What should I know about your knives? Part 3

In Part 2 of this series, we discussed the workmanship, quality and the fact that our knives are meant to last a lifetime with proper care. That is why we feel confident in offering a lifetime warranty on any product sold by Salter Fine Cutlery to the original owner, against defects in quality of both the blades and our workmanship with every knife.

In Part 3, we answer this oft-asked question: 

• How long will it stay sharp?

Your knife has been made from steels with the highest available edge retention properties and will arrive very sharp. However, ALL knives need care and maintenance. Without proper care, they can and will get dull.

The answer to how long it will stay sharp is dependent upon how you use your knife and how you care for it. 

I personally, use my knives probably 350 days a year! We rarely eat out, and I always cook everything from scratch, so my knives get quite a workout. Yet, with proper care, I only need to ask Gregg to sharpen them about once a year, less for those knives that don't get used nightly. And I NEVER wait to sharpen them until they are 'dull'. Instead, I get them sharpened when they don't make a full cut nicely enough and I need a second stroke to slice that tomato or trim the fat off that pork chop.

What do I do? First, I never cut food on a ceramic or plastic type cutting board. I ALWAYS use a wood or bamboo cutting board, and my wood board has an end grain cutting surface. This greatly prolongs the knife edge.

Next, I lightly strop my knives after each and every use! It really does only take a couple seconds! A dozen quick strops on a fine grit ceramic sharpening rod keeps the edge honed and does not change the grind angle. Some people prefer to strop on a leather strop, which works equally well. (think about old fashioned straight razors and you will get the idea). Will discuss that more later.

Last, but certainly not least, I use the knife designed for the job at hand. I don't and won't use a knife meant for slicing like a cleaver. 

If YOU have any questions about how to prolong the edge retention on your knives, even if they are not knives you purchased from us, just ask. I will always be happy to help!