KNIFE CARE
When we build a knife we plan on people using them relentlessly. Semper Sharp knives are built to be used and not put on a shelf for display. They are built for looks and use, but are most beautiful when our clients put them to work. With some basic care and upkeep, these knives will out preform and out last other knives.
RULE #1
Never wash your knife in a dishwasher!
Rule #2
See rule #1.
Dishwashers wreak havoc on handmade knives for a couple reasons.
· They use concentrated chemicals that are meant to breakdown oil and grease. Those chemicals also breakdown the oils and waxes that are applied to the handle for protection. We make a product called Semper Shine that is a blend of natural oils and waxes. It can be used to re-condition handles, leather, and steel.
· Then second reason is that high heat will breakdown the epoxy in the handles. It will also warp materials in different directions. This could lead to the handles feeling rough, misaligned, or in the worst case need total replacing.
· Dishwashers do not care about the edge on your knife either. Because of the multiple jets coming from different angles, the knives can clank together with other items being washed. This will lead to a much quicker diminishing edge retention.
Rule #3
When you have a party or are hosting guests, don’t let them put your knife in the dishwasher. We all love helpful people (like my mom) who want to clean up to lessen the burden. So, they do what comes naturally and jam everything in the dishwasher, including your $$$ custom knife you had us make. The rest is history…
Cleaning and Storing Your Knife
Use regular hand dishwashing soap with warm water and a sponge to wash your knife. Use your hands to wash the knife. Do NOT put it in a soapy sink to soak. First off, that’s incredibly dangerous. Second, prolonged soaking in water will warp the handle if left long enough.
Storing knives in a drawer is NOT a preferred method. When opening a drawer the contents of the drawer slide around and clank together. This is horrible for the cutting edge of the knife.
Our preferred method of storing your knives would be on a magnet board. We have a couple reasons… They secure your knife for storage and keep the edge from damage, and they allow the knife to completely dry. Knife blocks are ok, but they can store water and bacteria.
Even though we use premium “stain-LESS” steel knives can, and will form a natural patina over time. This is not to be confused with corrosion. Along with years of use around acidic foods dark spots will begin to appear. This just means you are breaking in your knife. Think of it like a brand new baseball glove. When you first put it on it is stiff, but after some time it begins to break in and take on its own character. Some believe the patina actually protects the blade, others force it early because they like the look.
These same things happen with damascus, only it wont be as easy to spot because of the patterned steel.
Sharpening
I think I could write a book on sharpening.
The distance between sharpening depends on how the knife is being used. For hunting knives, how much bone you are subjecting the edge too? For kitchen knives, what surfaces are you cutting on? If at all possible use wooden or plastic cutting boards. If you are out fishing, clean your fish on a cleaning table (not a bare stainless cutting table please) or in the grass. Do NOT cut up game on rocky surfaces, this is sure to dull the knife.
There are many ways to sharpen a knife. Here are a few areas to look out for and to be thinking about.
· Honing or stropping the edge of your knife will greatly increase your edge retention. A lot of knives we get back for sharpening only really needed stropped.
· A honing steel or ceramic rod can be used to keep the edge straight and in place.
· If using diamond stones or belt style sharpening systems you can remove material very quickly. These methods will get your knife razor sharp. They also make it simple to change the profile of your knife which is a bad thing.
· If using a belt style system please be careful on how much heat you are exposing the cutting edge to. Too much heat can ruin the temper of the knife. I like high speeds and low pressure when using belts. Always use a new sharp belt when sharpening, this will keep the heat down.
There are a lot of knife guys out there these days who provide both sharpening instruction and hand sharpening services. You can always pay shipping and send it back to us. We will sharpen the blade and buff the handle for free. Just make sure to add a check in the box for return shipping.
You can also take your knife to a local knife shop or a retail store where they offer knife sharpening. What they will do is re-establish the edge of your knife. This method will sharpen your knife well, but they grind off a lot of steel in the process. If you have a professional service sharpen your knives and they ask whether you want your knife hand sharpened or not, always select hand sharpened. It may cost more by hand, but it is far better for the life of the blade. If they only have a belt style system, ask them to go easy!
Using a counter top electric sharpener is unadvised on your custom knives, if you do prefer to use these go as high end as you can get and choose one with a multiple stone system that finishes your knife with a fine a grit as possible. As with the above, these really put the grind onto your edge and leave it with a sharp but ‘rough’ edge. Great for axes.
High Carbon Steel Knives
We rarely use High carbon steel. When we do, it is only on our Serbian Chef knives. This steel needs to be dried after each use. You can keep it oiled with olive oil to prevent small rust spots from appearing while being stored in a high humidity environment.
If by accident you leave a few drops of water on your blade overnight that turn to rust its no big deal. Just scrub the area with a scoring pad. There is also rust erasers you can use to remove surface rust. Keeping your blade with a light coat of oil is essential for prolonging the life of your high carbon knives.
