How to care for a Damascus kitchen knife

A Damascus knife isn’t fragile, but it isn’t one to toss in a drawer and forget about either. Give it a little attention and it stays sharp for longer. No expensive gear or advanced technique required, just a handful of good habits.

Full disclosure: I founded RiceKnife, so those are the knives I have in mind here. The advice works for most good kitchen knives, though.

Wash by hand, straight away

Rinse the knife under warm water with a drop of mild washing-up liquid as soon as you’ve finished. Wipe from the spine towards the edge, never along it. Don’t leave it soaking in the sink, and keep it well away from the dishwasher. Heat, salt and long soaks are hard on both steel and wooden handles.

Dry it properly

Don’t leave it to air-dry on the rack. Dry it thoroughly with a clean tea towel right after washing. Water left sitting on the blade can cause spots and, over time, takes its toll on the handle.

Wipe as you go

Acidic ingredients such as lemon, tomato and onion can slowly etch the steel. When you’re working with them, give the blade a quick wipe every now and then.

Choose the right board

Use a wooden board – end grain is ideal – or a suitable plastic one. Glass, marble, stone, ceramic and metal will dull an edge in no time. And when you sweep chopped food across the board, turn the knife over and use the spine, not the edge.

Let it do its job, and only its job

A hard chef’s knife is not a hatchet. Steer clear of bones and frozen food, and don’t twist the blade mid-cut. Hard steel holds a keen edge for a long time, but it can chip if it’s used the wrong way.

Give it a home

Keep the knife on a magnetic strip, in a knife block or in a blade guard. Loose in a drawer, it knocks against other utensils and picks up chips. And always store it out of children’s reach.

Look after the edge

A few passes on a leather strop once a week keeps the edge straight and polished without removing steel. A honing rod is optional and mainly for softer knives; hard steel doesn’t need one. If you cook daily, a session on the sharpening stones roughly once a month is a good rule of thumb, or have the knife professionally sharpened once or twice a year. Test the edge on a ripe tomato or a sheet of paper: if the knife slides cleanly through, you’re good to go.

Handles and spots

The handles on Valkyrie III, Tigritude III and Yolo III are pre-treated, so they don’t need regular oiling. If the wood feels dry or rough after long use, sand it very lightly with fine paper and apply a thin coat of beeswax and food-safe mineral oil. Stainless steel resists rust but isn’t invincible: rub any spots off with soap and a soft cloth, then dry. If the knife will sit unused for a while, give the blade a thin film of neutral oil, away from the edge.

Want to go deeper?

RiceKnife’s full knife care guide on riceknife.com covers sharpening at home in more detail, and the product pages for Valkyrie III, Tigritude III and Yolo III list each knife’s specifications. Questions about a knife you already own? Contact RiceKnife via riceknife.com/contact.

Two minutes of care after each use is all it takes. That’s a small price for a knife you want to enjoy for years to come.