General Handling

As with any other knife, you should be aware of these general handling rules:

• Do not put your kitchen knives in the dishwasher. Dishwashers will damage your knives and chip away at that precise edge.
• Hand wash your knives after using and dry the blade right away to keep water from sitting on your blade. You can also oil your knife occasionally with mineral-grade oil or cooking oil to protect against rust and corrosion.
• Storing your knife properly is also important, as it keeps you organized and encourages a safe routine around sharp knives. You can also use Écriture’s Magnetic Block for the perfect storage solution.

Sharpening Your Ecriture Knives

Did you know a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one in the kitchen?

It’s true! A dull knife requires you to use more brute strength and force to cut through food, which increases the risks of slipping and injuries.

As our Perfect Knife Collection is sharpened to a beautiful 15 degrees, you will need to sharpen your knife regularly to keep it in the best condition and reduce risk of injuries.

We highly recommend using a sharpening stone, also called a whetstone, to sharpen your knives. The process is similar no matter which type of stone you use, such as diamond, India stone, water stone, oil stone, etc. However, we always recommend reading and following the instructions that come with your sharpening stone.

Using a sharpening stone may seem intimidating at first, but with a little patience, you’ll find it is a straightforward process. Whetstones are a classic and traditional knife-sharpening tool and have been used for centuries. They also typically come with an angle guide to help you use it.

Sharpening Your Knives Using a Sharpening Stone

1. Place your stone on a damp cloth or towel on a flat surface with the coarse side facing up. The damp towel keeps the stone from moving or sliding.
2. Check your stone’s instructions for lubrication. Most stones need honing oil (NOT cooking oil) or water, though diamond stones do not need anything. Pour a small line of the honing oil or water down the middle of the stone and gently spread it evenly across the whole surface.
3. Identify the angle for sharpening. Adjustments can be made as needed. With your knife at the correct angle, slowly slide your knife down and across the stone in one smooth motion starting at the base and ending at the tip of the knife. Repeat at least 5 times.
4. Turn the knife over and repeat steps 3 and 4, making sure you do it the same number of times as the first side to maintain the same angle. Turn the knife back over to the first side and draw the knife across the stone the opposite way, from tip to base 5 times.
5. Flip the knife to side two and sharpen from tip to base 5 times.
6. Turn the sharpening stone over so the fine grit side is facing up and repeat steps 2 through 7.

Many people find the process of using a sharpening stone interesting and meditative. If you do not want to do it, you can also use a sharpening steel, also called a honing steel, to sharpen your knives and keep the edge straight.

Sharpening Your Knives Using a Sharpening Steel

1. Hold the steel vertically with your dominant hand with the tip of the steel firmly on a cutting board or damp towel.
2. Hold your knife horizontally at the top of the steel at the base of the knife with the edge pointing in and touching the steel.
3. Identify the angle for sharpening. Adjustments can be made as needed.
4. Smoothly and gently, pull the knife downward and back toward you going from base to tip of the blade. Repeat 5-10 times.
5. Switch to the other side of the steel and knife blade and repeat steps 2 through 4, making sure to sharpen each side of the blade the same number of times.

After you’re done sharpening, you can test whether your knife needs to be sharpened further by cutting through a tomato. Pay attention to any resistance you feel as you slice normally. The more resistance you feel, the duller the knife. Sharpen it until you feel no resistance from the tomato.

This is all the information you need to keep your knife in perfect condition now and for many years to come!