Japanese knives are ground thinner and sharper than most German knives, which is what makes them so good at precise cutting — and also why they need more careful handling. Handled well, a Japanese knife can serve you for years and keep performing better than a duller, thicker blade. Handled carelessly, thin, hard steel is more prone to chipping, and high-carbon steel will rust.
General Knife Care
Good care habits protect the knife you paid for and keep it cutting the way it should. Here's what actually matters.
Cleaning
- Never put your knife in the dishwasher. The heat, detergent, and jostling against other items can damage the edge, the blade finish, and the handle.
- Wash by hand with mild soap and warm water, then dry it immediately with a towel. Don't set it aside to air dry — even a few minutes wet is enough for rust to start on carbon steel, and stainless isn't immune either.
- Never leave the knife soaking in a sink, even briefly. Standing water is one of the fastest ways to damage a blade.
- After cutting acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus, wipe the blade right away — high-carbon steel especially can discolor if acid sits on it.
Preventing Rust
- Apply a few drops of knife oil or Tsubaki oil after each use, particularly on high-carbon steel. A thin oil layer helps protect the surface from moisture between uses.
- Stainless steel resists rust better than carbon steel, but it isn't rust-proof — it can still corrode if left wet for extended periods. Always dry your knife fully before storing it.
- If surface rust does appear, a rust eraser can remove it from the surface. It won't undo pitting or damage that's gone deeper into the steel — for that, the knife needs to go to someone who can regrind it.
Cutting Tips
- Use the right knife for the job. Don't cut through bone, frozen food, or hard squash with a single-bevel knife or a thin, high-hardness blade — that's one of the most common ways an edge chips.
- Cut on wood or a soft plastic/rubber board. Avoid hard surfaces like glass, granite, stone, or metal, which wear down the edge fast.
- Don't twist or pry the knife sideways while cutting. Japanese knives are thinner and harder than most Western knives, which makes them more brittle under lateral stress.
- Cut in a straight push-and-pull motion rather than rocking hard side to side, especially with single-bevel blades.
Storage
- Don't toss your knife loose into a drawer, where it can get nicked, dulled, or nick something else.
- Store it dry, in a sheathed or blocked setup that keeps the edge from contacting anything. A saya cover works well for this — browse our saya cover selection here.
Sharpening Your Knife
Which whetstone you need depends on the knife's condition and what you're trying to accomplish. The wrong stone wastes time and can damage the blade — and a single stone isn't enough. Sharpening effectively means moving through multiple grits, coarse to fine.
Coarse Stones (400 Grit)
400 Grit: This is the coarsest general-purpose stone we carry, and it's for repair work, not routine sharpening — fixing small chips, reshaping an edge, or thinning a blade. It removes metal quickly, so use it only when the knife actually needs that level of correction.
Basic Sharpening (1000 Grit)
1000 Grit: The workhorse stone for routine sharpening. If your knife has simply gone dull from use, this brings the edge back. It's not meant for chip repair, but used regularly it keeps a knife in good working condition over the long term.
Finer Stones (3000 – 6000 Grit)
These refine the edge left by a coarser stone, smoothing out scratches and preparing the blade for polishing.
- 3000 Grit: Refines the edge after 1000 grit sharpening.
- 6000 Grit: A common choice for routine maintenance and polishing on kitchen knives.
Super Fine Stones (8000 – 10000 Grit)
These put a mirror-like polish on the edge — useful for knives doing precision work on fruit, vegetables, or fish, where a very refined edge reduces drag and tearing.
- 8000 Grit: Well suited to knives used for delicate slicing — vegetables, seafood, or fruit.
- 10000 Grit: Produces a highly polished edge that noticeably reduces resistance when slicing.
If you'd like to learn more about whetstones, visit our guide: What Whetstones Should I Get?
For a complete step-by-step tutorial, check out: How to Sharpen Your Knife
Have questions? Get in touch with us — we're happy to help.