Taking Care Of Your Knife
Carbon steel knives require a degree of special care. The trade-off in using superior materials is that they have different qualities in comparison to the average stainless kitchen knife that you can purchase from a hardware shop. However if you love your knife as much as we do then the care you lavish upon it can be an enjoyable experience (a bit like polishing your car).
Handles – the handle of the knife is not included in the price. However we do on occasions have some spare handles made from seasoned, untreated wood. They are local, sustainable, and beautiful but they DO NOT like the dishwasher! They will swell up, lose colour, crack, warp, you name it – the salts and aggressive washing cycles used will not only distress the handle but will also have a significantly detrimental impact upon the reactive carbon steel of your blade.
Carbon steel will acquire a patina. You can always polish it back up and rub a little acid across the blade (or by all means send it back to us and, for a small fee, we will carry out a refurbishment). However, the patina can also be really beautiful and is part of owning a knife like this. Please do not worry, your original pattern is still there hiding just under the surface.
If left wet the blade will rust. This can be removed with a light clean using wire-wool. It is not dangerous for use in cooking and indeed is how knives generally looked for the centuries prior to stainless becoming available. If you do have any concerns please contact us and we will be happy to answer the questions you may have. To help prevent any patina or rust forming you can (and should) immediately wipe your blade after use, and give it a light, food-safe oiling whilst it is stored (your handles will appreciate this care too!).
These knives are heat-treated. This makes them fundamentally strong but also slightly more brittle. Please, therefore, do not chop into bone, metal, hardened plastics, can lids, wood or similar materials. If you drop your knife onto a hard surface the super-fine tip might break off – you can get it back with some persistent sharpening, or you can send it back to us for a refurb (again for a small fee, we have to eat!).
We hope this advice helps you to properly care for your knife and to enjoy it for many, many years.