Care Guide

CARE GUIDE

A Japanese knife
lasts a lifetime.

With the right care, your Japanese knife stays razor-sharp for decades. Learn the seven habits that keep the best knife you will ever own in perfect condition.

How to keep your knife
sharp for life.

After every use
Hand wash & dry immediately
— 1 min
Every 2–4 weeks
Sharpen on a 1000/6000 whetstone
— 10–15 min
Needed: Premium Whetstone
Monthly
Oil your cutting board with food-safe mineral oil
— 5 min
Needed: Acacia Board
Annually
Check handle & protective case
— 2 min
THE COMPLETE METHOD

How to truly care for
your Japanese knife.

A Japanese knife is not a tool — it is a piece of geometry forged at 60+ HRC. Follow these seven habits and the same blade will outlive you, holding a razor edge for the next thirty years.

01
Wash by hand. Never in the dishwasher.
High-carbon Japanese steel rusts in minutes when exposed to detergent and steam. Rinse with warm water, a soft sponge and a drop of neutral soap. Avoid abrasive pads — they ruin a mirror polish.
30 seconds
02
Dry immediately with a soft cloth.
The single most important rule. Water on the blade — especially near the bolster and tang — causes pitting and rust. Wipe spine to edge, never the other way. Air-drying is not enough.
15 seconds
03
Cut only on wood or end-grain boards.
Glass, stone, ceramic and bamboo destroy a Japanese edge in days. Use end-grain acacia, hinoki or walnut. The fibres open under the blade and close again — your edge stays intact for weeks longer.
every cut
04
Hone the edge before every session.
A few light passes on a fine ceramic rod or the 6000-grit side of your whetstone realigns the micro-edge. This is not sharpening — it is the daily reset that keeps you off the coarse stone for months.
60 seconds
05
Sharpen on a 1000/6000 whetstone every 2–4 weeks.
Soak the stone for 10 minutes. Hold the blade at a 15° angle, edge-trailing, with light and even pressure. Five to ten passes on the 1000-grit side, then refine on 6000-grit. Finish with a leather strop if you have one.
10–15 minutes
06
Oil the blade if you store it for more than a week.
A drop of camellia oil (tsubaki) or food-safe mineral oil on a soft cloth, wiped along the full length of the blade. This creates a micro-film that blocks moisture. Essential for carbon steel, smart for clad Damascus.
20 seconds
07
Store on a magnetic strip or in a saya.
Never loose in a drawer — the edge will chip against other metal. A wooden saya (sheath), a magnetic strip with a wood face, or a dedicated knife block keeps the geometry intact and the edge safe.
permanent

Never do this

  • Dishwasher — heat, detergent and steam rust the steel.
  • Cutting frozen food, bones or hard cheese rind — chips the edge.
  • Glass, ceramic or stone cutting surfaces — dulls in a single session.
  • Leaving the blade wet on the counter — pitting starts within minutes.
  • Twisting the blade sideways to pry or scoop — micro-cracks the edge.
  • Storing loose in a drawer next to other metal tools.

The 15° angle — why it matters

European knives are sharpened at 20–22°. Japanese blades sit between 12° and 16°, which is what creates that effortless slicing feel. Sharpen at 20° and you destroy the geometry in a single session.

Stack two coins under the spine — that is your 15° guide. Hold it steady, draw the blade away from the edge, and let the stone do the work.

A LIFETIME GUARANTEE

One knife.
Thirty years.

Care for it the right way and your Japanese knife will sharpen the meals of your children. Browse our full collection of hand-forged blades, whetstones and end-grain boards.

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