Japanese Knife Care

High-quality Japanese or Japanese-style knives are an investment that will provide you with a lifetime of unparalleled service as long as you return the same respect to them.

To keep your knife performing optimally, follow these rules:

• Wash your knife by hand with warm water, soap, and soft sponge or dish towel, then dry it before putting it away. Avoid prolonged exposure to heat or moisture. Remember—there's no such thing as a dishwasher-safe knife!
• Avoid impacts with hard surfaces to prevent damage to the edge and tip. Don't chop bones, shells, or frozen food, and cut only on a bamboo or hardwood cutting board. Don't leave your knife exposed in a sink or a drawer with other knives.
• Sharpen on a whetstone at an angle of 15° per side and finish to a grit of at least 1000, but preferably 3000 or higher. Pull-through and electric sharpeners should be avoided for Japanese knives. Alternatively, you can have your knives sharpened professionally—Seattle Cutlery offers a state-of-the-art, mail-in sharpening service for our own customers, but other services may be available to you locally.

All Nakiyo, Tojiro, Sabatier, and SeaCut knives sold by Seattle Cutlery are covered by our lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. If you follow our care and maintenance advice and your knife ever fails during honest use, we will gladly repair or replace it. Our warranty does not cover regular wear and tear or damage due to misuse, but we may still be able to help in certain cases.