Knife Care Guide
Scanned the QR on your care sheet? This is the full version. A Paudin will hold a restaurant-sharp edge for years if you treat it right — and no steel on earth will save it if you don't. Five minutes here covers everything that matters.
1. Cut on the right surface
Your cutting board does more damage (or good) than anything else in the kitchen.
- Use soft wood or plastic. End-grain wood boards are best, food-safe plastic is fine. Both let the edge bite slightly instead of slamming into it.
- Never glass, granite, marble, ceramic or steel benchtops. One session on a glass board will dull an edge that took years of engineering to put there — and can chip it outright.
- Cut food only. No opening cans, prying lids, splitting frozen food or chopping through thick bones. That's what cleavers, saws and can openers are for.
- Flip to scrape. Pushing food off the board with the sharp edge drags it sideways across the grain and blunts it fast. Flip the knife and scrape with the flat spine instead.
2. Wash it properly (it takes 20 seconds)
- Hand wash only — never the dishwasher. High heat, harsh detergent and rattling against other utensils will wreck the edge and crack the handle. This is the single fastest way to ruin a good knife.
- Wash straight after use with warm soapy water and a soft cloth or sponge. Don't leave it sitting in the sink — it's a hazard for hands and an invitation for rust.
- Dry it completely, immediately, with a soft towel. Air-drying leaves water spots and, on high-carbon steel, the start of rust.
3. Hone often, sharpen occasionally
These are two different jobs and most people only ever need the first one.
- Honing (with a honing rod / sharpening steel) straightens the microscopic teeth on the edge that fold over with normal use. Do it every few uses — a dozen light strokes per side at roughly 15–20 degrees. It takes 30 seconds and keeps the knife feeling new.
- Sharpening actually removes steel to rebuild the edge. You only need it when honing no longer brings the bite back — for most home cooks that's once or twice a year. Use a whetstone, a quality pull-through sharpener, or bring it to a professional.
Full walkthrough: How to Sharpen a Kitchen Knife. Need the gear? See our sharpeners and honing rods.
4. Store it like you mean it
- Magnetic strip or knife block — either is perfect. The blade stays protected and dry.
- Never loose in a drawer. Blades knocking against other utensils chip edges and find fingers.
- Travelling with it? Use a blade guard or roll. A tea towel and a rubber band beats nothing.
5. Damascus and high-carbon blades — a little extra love
- The layered pattern on Damascus steel is not just decoration — but it does show neglect faster. Dry these blades the moment they're washed.
- Storing one for a while? Wipe a thin coat of food-safe mineral oil (or camellia oil) along the blade first.
- Spotted a small rust mark? Make a paste of baking soda and water, rub gently along the grain with a soft cloth, rinse and dry thoroughly. Caught early, it comes off completely.
The quick version
Soft board. Hand wash. Dry immediately. Hone often. Strip or block — never the drawer. Do those five things and your knife will outlast the kitchen it lives in.
Stuck? Come see us
If your edge has gone past what a honing rod can fix, or something doesn't seem right with your knife, get in touch — or drop into the showroom and we'll have a look at it with you.
Paudin NZ Showroom
880 Arthur Porter Drive, Burbush, Hamilton
Mon–Fri 9am–4pm · Sat 10am–2pm
0800 743 237 · Contact us
