How to keep Knives in good condition?

[One Thumb Carver]

How is the best way to keep the knives in good shape like new

[Eddy-Smiles]

Strop frequently!

[Tom Ellis]

Bill, Welcome to the forum, If you strop frequently while you are carving, it will keep your blade polished, and should keep a good sharp edge for your carving needs. After some time, you will need to flaten your blade on a stone, or diamond, and then go back to stroping. After stroping for a length of time, your blade will round over on the cutting edge, and that is what you will need to grind back down to a nice flat bevel. As it starts rounding over, you will notice that it takes more and more pressure to make your cuts.
If you have a local, club, go to them for a little help to start with. It makes the entire experience a lot more fun.

Carve sharp, carve safe, Tom

[One Thumb Carver]

Thanks for the information I will try that What grade of stone should I use

[Robson Valley]

The total included angle in the edge of the blade is probably something like 20 degrees. So, each face of the knife needs to be lifted no more than 10 degrees to keep the edge that way. That's less than you think. I make drawn examples of angles with a protractor as references to look at.
For knives, Flexcut, Moor, Pfeil Brienz, as example, that's a tilt of about the thickness of a penny at the spine of the blade.

[One Thumb Carver]

Robson Valley Thanks I have set of 4 Flexcut

[carvingbarn]

You will enjoy those knives Stroping and keeping the blade protected while not on use. You can get some clear rubber tubing and slip it over the blades.

[One Thumb Carver]

Thanks Randy (Carvingbarm) have a good day

[Mitchell]

Stropping will keep you knife in good condition.

There are lots of suggestions on sharpening. Use the search function to get some ideas. HOW is a personal preference and there is no real right way.....

[Robson Valley]

None of it matters if you get the angle wrong on the blade. None of it at all.

I have a tool, American made BTW, to measure blade angles (General #16).
Flexcut is somewhere between 12 and 15 degrees.
In Western Red Cedar and my kitchen, that's a good enough ballpark figure.
The point is that you won't be trying to hog out 1/4" chips. So, you don't need so much steel behind the edge for strength. I can and do beat the be-jeezlies out of my 9/15 and 5/35 gouges
with a 30 oz, lead-core mallet, no reluctance.