Basic care for knives
Before first use, wash the knife in warm water with a non-aggressive detergent. Rinse and wipe with a soft dry cloth.
Do not use harsh detergents which can damage the blade and the fine-brushed and polished finish of the blade. Washing in automatic dishwashers cannot be recommended even for stainless steel knives without reservations. The condition is the use of additives recommended by the manufacturer of the dishwasher and their correct dosage. Nevertheless, the products can be damaged by a dishwasher, particularly if they are left to dry inside the machine or exposed to condensation. We recommend removing the products immediately after washing and wiping dry with a soft cloth. Do not leave dry food acid residues on the knives (These can be mustard, marinades, fruit compotes, etc.). Prolonged or intense exposure to these acids may damage the blade and can cause irremovable stains. Acidic residues should therefore be rinsed immediately after the knife is used and wiped dry with a soft cloth. Knives for cutting food should not be used for other purposes.
Maintenance of kitchen knives
After prolonged use, Kitchen knives eventually wear down, regardless of their shape and size. The form of wear is affected by the kind of work for which the knife was used. Wear and tear is evident primarily on blunt blades. The most basic maintenance is logically sharpening, but this requires skillfulness, if we want to avoid the knife to get even blunter.
Sharpening on grinding stones is the oldest, but still the finest method. The angle of grinding the blade must be perfectly regular and symmetrical along the entire length of the blade. This is easy to say but difficult to do. Sharpening stones must be moistened with water. The movement itself is done along and against the entire length of the blade on both sides. The blade is placed on the surface of the sharpening stone at the angle of 15-18 degrees.
Sharpening on a honing steel is a very fast method used by butchers before slicing meat. It is practical and effective for kitchen and butcher knives. If you doubt your ability to properly maintain or sharpen your knife then we suggest taking it to a professional. Do not risk that you damage it badly. The use of various sharpeners is not recommended, because there is a strong danger of damaging the blade. We can recommend sharpeners of some branded manufacturers that are designed especially for this purpose.
