Knife care
I will never get tired stressing on how knives are designed for cutting and their unsuitable use or use as makeshift tools can cause damage and wear, especially at the tip. Also, like any high-quality hand-made item, Piccinin knives will perform better and last for years when given a proper care over time.
Piccinin knives can be made with a wide range of materials, using both high carbon and stainless steels spacing from wood to synthetic materials for the handle. Here you have some tips to keep your knife in prime conditions, plus one general rule that never ages: DO NOT PUT A KNIFE IN THE DISHWASHER, the heat, the pressure and the steam are terrible for all the materials of the knife and heavily reduce the life of your item. Instead, prefer a hand-wash with a soft sponge, mild detergents with cold or lukewarm water and always make sure your knife is completely dry before storing it.
The blade
Some of my knives are high carbon steel, which has great cutting properties but it can rust. However, there is a lot you can do to prevent or limit the corrosion process. Some simple good practices involve the wiping of the blade with a dry towel after and during each use, not letting it sit in water for a prolonged time and applying a nice coat of food safe oil before storage (e.g.: camellia oil or food-grade Ballistol). When used, high carbon steel knives will inevitably develop a blue/purple patina which is a form of light protective oxidation that prevents heavy corrosion or rust. It is a matter of personal preference whether to let a patina develop or not. I personally love it but if you want to scrub it off you can use a polishing paste (e.g.: Iosso or Flitz) with a soft cotton towel.
On the other hand, a lot of my knives are stainless steel which is, at a certain degree, resistant to oxidization. In fact, stainless steel is way more resistant to corrosion if compared to high carbon steel, however it may be subjected to pitting oxidation under certain conditions like the presence of salt aerosol or the use of harsh and strong chloride-based detergents. To prevent this, simply hand-wash with a soft sponge, mild detergents and dry the blade thoroughly after each use.
The handle
My all-time favourite handle material is stabilized wood but I also like synthetic materials like G10, Micarta and carbon fiber. Stabilized wood and synthetic materials are very resistant to humidity and temperature changes so they need actually nothing. However, if you want to really have the best from these materials you can protect them using a light coat of wax. You can use common paste wax but I really recommend the Renaissance microcrystalline wax which is super simple to apply and it creates a very durable hard protective layer.
Sometimes I also use natural woods like African Blackwood, terebinth or olive and, even if they are very hard and dense, they need to be taken care to avoid excessive dryness that leads to cracking. Therefore, I recommend to regularly apply a coat of oil: boiled linseed oil and camellia oil are good but I personally am in love with Tru Oil, a product used in gunstock finish.
Moreover, I recommend not to expose the knife to the direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time. Especially if the handle materials are dark, they can become very hot and this is not ideal at all.
The sheath
All Piccinin fixed blades, except for kitchen knives, are made with their custom leather sheath. Sheaths are designed to transport or carry the knife during the use and not to store the knife in the long term because the contact of the leather with the knife materials can cause corrosion due to trapped moisture. Leather is a natural material that absorbs and releases humidity from the surrounding atmosphere. This characteristic must be maintained by sealing the smooth surface of the leather, while leaving the rough part in a natural state to let it dry when wet. After the use, just let the sheath dry storing the knife outside of it. To protect the sheath over time you can apply leather grease, leather wax or leather balm using a soft cotton towel.
The edge
No knife is free from edge rolling and wear when used. When a knife’s edge begins to roll over, if you are confident you can re-sharpen it by yourself using a slow speed sharpener or grinder, whetstones or by stropping the edge on a leather strop with some polishing compound. In any case, the sharpening of the knife is a delicate process that need to be done very carefully to avoid unpleasant mistakes that compromise your item. In fact, I always recommend to have you knife re-sharpened by a professional trusted knifemaker. By my side, I offer lifetime re-sharpening of Piccinin knives only at the cost of shipping: you just send the knife to me, I re-sharpen it and I will send it back to you.
To summarize
1. DO NOT put the knife in a dishwasher;
2. Wash the knife by hand with a soft sponge, mild detergents and cold or lukewarm water;
3. Make sure your knife is completely dry before storing it;
4. Do not expose the knife to direct sunlight for an extended period of time;
5. Keep the knife out of the sheath, it is only for carrying/transporting the knife and not for long-term storage;
6. Apply oil on the blade (e.g. food safe Ballistol or camellia oil), wax (e.g. Renaissance wax) or oil (boiled linseed, camellia or Tru Oil) on the handle and leather wax, grease or balm on the sheath;
7. If you are not familiar with sharpening, only have your knife re-sharpened by experienced knifemakers;
8. By my side, the re-sharpening of the knife is always guaranteed at the shipping costs only.