How to Perform Basic Knife Care

Knives are versatile and essential tools that we can use for cooking, eating, hunting, skinning, building and chopping. However, you must take care of your knives for them to remain fully functional.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Keep all knives clean and dry as much as possible. The more grit and grime is kept off of knives, the more useful and effective they remain. The less water the better, as water generally leads to rusting.

2. Hand wash knives. Heavy utility knives such as Bowie knives, survival knives and bayonets should never be put in a dishwasher, as this leads to quick rusting.

3. Use knife oil, such as Break Free, a popular brand used for cleaning utility knives. Many manufacturers also recommend Japanese sword oil made from Camellia flowers

4. Store knives when not in use. For kitchen knives and cutlery, this means putting them away in a knife block or a drawer. For larger utility knives, proper storage is usually a sheath or a scabbard that offers protection from the harsh elements.

5. Sharpen knives regularly. This doesn't apply to most common cutlery, but to kitchen knives and utility knives.

6. Check knives regularly for trouble spots. Usually these are spots which appear reddish brown and are the beginnings of rusting.

Tips & Warnings

• You can sharpen knives with either a soft abrasive stone or a pre-made sharpening tool.
• Only use knife oil on utility knives. You should never use oil to clean cooking knives or cutlery. Nothing that touches food should be touched by oil.