Kershaw Product Care

Caring for Your Kershaw Knives

Fixed and folding blade knives

Cleaning and Oiling

Always keep your knife clean. Wipe away debris and, if needed, wash with a mild detergent. Due to the high-carbon content of the quality steel in our blades, the blade may corrode if not properly cared for. To protect your knife, simply wipe a light coating of oil on the blade, pivot points, and lock (if applicable) before storing.

NOTE: The Blade Trader saw blade needs additional care. Because it is made of saw steel, not stainless steel, it will normally stain over time. To maintain your blade, dry it after each use and wipe on a light coating of oil to protect it.

Removing Light Rust

If your knife does develop rust spots, you can remove them by using a light abrasive, such as Flitz metal polish or Bon Ami cleanser made into a paste with a little water. If the rust is more than just surface, try naval jelly or WD-40 and brass wool.

Storage

After applying a light coating of oil to blade and pivot, store folding knives closed and fixed blades in their sheaths or blade guards.

About blade coatings

The technologically advanced coatings on the blades of some Kershaw knives are designed to enhance specific performance features and the look of the knives. Although Kershaw coatings are designed to stand up to continual knife use, in time, all coatings will show some wear. Scratches and other signs of wear should be expected and considered normal.

Sharpening

Your knife comes with free lifetime sharpening. Just send the knife to our Tualatin, Oregon facility. We’ll sharpen it for free and return it to you. (If you live in the area, you may drop by our Warranty Department and we'll sharpen up to two knives for you while you wait. More than that and we'll get them to you the next day.)

You can also sharpen your knife with the Ultra-Tek sharpener:

  • Hold the blade against the Ultra-Tek at the original sharpened angle of 18° to 22°.
  • Beginning at the base of the blade and tip of the sharpener, pull the blade down and toward you across the top of the sharpener in a slight arc as shown in the illustration.

Do the same thing across the bottom of the sharpener as shown. This sharpens the top of your blade.

  • Repeat this “over and under” motion approximately three to five times to fully sharpen your knife.

It is critical to maintain the correct blade angle of 18° to 22° while sharpening blade.

Kitchen Cutlery

Cutting surface

To help your knife retain its edge longer, use an appropriate cutting surface. Hardwoods, bamboo, and polypropylene boards are all excellent cutting surfaces. Tile, ceramic, marble, granite, any kind of glass, and acrylic cutting boards are hard on your knives.

Cleaning & storage

Although this Kershaw cutlery is dishwasher safe, we recommend that you handwash your blades with gentle dish soap. Dishwashers can prematurely dull edges through contact with other hard surfaces. Chemical residues can sometimes cause spotting. Letting knives sit in a sink full of soapy water is hard on them, too. Once washed, rinse and towel dry immediately, then store in your block, in-drawer tray, or on a magnetic strip.

Honing & sharpening

To maximize the life of your blade, regular honing with your Kershaw honing steel is recommended. Weekly honing will extend the time between sharpening significantly. When the time comes to sharpen, we recommend using a sharpener specifically designed to sharpen to our 16° angle, sending the knives to a professional sharpener, or to our Tualatin, Oregon center for free sharpening.