There are thousands of different recipes, ingredients, cuisines, tastes, and preferences — but there’s one one thing that remains constant through all good food and all good cooks no matter the food, the culture, or the occasion. A good knife.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that they don’t want their knives to be too sharp, because it’s dangerous and they might cut themselves. The thought makes me cringe. Believe it or not, a sharp knife is actually much, much safer than a dull one! With a dull knife you are forced to exert to much effort, which puts pressure on the blade and contorts you into weird positions, making the blade far more likely to slip and slice your hand.

One of the best things you can do to promote a safe kitchen is keep your knives clean, dry, sharp, and in good repair. You should sharpen regularly, but even if you do this with an at-home sharpener it’s still a good idea to get them professionally sharpened once a year.

Trust me: a good quality, well maintained knife is the most important tool of any chef. It will make your job much easier, safer, and more pleasant. And at the end of the day, all of those things add up to one, important result: better food.