Knife and Scissor Care
How to care for your freshly Sharpened Knives:
The most important tool for any cook or chef is a sharp knife. You may have also heard that a sharp knife is safer to use than a dull one, which is true! Dull blades require the cook or chef to apply more pressure, which is more dangerous and harmful if the knife slips during use. Not to mention very frustrating and a slower process for cutting.
1) Don't cut anything you can't bite through (for example don't try to cut or pry apart frozen food or puncture a can with your knife.) Use your knife in slicing motions.
2) Do not Tork/Twist your knife, after cutting, with a twisting motion that can damage or chip the blade. Also not recommended to scrape your cutting board with your knife as that can damage or chip your blade as well.
3) Hone the edges to maintain the bevel and get rid of knife dulling burrs. A Honing Steel is ideal.
4) Choosing the right cutting board/surface. NO Glass, Steel or Stone Surfaces. Use wood or plastics. Bamboo is really a form of grass and is very hard on knife edges but better than the above, ideally a softer wood like Larch or similar species are ideal and contain natural bacteria protection.
5) Clean your knives after use. Use a damp towel, rinse under faucet or hand wash wish dish soap. DO NOT WASH IS DISHWASHER as detergents can pit the knife steel and the rattling around can damage edges.
6) Thoroughly Hand Dry your knives to avoid water marks or discoloration
7) Oil your knives with a food safe oil to coat and protect the steel
8) Storing of your knives. In Drawer use an organizer to keep edges from hitting together (preferable wood or soft plastic); on a wall use a magnetic strip; or if free-standing use a magnetic knife block.
How often should I get my Knives Sharpened:
1) Sharpen based on use. If using your knives every day in a kitchen you may need to have your knives done every 1-2 months.
2) Typically, home use would look to have sharpened 2 - 3 times a year for normal use and more frequently if there is apparent damage.
Misconceptions about having your knives sharpened:
1) Cheaper or lower quality knives aren't worth sharpening - Not true. A lower quality knife typically has a softer steel that will sharpen to a nice edge but may not hold the edge as long as a premium knife steel. More premium knives are made from higher grade steels that generally carry a higher temper to the blade (making it harder) which makes sharpening a little slower and the need to use more premium abrasives exists, but they will hold a sharper edge longer.
2) A sharpened knife will be good for a year or more - Typically not true as daily or weekly use wears the edges down or causes micro burrs to form which dulls the blade.
3) How I store my knives doesn't really matter - Not True as knives thrown into a drawer loose with other knives collide edges which can dull your knife, even various organizers, while better than loosely thrown into drawers will over time dull the knife edges as they are in essence cutting every time they are slid into the holder.
4) What I cut on doesn't matter to the knife sharpness - Not True as cutting surfaces made from glass, Stainless Steel, stone (granite, marble, quartz, etc.), even some species of wood like bamboo or tight grained hardwoods can all dull the knife over time. Certainly, wood cutting blocks are preferred and slows that dulling effect whereas glass, stone, stainless steel cutting surfaces will dull a knife almost instantly.
5) How a knife is sharpened doesn't matter as long as I get it sharp - Not True. There are a wide array of sharpening methods and not always the best. Faster isn't always better either! While we have high speed belt systems in our shop, we DO NOT USE those to sharpen with as they can induce unneeded heat into the blade and change the temper. The systems we use induce little to no heat, use high end diamond abrasives combined with high quality very fine grit ceramics that can impart a mirrored finish on your knife edge if desired or particular to a specific type of knife (ie/ Japanese Knives). We at To The Point Sharpening focus on the quality NOT the quantity of products we sharpen. We may not always be the cheapest, but we feel we are one of the best at providing you a quality knife that will amaze you in the kitchen!
Remember, a Dull Knife Cuts and is more dangerous than a sharp knife.
How to care for your freshly Sharpened Scissors:
1) Wipe or clean your scissors after use. This rids the scissors of hair, dander and oils if beauty/barber/grooming; or for fabric scissors, remove tapes, etc. from the blades.
2) Wash the blades to get rid of glue and dirt (Stainless Steel only as steel can corrode but spraying with rubbing alcohol and wiping won't cause corrosion).
3) Oil your scissors at the pivot point to keep working smoothly and prevent rust in area moisture and dirt can become trapped. Coating a thin layer on the inside and outside of the blade with a towel will also help to control rust and corrosion.
4) Store them safely and in a dry place to prevent airborne moisture or damage from other scissors rattling against them and damaging edges.
5) Do not overtighten the pivot point screw and create extra pressure on the scissor inside edges as damage can happen if blades do not mesh correctly. If a ding, chip or bevel arises causing blades to bind see us at www.tothepointsharpeningservices.com to tune up your scissors/shears before more damage occurs.
6) Have sharpened routinely when used regularly or damaged. For Beauty/Barber/Grooming frequency can be every 4 months. 6 months or annually depending on type of haircut and number of hours weekly used for cuts. For Fabric 6 months to 12 months on average unless cutting in environments that can damage blades such as schools, exposure to staples/needles, dropped on floors, etc. where more frequent care if needed.