KNIFE CARE

General Care

Rinse with water and mild dish soap, using a soft sponge (not a metal Brillo pad or a green Scotchbrite pad - these will scratch your knives). Dry the blade immediately if you plan to step away for an extended period of time. For a carbon knife especially, allowing it to remain wet or dirty will cause the knife to rust.

Don't put your knife in a dishwasher! PLEASE! Dishwashers force movement of handle materials and blunt sharp edges. The high temperature may also undo the bonding between tang and wa handle, causing the knife to come loose. Dishwashers are my favorite kitchen appliance of all time, but my knives don't go anywhere near them.

For safety and easier upkeep, keep your knife on a magnetic rack. Make sure it’s completely dry before storing it. Avoid drawers—they can damage the edge, trap moisture that leads to rust, and pose a risk of cutting your fingers while searching.

Use wooden or plastic cutting boards, with end-grain wood being ideal. Hard surfaces like glass, ceramic, or stone will dull your knife in no time. 

Regular use is the best thing a knife can experience. These tools are meant to be used! But if you are going to put a knife away for a long period, it should be kept away from moisture. For a high carbon or semi-stainless knife, oil it well before storage.

Sharpening

For the time being, I am offering full sharpening services for my knives free of charge. This includes sharpening, thinning, cleaning, repairing, and even re-handling (you provide the handle). All I ask is that you pay for shipping / transportation of the knives, to / from me in Berkeley, CA.

I truly believe that a sharp knife is a safe knife. However, sharpening your own knife is pretty intimidating, and I don't expect every home cook to know how to sharpen knives. In case you are interested in learning, here is what I usually do on traditional whetstones:

• For particularly dull knives (case by case): 320-1000-3000-strop sequence

• Regular sharpening (once every 4-6 months): 1000-3000-strop sequence

• Regular touchup (every 2-3 cooking sessions): strop only, with a touch up on 6000 stone if necessary

For my knives that I make with softer stainless steel, you should be okay using sharpening systems like a pull through or rollers. However, knives made from harder carbon or powdered metal steels will probably require "harder" whetstones, and I recommend taking them to your local knife store for sharpening, provided they offer the service. Note that not every sharpening professional knows how to sharpen kitchen knives effectively - I have personal accounts of friends and family having their nice knives ruined by shady sharpening services who sentences knives to death via a dry heavy-duty belt grinder. Vet these services to make sure that they sharpen by stone or water wheel. If you're unsure, just reach out.