Knife Care

Improper cleaning of the knives is the main cause. This could include leaving some soap on the knife, not thoroughly rinsing the knife, not cleaning the dirt thoroughly from the knife, etc.

Not drying the knife after cleaning is the second big reason. We suggest you dry the knife with a clean and soft cloth every time you wash them.

Another cause of rust or corrosion could be the contamination from other metal products, such as scouring the knife with steel wool. The iron particles from the steel wool could rust stainless steel.

The addition of chromium to all SHAN ZU knives helps them be more rust resistant, but care should still be taken to avoid rusting.

There are many general stainless steel sharpeners available on the market and any of these can be used to remove rust from your stainless steel.

Please visit your local kitchen shop or department store to find one that is specifically produced for kitchen products.

Alternatively SHAN ZU also has a sharpening stone which can help with rusting. It can be purchased from SHAN ZU official website and SHAN ZU online stores on Amazon.

Use the right cutting board. The choice of cutting boards can dramatically improve your knife’s ability to hold an edge. A wooden cutting board is more friendly to the knife as it is soft enough to cause less damage to the cutting edge.

Properly clean your knife. It’s better to wash the knife by hand instead of in dishwasher. In addition, after your knife is properly washed, it’s important to dry your knife thoroughly before putting it away.

Honing the knife before every use and taking regularly sharpening the knife also play an important role in keeping the knife sharp. We recommend using the same brand sharpener to ensure least damage to the knife.

One way to keep a SHAN ZU knife (or any other knife) sharp and avoid chips is to use an appropriate cutting surface. It includes wood and polypropylene board. If the knife can leave a cut line in the board, your cutting board is sufficiently “soft”. Please do not cut on tile, ceramic plates, marble, granite, or acrylic. All of these surfaces will dull and chip your blade very quickly.

Please do not use SHAN ZU knives on bones, joints, or frozen foods. Most SHAN ZU knives are designed for precision slicing rather than crushing down through hard materials. SHAN ZU knives range from paring knife to chef’s knife that are designed to take on different types of tasks. Please use the knife properly to prolong the service life of the knife.

Chips can happen due to improper cutting technique. Most of SHAN ZU knives are designed to be used in a smooth, slicing motion—and never in a forceful, up-and-down “chopping” manner.

The proper cutting motion is a "locomotive" motion, pushing the knife forward and down as you cut through the food, then pulling the knife up and back towards you. This motion is also similar to cutting wood with a handsaw—forward and down, then back. The razor-sharp SHAN ZU blade makes this practically effortless. When you first begin using a SHAN ZU knife, go slowly and enjoy the precision cutting ability of your new kitchen cutlery. As you gain experience, you will be able to work more quickly. No matter what your experience level is, be careful and always pay attention to where your fingers are in relation to the knife.

Another reason may lie in the cutting board. Please do not cut on tile, ceramic plates, marble, granite, or acrylic. All of these surfaces will dull and chip your blade very quickly. Wood board are preferred.

Micro-corrosion, which can result in tiny chips or missing pieces in your knife’s cutting edge, can occur because moisture is left on the cutting edge. Moisture weakens the stainless steel and promotes micro-corrosion. If moisture is left on the cutting edge repeatedly, even normal use in the kitchen can result in small chips in the weakened sections of the edge. To guard against this, wash your knife immediately after use and dry it very thoroughly with an absorbent cloth or towel. Please take extra care to safely dry the sharp cutting edge of your SHAN ZU knives, keeping your fingers away from the edge.

Small chips in the blade are produced through normal use of the knife, so don’t panic if it has happened. Using a sharpening steel or a whetstone should remove these chips for you and get your knife back to brand new sharpness. For larger chips you may need to get your knives professionally sharpened.

Please note that as chips in the blade are not due to manufacturing fault, they are not covered by the knife guarantee.

SHAN ZU knives are guaranteed against manufacturing fault only during 1-year warranty.

If your knife is snapped under the warranty, please email us and send a photo for us to determine whether your knife has snapped from manufacture fault or not.

When the knife has been examined and the outcome is manufacturing fault then we will offer replacement. Unfortunately if the knife has no manufacturing fault, then a replacement will need to be purchased.

We recommend that you do not wash your knives in the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is very abrasive, and along with the banging around that happens during a wash cycle it, will take the sharp edge right off your knife.

Try to wash knives by hand in the sink with dish soap and water. Keep the blade facing away from you and the knife low in the sink. And after washing please don’t forget to dry your knives with a clean and soft towel.

Store your knives in a block, a knife case, an in-drawer knife holder, a sheath, a magnetic bar, or in the original box. Don't just throw them in a drawer. Otherwise they can get dulled or chipped, as well as being a potential hazard when you reach into the drawer. Clean and wipe knives up before storing them.

If you use your SHAN ZU knife correctly, it can provide you with a lifetime of service. Yet using your knife correctly isn’t only about how to maintain the edge or how to sharpen the blade; it’s also about how you use the knife on a daily basis.

Please do not push straight down on your blades. Not only will this result in arm fatigue for you, it can also be hard on your blades and could result in chipping. When you cut, it’s important to use a “locomotive” motion. Move the blade in either a forward or backward direction. By pushing the blade forward when you chop, rather than pushing straight down, the blade does the work instead of having to use your muscle to cut. The same applies to pulling back on the knife. This slicing motion will cut down on unnecessary muscle strain and keep your blade in excellent condition.

If the knife just gets some chips, please use a sharpening steel or a whetstone to remove these chips and get your knife back to brand new sharpness. For larger chips you may need to get your knives professionally sharpened.

SHAN ZU knives are guaranteed against manufacturing fault only. If the knife is damaged because of falling down the ground, it’s not covered by the knife guarantee.