•  Do not store your knife in its sheath. Leather absorbs moisture which is obviously bad for non-stainless blades. Carry your knife in its sheath and store it out of the sheath wrapped in a soft cloth if possible. If your sheath gets wet in the field and the knife MUST be carried in it for safety, coat the entire knife with any type of mild CLEAN oil, i.e. cooking oil, WD40, etc. Clean and dry your knife at the first chance you get. Allow the sheath to dry naturally – do not heat it.

•  If your Damascus blades finish begins to darken you may lightly rub it with WORN 1500 grit sandpaper on a flat backing such as a block of wood. This will remove the oxidation while polishing the “high spots” of nickel giving it its original shine. Do not use just your finger behind the sandpaper or do this without the hard backing or you will remove the oxidation created by the acid etching and damage the pattern.

•  Use a quality mild polish on the entire knife a couple of times a year. I recommend “Renaissance Wax” from the U.K. It is available on the internet. It is pricey but well worth it to keep your investment in top shape. Be careful using even this on the Damascus blades. Its fine to go over it gently without rubbing too hard but you can affect the contrast of the etching. Its still better to use the wax on the handle and WD40 on the blade. For stainless, go to town on the whole knife.

•  Sharpening – I recommend using a local professional knife sharpening service, or learning how to do it yourself. I used to offer free sharpening but the increased risk of something happening to your knife when shipping both directions is too great considering that the USPS will fight claims especially when it's not part of a sales transaction.

•  Any questions other questions, just email me and I'll be glad to help.

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