The first time I took my paring knives to a knife sharpener, I felt almost embarrassed. These are cheap-o little things with plastic handles and stamped-metal blades. It seemed silly to hand them over for professional sharpening along with my big chef's knife. More

Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife from Victorinox

• $25.01
• Amazon

These Victorinox knives are great deals — inexpensive, sharp, and long-lasting. We've mentioned these knives before; they are the choice of many chefs. This 8-inch knife is just the right size for my hands, but they also come in a larger 10-inch size.

Because they've somewhat fallen out of fashion, many cooks don't realize how important a pocketknife is to a culinary life. Sure we have our chef's knife and our paring knife safely ensconced in the home kitchen. But a cook should always be ready for whatever delicious opportunities are thrown her way and a pocketknife is essential for that readiness. Plus, a pocketknife is a thing of beauty and as such should always be encouraged.

Do you have a pocketknife? What do you use it for? More

Knives, I have recently learned, are not necessarily ambidextrous. The bevel on a regular (ie, right-handed) knife does not always work in favor of left-handed motion. The scallops of a serrated knife are on the opposite side. Even the handle might not feel quite right. If you're a leftie, it might be time to seek out a knife just for you. More

My mother and I have a virtually stress-free relationship (I know, I'm lucky) but there is one thing that fills me with dread whenever I visit home: the state of her cooking knives. Dull as butter spreaders, they are at best unpleasant to use and at worst an injury waiting to happen. It's a head-shaking, yet not uncommon, situation. Speaking with others, I have heard similar tales regarding mom and dad's unsharpened knives. What are we to do? More

Colorful Paring Knives from CHEFS

• $19.95 for set of 5
• CHEFS

I have some knives similar to these, and I love them. The handles are made of lightweight, colorful wood, and there are enough in this set to stock your cutlery drawer.

Hand wash only. More

This is my new Windmuhlenmesser Breakfast Knife and it's a beauty. What is a Breakfast Knife and why should you want one? And can you also use it for lunch, too? Read on for the details! More

It's not that I can't use chopsticks, exactly. It's just not very pretty when I do. No amount of practice, step-by-step tutorials, or helpful demonstrations from friends has improved my ability to snag bits of food and carry them efficiently to my mouth. Please tell me I'm not alone. More

You know it's happened to you: trying to cut off a nice little slice of a hard gouda, your cheese knife goes awry and you end up with a big jagged chunk. This handy tool from the Museum of Modern Art offers the perfect solution: two handles! More

Hang around chefs, or read profiles of them, long enough and eventually you'll hear one mention how much they love their Gray Kunz spoon. We couldn't believe how many chefs actually included this spoon in their list of favorite kitchen tools. A spoon? And a $10 one at that? What's the deal? More