The steel
- Wipe it dry after every use. Carbon steel will spot if left wet or with acid on it (citrus, tomato, onion). A dry cloth is enough.
- Oil it lightly. A drop of food-safe mineral oil or camellia oil on a cloth, wiped over the blade, before it goes back in the sheath. For a field blade, any light machine oil.
- Welcome the patina. A grey-blue bloom on a polished blade is not rust; it is the steel forming its own protective layer. Orange rust is rust: rub it off with a cork and a little oil or a fine abrasive pad.
- Never the dishwasher. Heat, detergent and steam will ruin the steel, the horn and the wood in one cycle.
- Cut on wood or soft plastic. Glass, stone and ceramic boards will roll the edge of any knife.
Sharpening
Hone on a fine stone or a smooth steel before the blade feels dull, not after. Hold the bevel flat to the stone, it is ground flat for exactly this reason, and draw the edge across in light strokes, alternating sides. A few strokes a week keeps the edge the shop gave it. If it gets badly dulled or chipped, send it back: we resharpen for life for the cost of shipping.
The horn
Horn is a natural material and it moves a little with humidity. Keep the handle dry, give it a wipe of the same oil you use on the blade once a month, and keep it out of direct sun for long periods. If a handle dulls, a rub with a soft cloth brings the shine back.
The sheath
Rosewood wants the same oil, two or three times a year. Make sure the blade is dry before it goes in; a wet blade in a closed sheath is how rust starts. Never store the knife in the sheath for months without checking it.
Storage
In the sheath, dry, oiled, somewhere with moving air. For display, a wall rack or a stand away from a window. For long storage, a heavier coat of oil and a check every few months.