Cutlery Sharpening
Michael Keller Woodcarving offers a complete
precision cutlery service including sharpening and repair
of knives, scissors, shears, and woodcarving tools. For
pricing and additional information, please click
here.
Properly Caring for Your
Cutlery
Cleaning, Washing & Storage
— After use, wash knife thoroughly by hand, rinse it in
warm water and carefully wipe dry. Again, never place a
knife in the dishwasher. Store in a dry place with the
blades protected from possible banging on other utensils
including other knives.
It is a good idea to protect a carbon
steel blade with a thin coat of vegetable oil or mineral
oil.
Cutting Boards — Use
only wood or polyethylene cutting boards to protect the
blade’s edge as well as your counter-tops. Never use
your fine cutlery to slice on glass, ceramic, porcelain,
concrete, or steel. Use of any of the latter will quickly
dull and could possibly chip a knife’s edge.
Maintaining Your Knife’s
Edge with a Ceramic Rod — Honing your knife’s
edge with a ceramic rod will re-align the edge and
maintain a keen edge for much longer than if you either
ignore it or use any other honing tool. The Ceramic will
bring the edge back 10 to 15 times between sharpening. I
suggest that you do not use a standard Butcher’s steel as
they are quite coarse and will actually remove steel from
the blade’s edge, easily damaging your professional edge.
Using a Ceramic —
Stand the Ceramic vertically against the counter (tip
down). Starting at the heel of the knife and the top of the
Ceramic, draw the knife toward you and let slide down the
Ceramic. Angle the blade away from the Ceramic a few degrees
greater than it has been sharpened. DO NOT USE
PRESSURE. Just let the edge lightly touch the
Ceramic. Because you are not using any pressure, the angle
is not critical.
Ceramic sharpening rods are commonly
available from many suppliers. An ideal Ceramic Rod is also
available from Michael Keller for $24.50 plus actual
shipping. Washington residents add 8.1%.
Knife Handle Care—
Handles are made of a myriad of products and they all begin
looking dull with continued use and cleaning. Handles made
of wood, resin impregnated wood, Stag, bone or the like can
be brought back to life by simply applying a thin coat of
mineral oil. Four to eight hours after applying the mineral
oil, thoroughly wipe off the handle. You will be pleased
with its restored look!
A Few Practical Notes:
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Don't place anything in front of a knife's edge that
you do not intend to cut — think fingers! |
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Sharp knives are much safer than dull knives as
dull knives require more pressure to use and are
prone to slip. |
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When reaching for a knife, be fully present. Do so
with deliberation, reaching for the handle. |
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Never try to catch a falling knife. Step back and
let it drop. |
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A knife should never be used as a screwdriver, ice
pick, chisel, etc., nor for prying apart frozen
food. |
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