In order to protect and preserve our jewel like precision instruments for as long as possible, we recommend following these guidelines.
General Tips:
Hand wash the blade in warm water and towel dry, immediately after use. We recommend using a soft cloth for this process.
Always cut on a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on glass, marble, china, a plate or anything that is harder than the
steel of the blade.
Store knives in a way that the blades are not able to knock into other objects — we recommend storing your Series 1 Knife in either the handmade box it comes in or the Hinoki Companion Knife Sheath.
Sharpen your Hinoki Knives using either Japanese waterstones [preferably with a grit of between #1000 to #1200] or a ceramic honing rod — never use metal sharpening equipment or honing stones to sharpen the blade.
Things to avoid:
Do not use the knife to cut into bones, frozen food or very thick skinned ingredients.
Please do not put the knife in the dishwasher. Also avoid washing the blade with abrasive scrubbers or dishwashing powders as this can
damage the finish.
Don’t leave your knife wet any longer than necessary, never put away wet or dirty and ensure you don’t sheath the blade without ensuring it is clean and dry.
We would strongly advise against sharpening your knives with metal sharpening equipment or honing stones of any kind.
Do not expose your knives to heat.
Never twist, cleave or warp the blade.
Maintaining Carbon Steel Blades:
Black Shirogami 1 Carbon Steel is not in its natural element when exposed to water, with this in mind always clean and completely dry your carbon steel blade after each use to prevent rust and oxidisation. Should you not be comfortable with owning a carbon steel blade, we would recommend the Brushed VG10 Stainless Steel option for ease of care.
In celebrating the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, be aware that carbon steel blades will naturally develop their own unique patina over time as they interact with the various food acids within the ingredients you are cutting and the environment in which they are used.
We recommend pairing our carbon steel blades with Hinoki Companion Knife Oil — specially formulated with Japanese Camellia Oil and Bee Propolis, both renowned for their rust resistant qualities and containing molecules that naturally inhibit metal corrosion.
Directions:
Step 1: Before applying the Companion Knife Oil, ensure the blade has been cleaned and is completely dry.
Step 2: Apply a small coin sized amount of oil to a fine cloth or apply three dots directly to the blade.
Step 3: Glide the cloth over both sides of the blades body, ensuring a light even coat.
Step 4: Prior to its next use, simply wash the knife under running cold water to remove any traces of oil and dry thoroughly.
Maintaining Wood:
Our natural hardwoods have been finished in a specially formulated food safe and water resistant wood oil — this is generally the only oil we would recommend come in contact with our handles, anything else may cause staining.
Wooden handles should not be immersed in water. When exposed to water we would recommend drying the handle thoroughly, ensuring you get rid of any dampness as soon as possible after each use.
As wood is a living material, variations in colour and pigmentation will occur and it’s appearance will change overtime.
Over time the wood oil will slowly wear off. When this does occur you may send it to us for a complimentary recoating as part of The Renewal Service.
Hinoki Services + Lifetime Guarantee:
Hinoki is pleased to extend The Renewal Service — a guarantee of lifetime service and maintenance on each object and material in the essential range.
In addition to this all products are guaranteed by The Hinoki Lifetime Guarantee. Hinoki guarantees its knife products against manufacturing defects on all material components provided they are properly used and cared for. The Hinoki Lifetime Guarantee is non-transferable and does not cover normal signs of wear and tear, naturally occurring patina, rust, damage or breakage as the result of the users poor maintenance, nor loss or theft. If the exact product is not available for replacement or repair, a knife of equal value or similar function and style to the original will be supplied to the client — free of charge.
