Handmade Chef Knives

A great chef knife transforms kitchen work — less effort, more control, cleaner cuts. Louis Martin's handmade chef knives bring three generations of blade-making expertise to the kitchen, producing tools that professional chefs and passionate home cooks trust for decades of daily use.

Characteristics & Construction

These notes describe chef knives in general. Lot pieces are picked from stock, so features such as blade length, handle material and construction vary piece to piece.

1. 1

   Hand wash only

   Never put handmade chef knives in a dishwasher. The heat, moisture cycling, and detergent degrade handle materials and cause blade oxidation. Hand wash with mild soap and warm water immediately after use.

2. 2

   Dry immediately

   Dry the blade and handle completely with a soft cloth immediately after washing. Leaving water on the blade — especially on Damascus and high-carbon steel — causes spots and rust.

3. 3

   Use a wooden or plastic cutting board

   Avoid glass, ceramic, and marble cutting surfaces. Hard surfaces damage the edge bevel. End-grain wood boards are gentlest on knife edges.

4. 4

   Hone before each session

   Run the blade 4–5 strokes per side on a honing steel before each cutting session to realign the edge. This extends time between sharpenings significantly.

5. 5

   Sharpen on a whetstone annually

   Home cooks should fully sharpen chef knives on a whetstone (1000 then 3000 grit) once or twice per year. Frequent honing reduces how often full sharpening is needed.