Knife Care

All of my hand-forged knives are completely one of a kind, meticulously made from high quality knife steels and handle materials. 

While these steels can hold an amazing edge and see a long lifetime of reliable use, most of the pieces I make are not stainless steels, so will require a little bit of care to maintain the blade. Keep dry whenever possible, wipe clean after use, and occasionally wipe down the entire blade with mineral oil. A lot of my knives are made with exotic hardwood handles which, while beautiful and durable, are organic and appreciate the occasional wiping down with oil as well. I recommend using mineral oil at the very least, or better yet, using a product like Axe Wax for keeping the handles in good shape.

Carbon steels: With time and use the steel will naturally develop a unique patina (a darkened oxide later) that will help to protect the blade and prevent rust and oxidation. This process can be accelerated by cutting certain fruits and vegetables, especially acidic varieties like citrus. While proper maintenance should prevent any formation of undesirable corrosion or rust, In the case that your blade does get a little rust on it, no need to panic! It can easily be rubbed off with a scotch brite pad and a little bit of oil. 

Stainless steels: The stainless steels I use are quite resilient to patina or rusting, but still should never be left to soak in water, as this can potentially damage the wooden handle. As is the case with any high end cutlery - never put it in the dishwasher. Stainless knives should still be lightly washed after use and stored in a knife block, wall rack, saya or thick canvas/leather roll.

And of course, you’ll want to keep your knife nice and sharp! I love a ceramic honing rod (*make sure it’s a smooth rod - no weird serrations or anything like that!) for general edge maintenance, until the knife truly needs to be properly sharpened with stones, in which case I recommend the 500 grit and 2000 grit Shapton Glass stones. Also a good secondary option would be the “Coarse” and “Extra Fine” DMT diamond stones (get the 8” x 3” size), though I still prefer the Shaptons the most.

While you’ll need to spend a little time learning to sharpen with stones, it’s by far the best method to keep your knives sharp and cutting for a long time, and well worth the time. You can find plenty of videos on Youtube going over sharpening basics using a stone. Here’s a good primer by Don Nguyen on sharpening basics. Practice with a cheap knife first until you get the hang of it.

All of my knives are made with the highest standard of quality. If you experience any sort of problem or have a question of any sort feel free to contact me any time! 

Enjoy your new custom blade!