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The old proverb goes "only a bad workman blames his tools" - so next time your knife slips and you mangle your fingerprint, we don't mean to sound sharp, but it's most likely user error.

Good knives are the one of the basic building blocks in a well-equipped kitchen, but what's the point if you don't know how to use and maintain them correctly?

Jeffrey Elliot is the executive chef and Director of Culinary Relations of kitchen product company Zwilling J.A. Henckels, and the co-author of the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to Use Techniques and Care.

With Elliot's advice, there will never be a dull moment in the kitchen again.

Five Knife Basics You Need to Know: Jeffrey Elliot

1. What are the essential knives to own?
"To have the most basic kitchen setup you need a chef’s knife (or Santoku, depending on your preference), a paring knife and a serrated bread knife. The chef’s knife is the workhorse of the kitchen the majority of what you do can be done with this knife.

The paring knife is basically a miniature version of a chef’s knife, so chef’s knife for cutting big things like eggplant and watermelon; paring knife for cutting little things like strawberries or shallots.

A serrated bread knife is for cutting thing that are hard on the outside and soft inside like hard crusty bread - except not tomatoes, those you cut with your chef’s knife."

2. Chef’s knife or Santoku?
"Santoku means 'three virtues' and depending on which part of Japan you’re in that can mean slicing, dicing and chopping or it could mean meat, fish or vegetables. So a Santoku is for slicing, dicing and chopping meat, fish or vegetables. This also happens to be what a chef’s knife is used for. The difference is in the blade shape and the cutting motion.

Santoku knives have straight edges which are good for cutting in an up/down chopping motion, and chef’s knives have curved blades for cutting in a circular rocking motion. You’re either a rocker or a chopper, typically not both. I’m a rocker!"

3. German or Japanese?
"Both. German knives are great for everyday use and Japanese knives for precise cutting and delicate work. Japanese knives are made with super hard steel, which is great for creating thin, razor-sharp blades. German knives are made with softer steels which are great for sharp edges that are durable and tough.

You can do things with a German knife, like cut a hard butternut squash that you shouldn’t try with a Japanese knife as you might chip or crack the blade."

4. Stay sharp!
"When you look at the edge of a knife under a microscope you’ll see little tiny teeth, these are called burrs. As you use your knife these burrs get bent making your knife feel dull. Using a honing steel will straighten the burrs out restoring the edge - this is edge maintenance.

When the steel no longer restores the edge, it’s time to sharpen on a whetstone. Sharpening removes a little metal from each side of the blade creating a new edge - this is repair. Just like with a car, the more often you maintain, the less often you have to repair."

5. The grip
"The proper way to hold a chef's knife is in what’s called the 'pinch grip.' Your thumb goes on one side of the blade, and your forefinger is curled up on the other side of the blade. Your remaining three fingers wrap around the handle. The pinch grip gives you the most control of your knife; you’ll know where your blade is and where it’s going at all times. It’s what gives a professional chef the distinctive callous on the underside of their forefinger.

If you hold the knife with all your fingers around the handle or with a finger extended across the back (spine) of the knife, you can lose control of the blade and possibly injure yourself."

Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.

Previously - Five Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Kitchen Knives