The housewife’s best method of sharpening or rather keeping the edges straight and keenly cutting is the steel. When the knife really gets dull it should be ground. The use of the stone or carborundum by the ordinary operator often wears the steel. However, if the use of the grinder or the stone or the carborundum is really known, time and money will be saved in the sharpening process. Sharp knives save temper, save food to a great degree, and therefore if you can’t sharpen knives yourself send them out to be taken care of once or twice a year. There is a special stone on the market for stainless steel sharpening; it is well to get this for your stainless utensils. Follow the directions with it carefully. All sharpening steels should have a guard for the hand in case the knife slides back towards the fingers. Never hold the knife on edge on the steel, for it should be quite flat; remember you are trying to flatten the two sides toward the edge, and thereby make it a better cutter. There are good rotary grinders and polishers on the market, and knowledge of them and their use is very valuable. There are also stones flat and stones in handles, all for keeping knives sharp. They are yours if you want them and realize that you must know how to use them to save rather than to destroy your cutlery. The story of forks is almost the same as that of its confrères, knives. The tines must be rigid and sharp enough to pierce immediately and not drop their prey by dull points. Forks were not meant to open cans or lift lids. Many a perfect fork has had its life history snapped by this usage. As with the sharpening steel, so with the fork which accompanies the carving knife--it too should have a guard to prevent the knife slipping and injuring the left hand. If you buy the best cutlery from the most representative firms you will have the best results and be well repaid. Good cutlery, like everything good, is more expensive than the cheap varieties. Good cutlery may stand up longer under bad usage than poor cutlery; but don’t tempt it and waste your money! A little care with cutlery will curtail your bills, give your food a better appearance and swifter accomplishment, for, after all, the kitchen work is mostly cutting up. CHAPTER XVII THE ANCIENT WOOD IMPLEMENTS In these days of metals, electricity and enamels, you are very prone to forget that there is still virtue in the ancient wood, which with true aristocratic gentleness, has given way to those more parvenu products that boast their sanitary qualities. To-day there are still things of wood for the kitchen, pantry and laundry which are retained to advantage and other things which can be kept, if not with advantage, at least for utility.