Handle and care
This knife's blade is forged from high carbon steel. During the hardening process carbon steel forms a much finer grain structure than most stainless steel alloys, allowing for a very keen, lasting cutting edge.
Whether it has a shiny hand sanded finish or a forced patina, your new knife will change over time as the carbon steel reacts to certain food acids and begins to build up a patina. Once the patina is fully developed it will protect the steel from rusting and give your knife its own personal character. Depending on what you are cutting, the color of the patina can vary from light grey over blue and green - right up to black. During the first few days of use the steel may produce a slight smell when used with acidic fruits and vegetables like pineapple or onion. This is normal and will stop after the patina is fully formed. Even though the patina protects against rusting, your knife should also be kept as dry as possible. After use, simply wipe or rinse and then dry the blade and handle.
Tip: A simple way to wipe food acids off your knife while you work is to keep a dampened folded towel or a kitchen sponge next to your cutting board. This is especially advisable with a brand new blade on which a new patina is supposed to develop smooth and evenly. Otherwise it can lead to heavy staining on a totally blank blade surface.
Once the patina has fully developed the blade is well protected and not very sensitive anymore. For additional maintenance, occasionally oiling your knife with any type of food oil will also help give it extra protection from rusting. My personal choices are camellia oil or Ballistol®. Both are food safe and don't stick to the blade as they dry.
Avoid soaking or prolonged wetting/drying of the wooden handle. If the wood ever begins to appear dry, you can refresh it with a penetrating wood oil or a fresh layer of food safe wax.
Please refrain from cutting extremely hard or frozen items (i.e. bones, seeds, metal, etc.) with your knife. This may cause chipping or other damage to the edge. When cutting, use a clean, smooth cutting motion. Do not twist the knife while it is mid-cut, especially when cutting harder foods. Please do not try to flex or bend your knife. This can cause chipping or cracking of the blade.
Use a proper cutting surface. A knife should never be used on metal or glass surfaces. The best cutting boards for use with these knives are end-grain wood boards. Bamboo boards and poly boards can be excessively hard on the edge.
For knives with demountable handles:
The demountable handles are mainly meant to be for having a better access to the blade during care and maintenance. This way blades can be moved over stones for thinning or the like, without the handle being in the way or even getting damaged by the water stones.
In case the detachable handle of your knife is build from several parts, it is most likely that these are sealed with a thin layer of silicone to prevent moisture from entering the inside of the handle.
After the handle has been taken apart seals need to be refreshed.