Knife care and sharpening
Caring for your knife can be quite simple. One of the most important things you should not do is put a knife in the dishwasher. This can create all kinds of problems ranging from the handle falling apart to damage to the edge and so on. The best thing you can do for your new knife is to keep it dry and oil it regularly. That’s not to say you can’t get the knife wet, but just a simple wipe when your finished using it, is all it takes to help prevent corrosion from occurring. I like to use food safe oils on all my knives and ship them coated with tsubaki food grade knife oil. Over time the blade will develop a patina on it and this is a good thing. Many knifemakers and enthusiasts like to do forced patinas on their knives which has many benefits, but mainly to keep rust from forming on the blade, and of course, it just plain looks cool when done right. Many of my high carbon steel blades are acid etched to help combat rust, and works quite well, but like any steel blade it needs to be oiled frequently. When storing your knife for extended periods of time, it’s always a good idea to take it out of the sheath. Although I seal all my leather goods with a water resistant sealer. leather can and will absorb moisture, which can cause corrosion on a knife blade. You don’t have to be to overly cautious about it, we’re talking about long term storage like months or years. If you’ve been out in the rain with it, dry out the sheath and the knife and your good to go. Again oil, oil, oil. While you can put to much oil in a car, you can’t over oil a knife blade.
Notes On Damascus
Damascus blades are beautiful too look at and and perform outstanding for cutting, slicing, and food prep. However, they require extra care and attention when being used. They must be cleaned and dried more frequently and oiled or waxed religiously to combat corrosion. Even with extra care the black oxide will fade with use to a dullish gray. It’s just the nature of the steel and how much it is used. The shiny part or 15n-20 steel generally remains shiny due to the high Nickle content. This doesn’t mean the pattern isn’t there anymore, it will always remain and can be brought back by re-etching the blade in Ferric Chloride provided the handle material and design can be protected from the etching process.
Sharpening coming soon…..