Hints

Sometimes a little knowledge makes a job so much easier. Here you'll find little ideas that we've picked up along the way that make things easier. Send us your favourite hints and we'll put them up so others can benefit from them.

A little advice on the care of your carbon steel knife

Cut on wooden or plastic surfaces, avoid metal, granite glass or ceramic.

The blade may discolour with use, especially after contact with acidic food like tomatoes or citrus. This does not harm the blade, it can be cleaned with some fine steel wool if desired.

Clean the blade immediately after use with water, then dry it. Don't let it stay wet for too long.

Please, never put it into a dishwasher.

Clean the handle with a damp cloth. Keep the handled lightly oiled with some cooking oil.

Store them in a wooden knife block or on a wall mounted magnet. Avoid storage in drawers unless the blade is wrapped up.

Keep the blade sharp using a steel or ceramic stick. Repair the edge with a diamond or water stone.

With proper care the knife will last for many generations.

The knife is meant to be used, please enjoy it.

Advice to Young Men 1901

From Modern Blacksmithing - J.G. Holmstrom 1901

In every profession and trade it is a common thing to hear beginners say: I know, I know. No matter what you tell them, they will always answer, I know. Such an answer is never given by an old, learned or experienced man, because, as we grow older and wiser we know that there is no such thing as knowing it all. Besides this we know that there might be a better way than the way we have learned of doing the work. It is only in few cases that we can say that this is the best way, therefore we should never say, I know: first, because no young man ever had an experience wide enough to cover the whole thing; second, it is neither sensible nor polite. Better not say anything, but simply do what you have been told to do.

Get a Grip

Fixing handles on knives can be a challenge. This simple modification to a standard Quick-Grip makes it much easier to get nice tight glue-ups of you handle. Remove the yellow pad and cut a vertical slot 4mm in one end of the Quick-Grip. You can then put the yellow pad back on an use it as a normal grip or remove it and use it for you handles.

To use glue your handle and place the blade in the slot. Gently squeeze the handle. Before final tightening check alignment of the layers, then tighten it up.

For best results make sure each layer in the handle is flat and do a dry run to check the joins before gluing.

Rare earth magnets

One of the most useful addition to any workshop are some small rare earth magnets. These are incredibly strong for their size and can be used to keep small tools and accessories within easy reach. They come in a wide variety of sizes, but don't go too big or you will get stuck. Avoid heat with them as they lose their magnetism when heated. You can get them on ebay by searching for "rare earth magnets".