Annie’s Kitchen – New Knife Guide

All of my knives, steels and cutting boards come with a lifetime guarantee on materials and workmanship, as well as lifetime knife sharpening service.  First, the top 3 tips for keeping your knife in the best shape:

1. DO NOT PUT A CUSTOM OR HIGH-END KNIFE IN THE DISHWASHER. All but one of the repairs I have done over the years have been knives put through the dishwasher. After you are done, wash your knife with hot soapy water and dry with a lint free towel. Do not leave in the bottom of the sink or in water to soak. The chemicals in dishwasher soap and the heat in the wash/dry cycles will dull your knives and destroy the handles. Please wash by hand and be careful at all times with the sharp edges.
2. I strongly recommend a proper wood cutting board, hard rock maple is the best. I recommend against plastic, marble or granite cutting surfaces. Anything but a good wood cutting board will quickly dull your knife edges. Please take a look at my section on cutting boards 
3. I have spent a fair amount of time sanding, polishing and buffing your knife blade. I suggest you use only dish soap and a sponge/wash cloth to clean your knife. If you use abrasive powder or scouring pads to clean the blade, it will scratch the blade and may dull the edge.