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How to Care for your New Knife or Knife Set: Part 2

Handcrafted luxury chef and steak knife set in knife block of curly Hawaiian koa wood by Salter Fine Cutlery

Jun 17, 2022

Filed under: about our wood,  chef knife set in block,  chef knife sets,  Chef knife stand,  cutlery blog,  hand-forged steak knives,  Handmade chef knives,  Handmade steak knife sets,  Hawaiian koa wood knife,  Hawaiian koa wood knives,  keepsake box,  koa wood knives,  Salter Fine Cutlery,  Salter Fine Cutlery Blog,  Salter Fine Cutlery steak knives,  Salter Steak Knives,  Steak knife sets

99.9% of our knives have been made with exotic wood handles. 100% of our knife boxes, stands, or knife blocks have been made of wood. In this second part of our series on caring for your knives, we will discuss anything made of wood that has an oiled finish.

Traditional knife block to hold a combination chef and steak knife set handmade luxury kitchenware from Salter Fine Cutlery of Hawaii

Most of our clients order a box, stand or knife block to accompany their new knife of knife set. They may be ordered to use as in-drawer storage, under the counter or for permanent display. A high percentage of our boxes are so beautiful, they are proudly displayed as a piece of art. 

Handcrafted tower stand to hold a 4-piece Salter Fine Cutlery chef knife set

They are made to last a lifetime with proper care. So what is proper care? 

  • Store at room temperature. 
  • Keep away from direct heat sources, like a stove top.
  • Never store in direct sunlight for long periods. Example: don't keep a box in a window box where it will get constant direct sunlight and extremely hot. (and yes, we've seen it)
  • Never store in a damp environment for long periods.
  • Avoid banging it on doorways or laying your knives on top of the lid. (seen that too. A steel blade can always cut wood) 

Those are the basics. If you do have a problem, we can probably fix it or let you know how you can fix it if you like.

Handcrafted keepsake box by Salter Fine Cutlery to hold one of our 6-piece steak knife sets

There's more. If you have a stand, gift or keepsake box, you probably have a tung oil finish. If so, the best way to care for it is to wipe or wash with mild soap and water and dry immediately.

How about my knife handles? Same thing. They have a tung oil finish. Wash with mild dish soap by hand and warm water, rinse and dry immediately.

  • Never soak wood. 
  • Never let your knife stand or block sit in standing water. Dry counter tops if cleaning around or under the knife block. 
  • Never put wood in an automatic dishwasher

Individually hand-forged steak knives with Hawaiian curly koa wood and ebony bolsters made for restaurant or home use by Salter Fine Cutlery

If you have a presentation box, in most cases, the outer surfaces have a hand-rubbed wax finish. This finish requires different care than your knife handles. 

We will discuss presentation boxes and waxed finishes in Part 3 of this series.

If you have a question about your set, send us a comment and I will address it in the next blog post.

 

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