Knife Care

KNIFE CARE

When I build a knife, I plan on people using them relentlessly. Dominion Blades knives are built to be used, and not put on a shelf for display. They are built for looks and use, but are most beautiful when my clients put them to work. With some basic care and upkeep, these knives will out perform, and out last, other knives.

Rule #1 - 

Dishwashers wreak havoc on handmade knives for a couple reasons:

·         They use concentrated chemicals that are meant to breakdown oil and grease. Those chemicals also breakdown the oils and waxes that are applied to the handle for protection.  I use Pelican Paste, or Axe Wax, which is a blend of natural oils and waxes. It can be used to re-condition handles, leather, and steel.

·         Then second reason is that high heat will breakdown the epoxy in the handles. It will also warp materials in different directions. This could lead to the handles feeling rough, misaligned, or in the worst case, need total replacing.

·         Dishwashers do not care about the edge on your knife either. Because of the multiple jets coming from different angles, the knives can clank together with other items being washed. This will lead to a degradation in edge retention.

CLEANING & STORAGE

Use regular dishwashing soap and a sponge, or slightly abrasive scouring pad, and wash by hand. Don’t put in a soapy sink with a bunch of other items. It’s not only dangerous, but the edge can get damaged in the process. Prolonged soaking also isn’t great for the handle.

Magnetic strips, or magnetic wood blocks, are great for storing knives as it allows them to dry completely, and keeps the edge away from anything that could dull it. Leaving your knives in a drawer, without protection, is no place for knives. We provide a kydex, zipper case, or leather sheath for every knife in case you do want to store it in a drawer.

SHARPENING

The distance between sharpening depends on how the knife is being used. For hunting knives, how much bone you are subjecting the edge too? For kitchen knives, what surfaces are you cutting on? If at all possible use wooden or plastic cutting boards. If you are out fishing, clean your fish on a cleaning table (not a bare stainless cutting table please) or in the grass. Do NOT cut up game on rocky surfaces, this is sure to dull the knife.

There are many ways to sharpen a knife. Here are a few areas to look out for and to be thinking about:

·         Honing or stropping the edge of your knife will greatly increase your edge retention. A lot of knives we get back for sharpening only really needed stropped.

·         A honing steel or ceramic rod can be used to keep the edge straight and in place.

·         If using diamond stones or belt style sharpening systems you can remove material very quickly. These methods will get your knife razor sharp. They also make it simple to change the profile of your knife which is a bad thing.

·         If using a belt style system please be careful on how much heat you are exposing the cutting edge to. Too much heat can ruin the temper of the knife. I like high speeds and low pressure when using belts. Always use a new sharp belt when sharpening, this will keep the heat down.

  • There are a lot of knife guys out there these days who provide both sharpening instruction and hand sharpening services. You can always pay shipping and send it back to us. We will sharpen the blade and buff the handle for free. Just make sure to add a check in the box for return shipping.

  • You can also take your knife to a local knife shop or a retail store where they offer knife sharpening. What they will do is re-establish the edge of your knife. This method will sharpen your knife well, but they grind off a lot of steel in the process. If you have a professional service sharpen your knives and they ask whether you want your knife hand sharpened or not, always select hand sharpened. It may cost more by hand, but it is far better for the life of the blade. If they only have a belt style system, ask them to go easy!

  • Using a counter top electric sharpener is unadvised on your custom knives, if you do prefer to use these go as high end as you can get and choose one with a multiple stone system that finishes your knife with a fine a grit as possible. As with the above, these really put the grind onto your edge and leave it with a sharp but ‘rough’ edge. Great for axes.

HIGH CARBON (NON-STAINLESS) STEEL

I rarely use non-stainless, high carbon steels, but I do still use (and love) them, depending on the blades intended purpose, and/or upon client request.

Keep your carbon steel knife dry between uses. The nature of the steel which allows for a superior cutting edge is also quite corrosion prone. If you leave your knife with a few droplets of water on it after doing the dishes, there will be rust on your blade by morning. But don’t fear! You haven’t done any real damage yet, just scrub it off with a scouring pad and/or abrasive powder. For bigger jobs you may want to keep a rust eraser handy. If your knife spends long stretches in a drawer between uses we suggest oiling it lightly with something like Pelican Paste, or Axe Wax, both are organic, and are food safe. If your knife will never be in contact with food, a simple application of WD-40 or 3-in-1 bar oil will work as well.

Corrosion is not to be confused with the development of “patina," which to some is part of the joy of using and maintaining a carbon steel knife, as it tells the story of how you use it. The steel will darken in spots (especially with acidic foods) and form a kind of blotchy and ‘antiqued’ appearance - some people even force this look along. Think of it like breaking in a new leather jacket, or raw denim jeans. There is no choice about whether you want a patina on your carbon steel knife or not, a patina will develop regardless of your desire. There is evidence that the patina also helps protect the knife from corrosion, but don’t count on it, and keep your knife clean and dry at all times.

*same rules apply for damascus (unless stainless damascus,) although the patina won’t be as evident due to the etching process to expose the different metals.

I typically use 80CRV2 for my non-stainless, high carbon blades.

STAINLESS STEEL

They don’t call it “StainNEVER Steel” for a reason! Keep it clean and dry just like a carbon steel knife, or it will indeed rust, just not nearly as quickly. If you're someone who doesn't want the upkeep of carbon steel, stainless is the way to go. I typically use AEBL, CPM-Magnacut, and CPM-S35VN for my stainless blades.