Cook Curated · Kitchen reference
Chef-knife maintenance card
Good knife care is mostly ordinary restraint: a suitable board, immediate hand washing, complete drying, protected storage, and sharpening before the edge becomes difficult to restore.
Every use
- Use end-grain or edge-grain wood, or a suitable soft synthetic board
- Avoid glass, stone, ceramic plates, bones, frozen food, and twisting cuts
- Hand wash promptly; never leave the knife in a sink
- Dry fully from spine to edge and from heel to tip
- Wipe reactive carbon steel during acidic prep
Storage
- Use a fitted saya, edge guard, in-drawer organizer, or stable magnetic rack
- Keep the edge from contacting metal tools or loose drawer contents
- Store fully dry and away from steam or persistent humidity
- Use a thin food-safe protective oil for longer carbon-steel storage
Edge care
- Use a ceramic rod or appropriate strop only for light edge maintenance
- Do not use a grooved steel on very hard, thin Japanese edges unless the maker recommends it
- Sharpen when ordinary maintenance no longer restores clean cutting
- Follow the maker’s bevel and angle guidance; deburr completely
- Flatten water stones and allow them to dry safely
Stop and inspect
- Do not continue using a loose handle or visibly cracked blade
- Small chips need controlled sharpening; large damage needs a professional
- Remove surface rust gently without erasing geometry or maker marks
- Never pry, twist, strike, or use the knife as a screwdriver
- When specifications are unclear, ask the maker before aggressive repair