A Sunday roast is a British tradition worth taking time over. But whether you're preparing vegetables, carving the meat or serving up dinner, a blunt knife can make even simple kitchen tasks more difficult than they need to be.
New research commissioned by Swedish sharpening specialist Tormek reveals that many Brits could benefit from giving their kitchen knives a little more attention.
Are blunt knives getting in the way of your cooking?
In a survey of 2,000 UK adults, 29% said they had never sharpened their kitchen knives. Meanwhile, 23% reported having injured themselves while using a knife that wasn't properly sharp.
With 23% of households enjoying a Sunday roast every week, it's a good opportunity to rethink one often-overlooked part of kitchen preparation – keeping your knives sharp.
A sharp knife requires less force to cut through ingredients and gives you greater control over each movement. From finely slicing vegetables to carving a roast, a well-maintained edge makes a noticeable difference.
A sharper start to Sunday
With our Sharpen Up Your Sunday campaign, we want to encourage home cooks to make knife care a natural part of their kitchen routine.
After all, we spend time choosing ingredients, preparing recipes and looking after our cookware. Why not give our knives the same attention?
“With Sharpen Up Your Sunday, we're encouraging home cooks to make knife sharpening part of their weekly routine. Blunt knives can be more dangerous than sharp ones, as they require greater force and are more likely to slip, turning simple kitchen tasks into a potential recipe for injury. Instead, a truly sharp knife makes chopping, slicing and cooking an absolute joy.”
– Samuel Stenhem, CEO of Tormek
Good cooking starts with a sharp edge
Whether you're an experienced home cook or just getting comfortable in the kitchen, sharp knives help you work with greater precision and control.
It's something chef, author and baking expert Richard Bertinet knows well from his work at the Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School.
“At the Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School, we use knives every day, so we know just how important it is to keep them sharp. Whether you’re learning the basics or working at a professional level, every chef will tell you that a sharp knife gives you greater control and helps you get the most out of your cooking. If you’ve invested in good knives, it makes sense to keep them sharp.”
– Richard Bertinet, chef, author and baking expert
And that's really what knife maintenance is about. Looking after the tools you already own so they're ready whenever you need them.
How do you know when your knife needs sharpening?
Even a good kitchen knife will gradually lose its sharpness with regular use. But how can you tell when it's time to sharpen it?
One of the clearest signs is how the knife feels when you're preparing food. A sharp knife should cut through ingredients smoothly, without requiring excessive force.
Here are a few signs to look out for:
- Cutting takes more effort. If you find yourself pressing harder than usual to slice through vegetables or meat, your knife may be losing its edge.
- Tomatoes are difficult to slice. A sharp knife should cut through tomato skin without crushing the flesh underneath.
- The knife slips instead of cutting. If the blade struggles to bite into the surface of an ingredient, it may be time to sharpen it.
You don't need to wait until your knife is completely blunt. By sharpening your knives when they need it, you can maintain a sharp edge and enjoy greater control every time you cook.
And what better time to check your knives than before preparing your Sunday roast?
Discover the difference of sharp knives
At Tormek, we've been developing sharpening solutions in Sweden since 1973. With the Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener, we've brought our sharpening knowledge into the home kitchen.
The Tormek T-1 uses a fine-grained diamond grinding wheel and a patented angle guide that lets you set the sharpening angle to suit your knife. After sharpening, the composite honing wheel removes the burr and refines the edge.
The two-step process gives you control over your sharpening and makes it possible to maintain your kitchen knives at home, whenever they need attention.
Because a good knife deserves a sharp edge – not just on Sundays.
Sharpen Up Your Sunday. And enjoy the difference all week. We are sharing tips and tricks about knife care, recipes and interesting facts from the survey on our Instagram channel - every Sunday from September to December 2026. See the Sharpen Up Your Sunday posts on Instagram.
Ready to Sharpen Up Your Sunday? Discover the Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener!
