If you’ve been spending lots of time recently watching all the cooking channels from http://www.direct.tv/ you’ve probably gathered the importance of a good knife when it comes to your cooking skills. Here are a few tips for buying and maintaining a special kitchen knife.

Go Heavy: If you’re in doubt when choosing a knife, remember that the one you want will be very heavy. The blade should be one long piece of metal that extends all the way through the handle and you’ll need to fork out some dough for a great, long lasting knife.

Keep it Sharp: Regular knife maintenance starts with keeping your utensil sharp which means no cutting on anything other than a wooden cutting board and regular trips to the kitchen store to be resharpened.

Take Care: The best knifes should never be washed in the dishwasher, especially if they’ve got wooden handles. Wash your knife by hand in the sink and if there’s wood involved be sure to oil it about once every three months to extend the items life for years to come.