Caring For Your Blade

When your blade first arrives, it will be coated with Carnuba Wax, or a Food Grade Wax in the case of Kitchen Knives. While this coating will prevent any inital corrosion, it must be maintained or replaced with another suitable coating, such as oil, which should be re-applied regularly. If your blade exhibits a foggy appearance when you recieve it, the wax is the reason. Simply polish it with a cloth, or remove it and oil the blade as your preference dictates.

This is not cheap, crappy stainless steel from India or China, if you do not take care of it then it will rust!

This scares a lot of people off thinking that it's a lot of work to maintain high carbon steel piece but actually it's easier than taking care of a goldfish!

It's this simple:
• Anytime that you touch it with your bare hands while using it, when you are done wipe it off and oil it.
• If you get it wet, wipe it off and oil it.
• If you live somewhere humid, then about once every week or two wipe it down and oil it.

That's all there is to it.

Oiling Your Blade

Please, DO NOT use WD-40 on your blades! WD-40 is a solvent and is CORROSIVE!

While it is on the blade it can block oxygen, slowing oxidization, aka rust, but if it's ever removed for any reason the blade/tool will start to corrode very, very rapidly due to the chemicals left behind by WD-40! It is also hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb moisture from the air and hold it onto the steel, and that's a great recipe for disaster, especially for highly polished pieces.

I recommend mineral oil or wax in general for keeping your blade rust free. If it will be used on food then cooking oil can be substituted, I prefer olive oil for this. There are also food grade waxes available such as Howards Wax-It-All

Museum wax, automotive paste wax (RIP Johnson's Paste Wax :( ) or any form of Carnuba Wax is an excellent alternative as well, especially if you plan to hang or display your blade for long periods of time.

For cookware, chef's knives, etc., then you should oil all exposed steel parts with any cooking oil, I personally use olive oil on my kitchen knives.

Under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you put your kitchen knives, chef's knives, cookware in the DISWASHER! Don't do it, you'll wreak all manner of havoc on it and I will not warranty it after you do.

Kitchen Knives

For cookware, chef's knives, etc., then you should coat all exposed steel parts with any cooking oil or food grade wax, I personally use olive oil on my kitchen knives.

Under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you put your kitchen knives, chef's knives, cookware in the DISWASHER! Don't do it, you'll wreak all manner of havoc on it and I WILL NOT warranty it after you do.

Storage of Your Blade

In General:

If your blade is to be left for any significant length of time without regular care, we recommend that you wax all exposed surfaces with either Canuba Wax or a food grade Kitchen Wax, such as Howards Wax-It-All or similar. When you return to it, simply polish the wax off and resume use.

In a Sheath/Scabbard:

If your blade was supplied with a WOODEN or METAL scabbard, then it may be stored in it for SHORT PERIODS of time, ie., a month or so if it has been properly oiled, indefinitely if it has been waxed. It should be removed and instected periodically to ensure it is not corroding.

If your blade was supplied with a LEATHER sheath, then your blade should NEVER be stored in the sheath for any extended length of time. Leather will hold moisture next to the blade and cause it to corrode more quickly. Oiling may mitigate this effect slightly, waxing is better, but in no case should it be left in a leather sheath for any legnth of time beyond carrying the blade on a daily basis. It should be inspected, cleaned, and oiled regularly if carried in a leather sheath.

What if I let my blade/tool rust? How do I remove it?

In that case we recommend that you use a 000 steel wool pad to remove the rust, then oil with one of the oils listed above, repeat as necessary until the rust is removed. DO NOT use a Brillo pad! It contains a lye based soap that is CAUSTIC and is very bad for carbon steel!

For very serious, scaly rust, use a Green Scotch Brite Pad, the same used to scrub pots and pans with, and scrub the rust off, then oil the piece. Sufficiently rusted blades/tools may require the use of a wire wheel on either a drill or a bench grinder to remove.

Beware, if your blade has a high polish finish, the rust spot will leave a dark spot that can only be removed with machine polishing, so don't let it rust!

What else can I do if my blade rusts very badly besides scrubbing it off?

Having an even coating of rust on a blade or tool gives you an opportunity to create a beautiful black oxide finish by oiling it heavily with mineral oil and letting it sit for a few days. The oil will penetrate the red oxide and change it to black oxide which is not only beautiful, but rust resistant as well. Just lightly scrub the rust off with some 000 or 0000 steel wool afterward to reveal the black oxide layer. If you'd like to deepen this finish, then once the oil has done it's job and you've gently scrubbed away the crusty rust layer, then wipe the blade down with acetone or denatured alcohol to remove any oil on the blade, then let it rust evenly on all surfaces again and repeat the oil soak process. The more you do this, the deeper the black oxide finish will be. This process is known as Slow Rust Bluing and is one of my favorite finishes

In Conclusion

We thank you for your patronage and wish you many years of happy use of your new blade. May it serve you well for many years to come!