Carbon Steel Knife Care

Most of my knives are high carbon steel, which means that they can corrode if not properly taken care of, but it’s not too hard to prevent.

Some simple precautions you can take to make sure that a high carbon steel knife stays in good shape, would be wiping down the blade with a dry towel after cutting, not letting it sit in water, and wiping it down with a food safe oil or wax (I recommend a soft food grade wax like WICKED WAX) before storage. A CARBON STEEL KNIFE WILL PATINA, or develop an array of colors across the blade, this patina helps prevent corrosion or rust, and it’s to each his own on whether you like the patina or not. I enjoy the layer of character it adds to a knife.

When a knife’s edge begins to roll over from use, simply strop the edge with a leather strop or ceramic honing rod, steel rods are like files they do more damage than good. The edge will also last longer when used on a soft wood cutting board rather than a plastic or synthetic board. Whatever you do, DO NOT PUT A KNIFE IN THE DISHWASHER, it is terrible for a knife, the heat, pressure & steam are all awful for a blade. Dishwasher detergent have abrasives in it that wear away the edge of the knife.

Copper Damascus Info And Care

Copper damascus is not forge welding like traditional “damascus”, it is brazing under pressure. Copper brazing has a tensile strength of 70,000 PSI, you would destroy even a steel knife at those pressures. Galvanic corrosion requires the presence of an electrolyte.  Keep the knife clean, dry, oiled or waxed and it will last a lifetime.  Think of it this way... steel will corrode much faster than copper will.

Sharpening

Most of the time a knife doesn’t need to be sharpened….it needs to be stropped because the edge is rolling over. I recommend using a leather strop or a ceramic honing rod. If your knife does need to be sharpened I will happily do it for free, if you pay shipping to and from.

For any other cares or concerns please contact me.