Rules of caring for high carbon steel knives

Can I put my knife in the dishwasher?

No, they are not dishwasher safe (just some washing with a sponge or rag and cleaning of the edge in soapy room temp water will do the trick).

High carbon steel can it rust?
And how.  It can occur quickly.  You’ve got to wash it dry it and put it up directly after use.  When cutting acidic foods (e.g. lemon & tomatoes) its a good idea to wipe the blade off if you sit it down to work on something else.

Patina, what is it?
Patina is a calcification like rust that turns the metal (steel in this case) blueish gray.

What is forcing the patina?
That would be using an acid to make a “spead up” version of allowing the metals to do it by themselves.

How do I force a patina?
There are a few ways.  Coating the blade in mustard (the yellow kind).  Soaking a paper towel in white vinegar or juice of citrus and wrapping the blade for 15 minutes.  You can also dip it directly in vinegar for the same time frame.
– the mustard patinas can be very cool looking.

Why would I want a high carbon steel knife instead of a stainless steel one?
High carbon steel knife edges stand up to repeated use significantly better than stainless edges.  This is why their edges will stay sharper significantly longer.  Also re-sharpening the blade is easier than on stainless knives.

What are these materials you talk about for handle scales? What’s G10? What’s Micarta?

Micarta is like a plastic. It is resin and canvas then resin and canvas built into layers. You can use other material too such as linen or denim.  G10 is a plastic kinda like micarta.  The reason you would use these for handle material is that they are super durable and tough. They are impenetrable to moister, oil, even blood if you gotta skin a deer so they are preferable for outdoor knives.  My kitchen knife actually has a micarta handle.

When I dice onions my blade is making them gray, why is that?

Until you patina the blade you can see that.  This is also where having a wet towel to wipe the blade off comes into play.  You can force the patina which should stop this from happening.

Should I avoid cutting certain things with my blade?

In essence a lot of folks will say do not cut into things that are very hard and are prone to dull/roll your edge e.g. glass cutting boards (not a good idea). Also don’t do what you have seen of “Forged in Fire”.  It’s not a good idea to bash you blade into a metal pipe to check for edge retention.

Will I be cooler for having a custom blade?
No doubt about it!

Stainless Steel

Does SharpWorks make blades out of stainless steel?

Give me a holler and lets talk.  I don’t have any problem hand crafting a custom stainless steel knife for you.  Some 440c should do the job nicely, but I’ll have to send it to a heat treat and tempering service since I do not have liquid nitrogen at my house.  It shouldn’t be too bad of an extra cost, and if I have multiple orders sending out multiple knives will cut your cost down.

Ordering Process

How do orders work at SharpWorks?

1. Blades/Etching/Engraving is done made to order.  Orders typically take between 5 – 7 weeks.
2. Updates for orders can be given if desired (with pictures of process) and if you have questions emails are always welcome.  When shipping happens you will be sent a notification via email.
3. What are the guarantees/warranties for products.  Contact me for returns.
      The knives will be perfect when they are shipped.  I will have tested them in their actual
      purpose (e.g. I will have cut specific culinary cuts with chef knives.  I will have
      tested outdoor/hunting knives on typical cuts like feathersticking or small wood splitting)
      glass is a different story.  I will have packaged the unit properly and sent it (in the
      same packaging I got it in).  Glass obviously breaks easily.  I’m going to really wonder if you
      are sending back smashed glass.
4. Payment options.  We accept all major credit cards, PayPal, cheques, money orders, or if you want to send gold I’ll take that too.
      Obviously with all other forms outside of credit and PayPal the money will need to be received before shipment.