BLADES

Do not put your knives in the dishwasher. This is the number one rule! It may sound like common sense to some but a combination of heat, steam, water and corrosive cleaning agents make a deadly combination for any knife.

Do not soak your timber handles in water or put them underwater if it can be avoided. Wet handles expand and after a few cycles of drying out and absorbing water, timber handles will crack.

Do not leave in a damp/wet environment. Even stainless steels can rust so its best to keep your knife as dry as possible when not in use.

Do not leave your knife in a hot environment. This will cause handles to dry up, shrink and any glue used will lose its grip which leads to knife handles coming apart.

Knife blades are often made from thin and hard steel to hold a good edge and stay sharp for as long as possible. This can mean that many knives are quite brittle, and care must be taken when chopping things like meat with bones. It is best to avoid chopping frozen food altogether. It’s for this same reason knives should not be used for unintended purposes like a screwdriver or levering open tins.

To get the most out of your knife:

• Wash and dry knife individually
• Only chop on wooden or plastic chopping boards
• To stop rusting (mainly for non-stainless steels), apply a thin coat of camellia oil, mineral oil, wax or food safe equivalent on your blade when storing your knife
• For sharpening, use only whetstones and/or leather strop for honing. A good stone to start with may be a #1000/#6000grit combination stone.
• Oil or wax timber handles as often as possible. Frequency depends on how much the knife is used or how often it is in contact with water.

If you have an issue or problem, no knife is beyond help. Feel free to contact me if you need help or need a question answered.