Knife Care:   

• Do not put your knife in the dishwasher, this will damage the handle, fixings and blade. Clean in warm soapy water and dry immediately after.  

• Do not use to cut or chop frozen food or bones, the blade can chip or crack from such abuse. 

• To keep the blade as sharp as possible for as long as possible use a wooden chopping board. Either an end-grain board or one made from a softwood. Keeping in a drawer rattling around with the rest of your cutlery will also cause damage, we recommend keeping on a magnetic knife rack. 

• The handle will change colour over time as the wood oxidises. If the wood dries out treat the handle every couple of months or so. Beeswax based polish, tung oil, teak oil and the like are fine. If you have purchased one of our knives and would like some please let us know and we will send some. 

• The stainless in stainless steel means it stains ‘less’ than carbon steel. It can still rust and develop stains if not treated with care. Leaving it on a dirty or wet surface overnight, for instance, can cause this.

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Carbon Steel Care: 

• Carbon steel is very much favoured by many chefs. It is easier to sharpen, takes a better edge and develops character with use. 

• The downside is that it requires more care: 

• With use the appearance of the steel will change, it will develop a patina. This is a result of contact with the food it cuts, it will help protect the steel. Every knife’s patina is unique and gives a character all its own. 

• Avoid cutting onions and aubergines until a patina has formed. It will discolour the food and could flavour your dish. 

• Don't leave it in water or on the draining rack after washing, always dry immediately. This will help prevent rust spots building up. If you do get rust spots just remove them with a gentle scourer or make a little paste with baking soda and water and rub away with a cork. This will remove the patina so remember the point above. 

• If you are not going to use you knife for a while (a long holiday for instance) it is good practise to oil the blade lightly to prevent corrosion. Vegetable oils are fine, just do not forget to clean off before the first use, the oil can go rancid. Or you can use camelia tea oil, it has been used in Japan to protect blades for centuries. 

• All this might sound excessive but washing and drying your knife after use is not really any great effort and becomes habit very quickly.