Sliding Cuts Preserve Sharpness

Edges prefer motion. When the blade slides forward or back as it cuts, the apex enters food gently and the board contact is calmer. This reduces stress and keeps the edge aligned longer.

Three sliding motions work especially well:

• Push cut: Forward and down in a smooth arc. Great for most prep.
• Pull cut: Back and down; especially good for proteins and delicate foods.
• Slicing stroke: Long, gliding motion that uses the length of the blade.

The less you “punch” into the board, the slower the edge wears. And these motions use your elbow and shoulder more than you wrist. Most report this motion as easier.

Rocking Works, When It Matches the Knife

Rocking motions are natural with knives that have a more curved belly. The blade stays in contact with the board, and the motion distributes pressure along a larger section of the edge.

Rocking works best when:

• You keep the tip lightly anchored or grazing the board.
• You rock smoothly without lifting the knife high.
• You let the blade—not your wrist—do the moving.

If your knife has a flatter profile (like many Japanese gyutos), sliding motions often feel cleaner and reduce wear.

Chopping Straight Down Accelerates Wear

Pure up-and-down chopping concentrates force into a small section of the blade. It can be useful for some vegetables, but as a primary technique it wears the edge faster.

This motion:

• Creates higher impact with the board.
• Isolates and loads pressure in a condensed spot on the blade edge.
• Encourages gripping harder and adding force over time.

If you use this motion often, tune-ups and sharpening will be needed more frequently.

Sawing Motions: When They Help and When They Hurt

Sawing has two meanings in kitchens: the controlled sawing of a bread knife (good) and the aggressive, back-and-forth hacking motion used when a knife is dull (not good).

Good sawing:

• Uses a serrated knife on crusts, bread, cooked proteins.
• Applies light pressure and lets the teeth do the work.
• In reality... all well serviced knives (sharp + toothy) are serrated blades and want to be pushed and pulled.

Bad sawing:

• Shows up when a straight-edge knife is too dull to start the cut.
• Loads sideways pressure onto the apex.
• Rips or smooshes food instead of slicing it.

The Motions That Quietly Kill Edges

These are the habits that wear knives out quickly, even for experienced cooks:

• Scraping the edge sideways across the board to clear food.
• Twisting or prying in dense foods or between joints.
• Chopping on very hard boards (glass, stone, very hard plastics).
• Banging the heel into the board on every rep.
• Using the edge (poorly) as a scoop for diced foods.

Each of these motions puts stress where the edge is thinnest. Replacing them with sliding, gliding, or spine-based movements slows dulling dramatically.

If these habits feel familiar, you are not alone. Most people adopt them because their knives were already dull and needed extra force.

How to Know When Your Motion Isn’t the Problem Anymore

Even with great technique, knives still dull. If you’re using supported motions and the knife still resists, it’s not your form—it’s the edge.

Clear signs include:

• Paper hangs or tears instead of slicing.
• Tomatoes skid before they cut.
• You add pressure or fingers without meaning to.
• Food looks crushed instead of cleanly sliced.

At that point, it’s time for a tune-up (7–9 range) or sharpening (0–6 range). A tool like The Stick by Sharpow works well when the edge is close. Professional sharpening works well when the edge is tired.