Always wash the sharp blades by hand and individually.
Dishwashers use cleaning agents that has a grit like component which sandblast the dirt off as much as the detergent dissolving grease and they use a high pressure jet to do it. It's this which dulls the edge of the sharp knives more than the chemicals. Just check plates that have had a life of dishwasher cleaning, there are minute scourings which cut into the glaze which you don't get from hand washing and it also removes patterns/pictures from sand etched glasses.
I find that a diamond coated steel is the best way of keeping a good hone on my knives (as well as not letting others use them!) but you need to be able to keep a constant angle of blade to steel (about 17 degrees) or you are wasting your time. If the diamond-steel is new it cuts metal very fast and the inexperienced can ruin an edge in a couple of strokes but they OK for a regrind; thus I always have two, one new and rough the other old and smooth which is used daily for the touch up.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
