How to care for your kniFe
Storage
Storage for kitchen knives should be a condition in which the fine cutting edge is not in direct contact with other objects. This is to avoid unnecessary damage to the edge and marring of the handle. A specific drawer, shelf, box, cloth wrap, towel, are some good examples. Magnet boards are great but some can scratch surfaces of etched steels, and if made of hard metal, can damage the edge of the knife when being used improperly.
Cleaning
Gently handwash after each use, with or without soap, in cold water and dry well. Do not soak the blade or handle. Store the knife in a dry place; for example, on a magnetic wall strip or wrapped in a soft cloth.
Sharpening
Sharpen with a whetstone and keep honed with a leather strop. Protect the handle during sharpening using plastic film and tape. Home sharpening is easy and you will quickly become familiar with the unique qualities of your own blade Whetstones 1000, 3000, 6000, 8000 are all fine. They are very versatile and can be used to sharpen a wide range of kitchen knives and other cutting tools. If you have any questions about the upkeep of your kitchen knife, please send an email to Tom at support@hotmetalknives.com
Sharpening, as with all the HMK knives, is best done with Japanese style whetstones. If the edge is heavily used or even damaged, the best stones to start the process with are the lower <600 grit surfaces. If or when the edge is sharp or just requires maintenance, the best stones are generally 1000<. A final strop, on a piece of high quality leather or paddle, will offer you excellent final results. Stropping a knife’s edge on leather somewhat frequently is a great method of retaining a fine cutting edge. Tormek machines, and other commercial systems are not recommended as they can easily ruin the finish of HMK knives or the finely tuned profile of the blade.
Patina
Rust and stains occur naturally on high carbon steel blades. Carbon steels are reactive, and different carbon steels have different reaction rates. For example, even stainless steel will rust if left in extreme conditions. When caring for a carbon steel knife, the reaction is controlled in such a way that a protective patina develops and protects the steel. If desired, the patina can easily be removed to reveal the clear steel using abrasive kitchen cleaning equipment such as the sponges used to clean stove- tops. Rub length-ways while the opposing side of the blade rests safely on a flat surface.
Rusting may simply be avoided by keeping your carbon steel blades dry. With kitchen knives, a quick cold rinse under the tap followed by drying is enough. A patina will develop over the polished surfaces which with time will create a protective coating. A trait generally desired by carbon steel enthusiasts. Rust or patina can be washed off using universal stone. The same is applicable for hunting knives, especially highly polished carbon steel. The same instructions do apply to the coated Buckthorn series or UkkoPekka series knives, but with less worry. As the blade itself won’t rust but the edge itself, may. A strop does the trick well. Learning the characteristics of carbon steel knives is a charming and timely process.
Here is an example of a Ronnberg Bowie that’s been used daily for cooking, hunting, firemaking, and other outdoor activities.
It’s made of 115CrV3. Which is a Hitachi white carbon steel equivalent. Commonly used in the highest quality japanese kitchen knives.
Over the course of a few months a patina has grown over the blade which actually protects it from more oxidation. A finely managed patina is easy to produce by regularly drying the blade. One way to accelerate the process of producing a patina, is to only dry the knife once at the end of what you’re doing. Rinsing in cold water neutralizes the ongoing oxidation.
A proprietary towel is neccessary to create the most beautiful patina.
Patina removal is very easy. On this particular design; the bevels, the edge, and the clip point are sharpenable surfaces. Which means you can rub them off while sharpening the knife on a stone.
Another method is to use something like Universal Dust, sometype of kitchen counter top solution that is like dust and when mixed with water turns into a chalky pulp that, with a sponge, makes the job quite quick. But you will ruin the artisan satin finish underneat that helps create a very consistent patina.
Another thing you can do is bring it to HMK and let me deal with 1your problem for a few minutes.
The reason why carbon steels are popular for kitchen knives is because carbon steels allow for much finer edges than stainless steel knives do. Stainless steel has a lot of chromium in it, and the stainless steel that you need for kitchen knives often has quite a lot of chromium in it. The chromium carbides are too thick to allow for extremely fine edges. For example m390 is a stainless steel ideal for kitchen knives and is renowed of edge retention, but it will not function with an edge below 15deg as the chromium carbides are simply too big.
That’s why it’s technically not possible to make a true yanagiba from stainless steel.