both wood ahndles to grip better and stainles steel. the cutting board if used in the kitchen must be cleaned everytime it is used if not I will report you to the red cross as this can lead to food posioning a terrorist act. no more excuses universal safety measures in the kitchn and diner in usa dn all over the world. also watch out for electric can openers there is a recall too cheap blades too sharp and shocking also toaters, cheap mcrioswave ovens and cheap crock pots and toaster overns all very dangerous and very pre planned. terrist acts and even too cheap dangerous pizza cutters go to www.recall.com to check on this the life you save will be your own. no more excuses

Can't dice in a processor. They have their uses as do mandolins. Knives still accomplish most of the cutting that needs getting done. Yep, clean the cutting boards (common sense) and any knife handle will be slippery if it gets greasy.

Yuck to electric knives and meat - maybe it's a Rocky Horror Picture Show thing - but they are incredibly useful for cutting meringue without crumbling it when you plate various desserts.

I've suspect that it's just as easy to cut oneself with a powered knife than a non-powered knife, the difference is only in the magnitude of the damage.

I have my scars, but I earned them getting some of the skills. I think the knives and I are about even at this point.

There is a method for slicing as well that, if practiced all the time, will impress your audience into thinking you were raised and trained in a Japanese steak house....well, slight exaggeration there, but it does work.

If you're right handed, hold your food with your left hand fingertips, palm down in a claw grip. This is your cutting guide. Knife in the right hand, it's all in the wrist. I can slice a bowl of fresh mushrooms [1 lb] at consistent two millimeter slices in less than two minutes. I'm at it so fast that mushrooms are flying in the air around me...okay..so I b.s. a little. You will develop speed when you consistently employ your method.