Tips for using a ceramic knife? →[More:]One of the cooler Christmas gifts I received was a ceramic chef's knife from my son and his girlfriend. It's a fantastic new kitchen tool, but I'm a bit unsure as to how to take care of it.

I already know all about using it on a receptive surface, like wood or plastic, so that's covered. And, I keep it hand-washed off, and store it in the nifty little cage that came with it.

Today, as I was preparing garlic for dinner, I used the ceramic knife as I would my other knives. I put the flat of the blade against a clove and struck down with my hand against the blade. Nothing happened, but I immediately though about how fragile ceramic knives can be if handled wrong.

So...Could a ceramic knife break if subjected to the sort of use I put it through in smashing the garlic clove? Did I dodge a bullet, and should never do that again? Or are ceramic blades sturdier than that?