GENERAL CARE

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Wipe or rinse and then dry the blade immediately after use. Allowing the knife to remain wet or dirty for an extended period will cause the knife to rust. Use plastic or wood cutting boards. Glass, ceramic, granite and the like will dull any knife very quickly. If you are going to store a knife for a long period, oil it well and leave it out of its sheath. Don't put your knife in a dishwasher. As the matter of fact, don't even let your knife see the door of your dishwasher open. Dishwashers force movement of handle materials and blunt edges. They are bad for your knife.

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SHARPENING

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There are many good guides on knife sharpening on the web and in print.

For regular touch-ups we suggest a superfine ceramic steel (1500 grit or finer) which are relatively inexpensive. This combined with very occasional whetstone sharpening will keep your knives humming with very little time expenditure. Do not use serrated sharpening steels. The serrations cause micro-serrations in the blade and make the knife seem sharp temporarily but in the end will cause it significant damage due to the fact they remove too much metal. Smooth and superfine ceramic sharpening steels are fine. A leather strop will also perform admirably.

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RUST

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If you stored a knife in a wet sheath or left it in the sink overnight, don’t worry, rust is rarely bad enough to be an issue. Contact me at bushkillblades@gmail.com and I'll be happy to advise.

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HANDLES

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For our handles made of natural materials such as wood, avoid soaking or prolonged wetting/drying. If a handle looks dry and dull, refresh it with Danish Oil, butcher block oils, Teak Oil, and other penetrating wood oils. If rough edges or joints develop from shrink/swell of handle materials you can steel wool or lightly sand the joint or handle.