3 Must Have Knives for Your Kitchen and How to Sharpen Them

I love knives.  They are my favorite tools in the kitchen.  Chopping, slicing and carving are cathartic acts for me.  If you have yet to invest in a few good knives, I want to share with you my three "must have" knives, plus a couple extras and how to keep them sharp so they last a life time.

If you can't get to a good knife shop, here are links to my favorites via Amazon.  You can always return them, if the fit feels off.  

Head over to http://bit.ly/ECCDKnives to get links to all my favorite knives.

European Style Chef's Knife, This is the same one I own and I LOVE it!

Santoku Chef's Knife, Same brand as the European above, but in the shorter fatter Japanese style. Mine is a different brand, but this is very similar.  I actually chose between this one and the one I ended up with; they are both awesome.

Paring Knife, Same brand as the one I own, but slightly different style.

Carving Knife, This is the same brand I have, but a smaller blade.  It will still carve anything you take out of your oven!

Japanese Chopping Knife, This is the one I have and it is SO MUCH FUN!  Seriously!

Serrated Knife, Mine is red, this one is black, but otherwise the same.  Since we don't have bread in our house often, I don't use serrated knives much, but I do find this little guy helpful at times.