can literally grind your knife down to dust. if you are uncomfortable about doing any sharpening, take it down to your local knife store that has the ability to sharpen knives. you will be happy and you're knives will last longer and will never fail to do their job as you get better at handling them.
also let's take a few minutes and talk about storage and safety. store your knives, if at all possible, in a butcher block. it keeps the blade dry, free from nicks and chips, free of debris and above all, it provides safety. the last thing you want is to have a dozen knives in a 