The first rule of knife care is… the dishwasher is a mortal enemy
The single most important thing to remember is NEVER to put it in the dishwasher. It will not enjoy being sprayed with salty detergent and being heated to 80ºc!
In the event of a guest (or someone else trying to be helpful) putting your knife through the dishwasher, we offer a handle replacement and blade re-conditioning service for £50 + p&p.
As the knives adapt to the heat and humidity of your kitchen, there may be a very slight expansion or contraction of the handle material. This will be most noticeable in a natural wood handle, less so in a stabilised handle and almost imperceptible with Richlite or similar materials.
The expansion will be most noticeable around the area of the pins. If you like, you can use some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper to smooth the handle down.
Handle maintenance
Natural wood handles would benefit from occasional oiling (we prefer Danish Oil). Make sure the handle is clean and dry and apply a good coating of the oil, leave for 5 mins and wipe off any excess before leaving the knife overnight for the oil to settle and cure. If you usually store your knife in a leather wrap, leave it to dry for 24 hours before returning it the wrap to avoid any staining or product transfer.
Our stripey handles have finishing oil applied. It is applied in the same manner as Danish oil, but will take less time to cure.
If you need any oil we will have included a little bottle to start things off.
All of our other handles have a very light layer of wax applied when they leave us, and if you’d ever like to restore a bit of lustre then a thorough rubbing with some beeswax polish will see you right.
All handles will benefit from regular use.
A few words on engraving
Any engraving on the blade is a two-part process. The main cut removes around 1/20th of a millimetre of steel, with a secondary black finish applied as the top few microns of the steel are annealed.
The deep engraving will last the lifetime of the knife, whereas the black will very, very slowly fade over time as you clean the blade, and hence we recommend not using too much elbow grease (or too abrasive a cleaning agent) on any engraving as you’ may hasten its demise.
How to sharpen your knife
The best way to look after your knife is to hone it every time you use it, thereby having to sharpen only occasionally. Our knives are made to be as hard as possible while still being able to take a good honing.
Understanding the difference between honing and sharpening is the single most important thing you can learn (as regards caring for a knife). A good honing steel, such as our own range (with the ability to match the handle to your knife) is vital, and you should use it gently every time you cook, if possible – see here.
Sharpening vs honing
Honing requires a decent honing rod and serves to reshape the very edge of a blade after it becomes misaligned through frequent and inconsistent contact with a chopping board. A professional chef will do this every time they cook. Far from the fast-paced, slashing technique that we often see on television (we’re looking at you Mr Ramsey), this should be done slowly and methodically. The key is to maintain the same angle, or as close as is humanly possible, as you slide the blade’s edge along the rod, alternating sides as you do so. The perfect angle will be dictated by the angle of the initial bevel made by the maker of the knife, but generally speaking, a chef’s knife will be somewhere between 17-22 degrees.
Regular honing will delay the need for sharpening, two terms which are often thought to mean the same thing. Sharpening will generally need to be done a couple of times a year, with a whetstone being the most effective method. This is a slightly more involved process with numerous online videos and tutorials showing how it’s done properly.
We recommend…
Until recently, we were of the opinion that the many ‘quick-fire’ sharpening devices out there are like hangover cures – if they actually worked then we’d all have one. However CATRA (Cutlery Allied Trades Research Association) make an excellent device called the Catrahone which we have used and highly recommend. It’s not going to get your knife as sharp as the day you receive it, but we’ve tested it against ancient onions, green peppers with skins like rhinos, the slipperiest of tomatoes and large legs of recalcitrant lamb and found it to be absolutely spot on in all respects.
If you prefer whetstone, we suggest you watch this chap on YouTube as we find him to be the least full of rubbish and pleasingly lugubrious – he will recommend you go to a very fine grit, but we think that anything above 2 or 3 thousand isn’t necessary for kitchen use.
This whetstone will be great to start off with, and at only £20 it doesn’t matter if you take a few bits out of it while getting the hang of things. If you find you want to go up a level (that one being 400/1000 grit) then this one will get it ridiculously sharp.
The last step in sharpening is removing the burr – the hide side of an old leather belt will do, or buy a strop such as this one. A bit of baby oil on the leather will help you get a nice, even covering of the polishing compound.
As with most things, you get what you pay for. The stones above will do you well to start – and not be too expensive if you make a mistake – but ultimately better stones with give you a better edge. Our preferred brand is Naniwa.
We very highly recommend this sink brace – it allows you to put the knife securely on a sink and keep a trickle of water flowing. It assists in achieving a zen-like calm while sharpening.
If you’re of the ‘kit’ persuasion, then we suggest the Edge Pro.
And if this all sounds far too much like hard work? Then just post your knives back to us and we’ll do it all for you.
Repair service
We offer a complimentary sharpening and edge retention service once a year for the first 3 years after buying your new knife. Details are included with any purchase, but we will of course always be prepared to repair a damaged knife, be that a chipped edge from slamming through a pig carcass or from a helpful house guest putting your blade through the dreaded dishwasher.
“I must say I was nervous buying a knife without even holding it but glad I took the gamble.”
– Daniel Pearce, Butcher – July 2020
A Lifetime of Creativity
Your Savernake knife will respond beautifully to the frequent, gentle touches of a honing steel. Properly cared for, it will need sharpening very infrequently – which, of course, we can do for you. Treat your Savernake knife well and it will last a lifetime and beyond.
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With proper care, our knives are guaranteed for a lifetime of use
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KNIFE CARE & SHARPENING FAQs Top
For questions regarding the what we mean by the various parts of a knife and how to care for our knives.
HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY SAVERNAKE KNIFE?
If you care for your knife it will give you a lifetime of service.
The single most important thing to remember is NEVER to put it in the dishwasher. It will not enjoy being sprayed with salty detergent and being heated to 80ºc!
In the event of a guest (or someone else trying to be helpful) putting your knife through the dishwasher, we offer a handle replacement and blade re-conditioning service for £50 + p&p.
As the knives adapt to the heat and humidity of your kitchen, there may be a very slight expansion or contraction of the handle material. This will be most noticeable in a natural wood handle, less so in a stabilised handle and almost imperceptible with Richlite or similar materials.
The expansion will be most noticeable around the area of the pins. If you like, you can use some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper to smooth the handle down.
Natural wood handles would benefit from occasional oiling (we prefer Danish Oil). Make sure the handle is clean and dry and apply a good coating of the oil, leave for 5 mins and wipe off any excess before leaving the knife overnight for the oil to settle and cure. If you usually store your knife in a leather wrap, leave it to dry for 24 hours before returning it the wrap to avoid any staining or product transfer.
The kitchen is arguable the most demanding of locations for a knife handle (all that salt, fat, water, detergent, oil, heat, humidity etc) and so as long as you’re prepared to care for the handle and keep on top of it, you’re golden. If that fills you with fear, then we have plenty of other low-maintenance options.
All of our other handles have a very light layer of wax applied when they leave us, and if you’d ever like to restore a bit of lustre then a thorough rubbing with some beeswax polish will see you right.
All handles will benefit from regular use.
Any engraving on the blade is a two-part process. The main cut removes around 1/20th of a millimetre of steel, with a secondary black finish applied as the top few microns of the steel are annealed. The deep engraving will last the lifetime of the knife, whereas the black will very, very slowly fade over time as you clean the blade, and hence we recommend not using too much elbow grease (or too abrasive a cleaning agent) on any engraving as you’ may hasten its demise.
HOW SHOULD I SHARPEN MY SAVERNAKE KNIFE?
The best way to look after your knife is to hone it every time you use it, thereby having to sharpen only occasionally. Our knives are made to be as hard as possible while still being able to take a good honing.
Understanding the difference between honing and sharpening is the single most important thing you can learn (as regards caring for a knife). A good honing steel, such as our own range (with the ability to match the handle to your knife) is vital, and you should use it gently every time you cook, if possible – see here.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHARPENING AND HONING AND HOW REGULARLY SHOULD I BE DOING IT?
Honing requires a decent honing rod and serves to reshape the very edge of a blade after it becomes misaligned through frequent and inconsistent contact with a chopping board. A professional chef will do this every time they cook. Far from the fast-paced, slashing technique that we often see on television (we’re looking at you Mr Ramsey), this should be done slowly and methodically. The key is to maintain the same angle, or as close as is humanly possible, as you slide the blade’s edge along the rod, alternating sides as you do so. The perfect angle will be dictated by the angle of the initial bevel made by the maker of the knife, but generally speaking, a chef’s knife will be somewhere between 12-17 degrees.
Regular honing will delay the need for sharpening, two terms which are often thought to mean the same thing. Sharpening will generally need to be done a couple of times a year, with a whetstone being the most effective method. This is a slightly more involved process with numerous online videos and tutorials showing how it’s done properly.
CAN YOU RECOMMEND THE BEST SHARPENING METHOD?
Until recently, we were of the opinion that the many ‘quick-fire’ sharpening devices out there are like hangover cures – if they actually worked then we’d all have one. At the moment, our preferred domestic option is the Lansky Master’s Edge – it won’t put a new edge on a very old or knackered knife, but if you use it on one of our blades as soon as you notice the honing steel isn’t getting the edge up to snuff, then you’ll be set for life.
If you prefer whetstone, we suggest you watch this chap on YouTube as we find him to be the least full of rubbish and pleasingly lugubrious – he will recommend you go to a very fine grit, but we think that anything above 1 thousand is excessive for kitchen use. In fact beyond this will create a weaker edge (only after considerable effort) that won’t perceptibly improve cutting performance.
This whetstone will be great to start off with, and at only £20 it doesn’t matter if you take a few bits out of it while getting the hang of things. If you find you want to go up a level (that one being 400/1000 grit) then this one will get it ridiculously sharp.
The last step in sharpening is removing the burr – the hide side of an old leather belt will do, or buy a strop such as this one. A bit of baby oil on the leather will help you get a nice, even covering of the polishing compound.
As with most things, you get what you pay for. The stones above will do you well to start – and not be too expensive if you make a mistake – but ultimately better stones with give you a better edge. Our preferred brand is Naniwa.
We very highly recommend this sink brace – it allows you to put the knife securely on a sink and keep a trickle of water flowing. It assists in achieving a zen-like calm while sharpening.
If you’re of the ‘kit’ persuasion, then we suggest the Edge Pro.
And if this all sounds far too much like hard work? Then just post your knives back to us and we’ll do it all for you.
HELP! I’VE HACKED MY WAY THROUGH A RECALCITRANT LEG OF LAMB, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
We offer a complimentary sharpening and edge retention service once a year for the first 3 years after buying your new knife. Details are included with any purchase, but we will of course always be prepared to repair a damaged knife, be that a chipped edge from slamming through a pig carcass or from a helpful house guest putting your blade through the dreaded dishwasher.
Discover more about Savernake Knives via our FAQs.