All kitchen knives require some care and maintenance to keep them in their best condition to get the most out of them. It doesn't matter if it's a $1 knife or a $10,000 one, care is the key to keep them in a good shape.
Most of our knives are made of Carbon steel while others are made of high-carbon stainless steel like VG10.
They will require different levels of care in use.
Here's a shortlist of things to do to keep your knives in good shape:
- Always clean and dry the knife after each use.
- Wash by hand with soap and a rag, not dishwasher.
- Always cut on a soft cutting board, preferably wood. (Not glass, marble etc.)
- Do not make lateral or torsion moves with the blade on the cutting board and never scrape the board.
- Do not cut bones, exoskeletons and frozen food.
- Black-Ish oxidation (called “patina”) will appear on the blade after a while. It is completely normal and is a sign of good use of the knife.
- Sharpen your blade by hand on whetstones at least once a year.
- Do not place the knife next to a high heat source.
- Carbon steel reacts to salt and acidity, wash well after usage depending on the food.
Over the years, we have seen some knives getting back to us with a chipped edge, meaning a small part broke apart from the blade. In every case, the customer had a VG10 or harder steel like ZDP-189. It is important to note that these steels are very hard and prone to chipping if not used delicately, always use your knife carefully.