CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF JAPANESE KNIVES

Kitchen knives will always require some care and maintenance to keep them in the best shape and get the most out of them. Japanese kitchen knives are no exception. Some of the knives are made of carbon (not stainless) steel, while others are made of stainless steel. They will require different levels of care in use. Think about it this way: You have just purchased a Ferrari. Do not drive it in the ditch, down dirt roads or on ice. This is a high performance precision instrument, take care of it.

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

  • Please refrain from cutting extremely hard and/or frozen items (i.e. bones, seeds, metal, etc.) with your knife. This may cause chipping or other damage to the edge.
  • When cutting, use a clean, smooth cutting motion. Do not twist the knife while it is mid-cut, especially when cutting harder foods (i.e. squash carrots, etc.).
  • Please do not try to flex or bend your knife. This can cause chipping or cracking of the blade.
  • Please use a proper cutting surface. This knife should never be used on metal or glass surfaces. The best cutting boards for use with these knives are end-grain wood boards. Bamboo boards and poly boards can be excessively hard on the edge.
  • Your knife is NOT dishwasher safe. Please hand wash using mild soap and warm water. Always clean and dry the knife thoroughly before putting it away. Putting the knife in the dishwasher can cause damage to the edge as the knife can be bounced around. It can also cause damage to the handle, as the handle may change size or shape due to the heat, water, and chemicals.
  • Carbon steel knives require additional care.  These kinds of knives can rust if left wet and/or dirty.  Following use, they should be cleaned and throughly dried.
  • Carbon steel knives can be reactive with acidic foods.  When used improperly, their use can cause color, taste, and/or smell changes with acidic foods.  Also, carbon steel knives will patina with use.
  • Stainless does not mean that the knife can not rust.  Stainless-ness is a function of chromium content, relative carbon content, and the heat treatment process.  The stainless-ness of knives can vary, but all steel can rust if misused or if improperly cared for.  On some stainless knives with lower amounts of carbon, water spotting can occur on the blade.  This is normal and not a sign of a defect.
  • Do not leave this knife in your sink or pile anything on top of it.
  • This knife should only be sharpened using Japanese water stones.