Just some of the frequently asked questions I get about knives.
In the UK it is a legal requirement to ensure that knives are not sold to anyone under the age of 18. This goes for selling to anyone, no matter where they are in the world. It is however your responsibility to know your local laws, as I can not be held responsibly for you purchasing knives that are not legal to own where you live
The best thing to do is head over to the contact me section of this site and send me a message. It helps if you have a rough idea of what you would like, but I can help guide you through having a knife built to your design or requirements. I can also send photos of materials in stock, or even have a video call so you can choose exactly what you want for your knife. I do my best to make buying a knife from me an exciting experience that you are involved in the whole time.
The best way is to continually maintain your knife as you are using it. A ceramic honing rod helps realign the edge of your knife and a leather strop with some polishing compound on it will help keep it hair popping sharp. However, there will always come a time when you need to sharpen your knife. I favour Japanese Waterstones. I like to sharpen on a 1000 gritstone, and then polish on a 6000 gritstone. These take some practice to get good at sharpening on, so I would recommend practising on a cheap knife that you are not so worried about making some mistakes with. Others like diamond stones, which are fantastic but be aware that they remove steel much quicker than a Waterstone. If you are not confident, try and find someone local to you who offers a sharpening service. Or talk to the maker you bought the knife from, as many will sharpen your knife and send it back to you for a small fee.
First things first, never put your handmade knife in the dishwasher. Just don’t do it. Wash it by hand in hot soapy water and then dry it afterwards. Don’t leave it on the draining board as high carbon steel will start to rust. This also goes for stainless steel blades. It is good practice to still dry these after use. They are called stainless for a reason, they are not called stain never! Store your knives safely. A kitchen knife should not be put in your knife and fork drawer. Store in a nice wooden knife block or on a magnetic strip. All my knives come with a protective padded case which is great for storage. Knives that come with a leather sheath should not be stored in this sheath as they can attract moisture and your blade may start to rust.
A patina is a protective coating that forms on your high carbon steel blade through general use. It is not to be confused with rust! Acidic foods such as onions and tomatoes help build this patina on a blade, and you will start to see the colour of the steel change from silver and grey to orange-brown. This will build and build over time and form a protective layer that helps stop your blade from rusting. Some people don’t like this patina, and it can easily be removed with a soft cloth and a polishing compound such as autosol.
Some local councils run a knife amnesty, where there will be a secure box you can post old knives through. They like to use these figures to show how many knives have been removed from the streets, where I believe most of them are just old knives being disposed of safely. You can also put old knives that you no longer have a use for in your bin. Firstly you should blunt the edge. Running this over a concrete path will remove the edge quickly. I would then recommend securing the tip and wrapping the blade in cardboard and tape. You do not want this blade to hurt the people cleaning your rubbish, or recycling it afterwards so please be sensible about how you do this.
Good question. Hopefully, because you have seen my previous work and like the look of it, or maybe you have had a personal recommendation. I like to get to know my customers. You are not just a name in the order book, and I will drop you an email to let you know that it is ready and I need you to pay. I keep all my customers up to date during the build process. From cutting the steel to grinding the edge, glueing up and shaping the handle to putting the final edge on it you will get photos and videos of your knife being made. I put a little bit of me into every knife I make, and you get to see that as your knife is made. Through this, I have formed many friendships with people who have got to know me, and not just bought a knife from me.
No, my knives are all over the world. No matter where you are, get in touch and we can discuss building you the knife of your dreams.
The simple answer is no. The longer answer is what is the benefit for both of us from this? I have no problems in discussing a collaboration that is mutually beneficial to both of us, but just because you have a YouTube channel or 5000 followers on Instagram doesn’t mean I will give my knives away.
