F.A.Q.'s

F.A.Q. 's- If you have any additional questions-e-mail me at
info@wildfirecutlery.com  and we will try to reply A.S.A.P.

1- How to order 
2- Pay with PayPal
3 - How to clean Carbon Steel
4- How can I resharpen my knives?
5 - How to protect my knife from ...
6- Do you do commissions?
7-I dropped my knife on a cement floor...bent tip..?
8- Do you have a full tang on your kitchen knives?
9 - Help choosing a knife
10 - Do you sharpen  knives?
11. Timing for delivery ?
12 - What about the woods you use ?
13 - More on shipping
14 - Contacting Wildfire
15- More about stabilized woods and my knife finishing technique

1.  First thing is to decide the size and shape of the knife you wish to order . 
 Basic kitchen knives are divided into paring ( small ) , medium ( 1x7 , 1.5 x 7 ) and large ( 2.5 x 5,7,9,10,and 12 inches ) . Then there are sets and other knives like fillet , cleaver , toothpick , bread or Mezzaluna . 
       Prices are displayed on each individual page. When you want to order, use the drop down menu at the bottom of each page. Find the item you want to order. The software I use as a base price for the cheapest item on the page and that is just near the drop down menu . The when you order any other item , it has the ' amount added onto cost ', next to it . It may say Traditional Paring knife with Cocobolo - $ 36 . Just add the $36 to the base price and that is the cost . You can check the price with the prices listed above on the page, if you like .
     So , after you click on the item you want , put in the amount you want
[ almost always one or two ] and when your finished shopping, click - check
out . The rest is easy , but any problems contact me immediately .
      You can navigate to any page  via the blue drop down menu on top , or click near the thumbnail photo on my main page . 
     I get calls all the time from all over the world [ 541 - 488 - 0781 ] , to discuss choices and options and help with ordering. So please never hesitate to call or e-mail me if there is the smallest reason as long as it within reasonable business hours. 

2. Pay with PayPal
a.- Paying is easy and free for the buyer . Please use the regular check out process on each page we have . It will take you thru each step . When it comes time to select your Payment  Method ,  just scroll beyond credit card to Pay Pal then click and continue on .
    When your ready to pay, just go back to my home page and look for the PayPal button or go to  paypal.com . Note: you do not have to register with PayPal to pay with it. I pay the commission.

3 . I have an old carbon steel kitchen knife which I wish to clean up . How to do this ?
a.- the easiest  way to clean up a stained carbon steel  knife or cast iron pan, is to buy a pre-made sanding block at your local hardware  store . If you hold the sanding block flat on the blade , this will not touch the edge as it is beveled. To sharpen the edge, lift the block so it glides along the bevel that leads to the edge .  Get the finest grit you can find , but they usually come in two grits. Us the finest side , unless the blade is very rusty. You can also use sand paper wrapped around a wood block ,  but start at 180 grit, and work your way from there - to 240 and maybe 400 . Just take your choice of grit and sand the blade lengthwise , back and forth over and over until you get total coverage . Be careful you do not slice your finger on the edge. You will put scratches into the blade, but the finer the sandpaper, the finer the scratches . When you get finished sanding, scour the blade with Bon Ami in the same direction with a sponge, scrubbie or a cork . Then wipe dry and if you care to, rub the blade with oil when it is warm or cold . I like to rub olive oil on when the blade has been warmed up. Now, enjoy your fine tool.

Also see here for reconstructive work on your older knives click HERE. 

4. How can I resharpen my knives?
A -  Well, we have spent a lot of time searching for the ideal sharpener . We considered ease of use for the average person in the kitchen, cost , durability and how well it works. We settled on the Jiff-V sharp sharpener . It is very easy to use , works great and is cheap . You can use stones or a steel rod  [ a hone versus a sharpener ] , but those take some technique to use and people always botch it up by rolling the edge . The advantage of this sharpener , is that it does both sides at once and is cheap . It has two , crossing very hard carbide pieces which peels the steel [ wipe off peelings after using ] .

      If you want an electric sharpener, try the Chefs choice 3 slot units. They do a good job , sharpening in grades , but cost's more. I use a belt sander to sharpen , and then refine the edge with buffing wheels. You can buy a cheap two grit stone at the hardware store , also. Always use water, not oil , to lubricate the stone. You want a lubricant to carry away the microscopic pieces of debris you have shaved off of the stone , not build up on it . But, eventually, it will get clogged . How to unclog it?? Wash it with dish soap and hot water , and a stiff brush { nail brush }, and then rinse with hot hot water. 

     Stone sharpening is not an easy technique to master. Start by plucking a super sharp knife so you know what your after . Always start with a large stone and a small knife. It makes no difference which way you sharpen, just sharpen one side on the coarsest side first until it is sharp. Then turn it over and do the other side. Try to make the number of strokes as even as possible, to the point of even counting . Then do the same thing on the other side of the stone , or finer side .     

     A steel or butcher is a commonly used sharpening tool , also . Like a stone, it is not easy to get both sides evenly sharpened without rolling the edge . If your steel has no ridges running lengthwise, it is shot and so get rid of it. The hone  is used only to hone, or lightly sharpen a knife . It is wise to sharpen and then hone , or to hone before the edge gets so dull and worn that it needs a resharpening . If your knife is too hard { like almost all stainless knives - sorry ! } , good luck.

5. How to protect the surface of my carbon steel knives?
A - First off , I never do a thing to my knives except wipe them off at times and rarely use the green part of my scrubbie sponge to remove any rust or unsightly spot .

     Having said that :

     The Japanese polish their knives and swords with a scouring powder every day for thirty days  after production and then wipe it  dry , and oil. I suggest any oil is good to use as long as you would choose to eat that oil . WD-40 advertises that it is safe to eat , but I would not lube my kitchen knives with it . I like to use a basic vegie oil  . You can do the same thing with your cast iron pots and pans, heating , scouring and then oiling after the stove top or oven heats it up . I tell my customers that soap cuts oil, so wash your knives with soap only when you must. I believe the key is to dry them off well after washing .
     But I have met many people who just use them and love them for their great edge holding ability . If you get a rust stain or want to clean the blade , use a new-ish scrubbie sponge and scour for 10 seconds before use.  Bon Ami works really well also. Wet blade, sprinkle on and scrub in with green side of green scrubbie of sponge. Dry thoroughly.

6. Do you do commissions?
a- yes, of course. I charge a reasonable price, but this gives me an opportunity to expand my techniques and designs. We can recondition older knives, or make a copy of your favorite knife also. I would suggest to anyone who may be interested in getting their favorite shaped knife made into carbon steel, to trace the shape and handle thickness, and fax me a cover letter with this tracing. I will fax you back a quote, and we can move from there. 

7. I dropped my knife on a cement floor and the tip bent. What to do?
a.- this is normal behavior for a well heat treated knife. It should have bent when given that sort of stress. You can knock it back again like a blacksmith would, with a hammer hitting lightly. Then resharpen with stones. Or send back to me with a check for return shipping, and I will repoint. Takes just a few minutes. By the way- if the knife was not well heat treated- it would have broken off.

8. Do you have a full tang on your knives?
a.- yes we do. It is the strongest way to make a handle which will last. We put a slab of wood on either side and then glue and rivet it in place. It would be very hard to hurt the handle. One could burn it off or the easiest way to hurt it would be to leave it in water. Then it would dry, and probably pull away from the steel in the middle. Then rust can enter, and somewhere down the line it will corrode. Better to treat these knives like a fine tool, which is what they are. Have a special place to put it when not being used. We do guarantee all our work for workmanship for life, and if the problem is due to anything we should have done or did not do correctly-we will stand by it.

9. Help choosing a knife
 
     a- THE SHAPE
    
     The large kitchen knives- 7, 8 , 9 and 10 inchers' can come in various shapes at no extra charge !!
       There is the Santoku , the round back and the straight back .
       The BACK OF THE KNIFE means the section opposite the edge. Look to see if it has a round, or straight back . This is completely a personal preference as to taste . Just let me know if you have a preference and it shall be done. You can e-mail me or put a note in the comment box during the order process. You can also call us at 541-488-0781 WST (business hours) , also.
       The SANTOKU has a clipped tip . All these are pictured on the KITCHEN KNIFE page .
       Noodle around the kitchen knife page and contact us if you have any questions at all and we will always be happy to help .

     b- NEXT THE WOOD   

        Myrtle, Rosewood ( Santos )  and stabilized, double dyed California Buckeye are available.
        Myrtle is locally harvested, light colored , very hard and is excellent for kitchen knives. The Myrtle Wood I have been using is very old and beautiful . Some pieces have great chatoyance.
        The Santos Rosewood is tropical, eco harvested and very oily . Dark brown with black streaks.
        The double dyed (red/black) stabilized wood has had the cellulose and moisture sucked or vacuumed out and replaced with a polymer acrylic. Will not suck moisture and is impervious to almost every substance which could conceivably come in contact with a kitchen knife.

    
      c- THE FINAL STEP

 Look at the bottom of any page and there you will find a scroll down menu for all the items on that page. Find what you want , highlight it and place a quantity in the box. Then click ADD TO CART and a window should pop up. If it does not, you will have to enable pop up's in the tools menu . Click off, temporarily, the pop up blocker. The once the window has appeared you can click check out and the software will take you through the process. Your computer must be able to accept cookies to do this . Any problems , contact us and we will take care it right away.
        

10.Do you sharpen  knives?
a- yes- of course, but we do not take on outside work . Here is some more info, though. The first step is to grind them properly. That is the gross shape of the edge. To get it tapered just right and fine so that there is little interference with a smooth cut. Then there is the refining of the finished edge. This is done on 12 inch turning  wheels and we go up to 650 grit. This will add a very fine  edge to a properly ground knife. If your knife is dull and abused, it may need to be re-ground. That is why we like the 3 slot chefs choice, as it can regrind as well as finely sharpen. We also take the time to remove all scratches so that they will not interfere with the edge. Anyone who wants to keep there knives sharp and has not developed a technique should try our sharpener, as it is idiot proof, lasts forever and never wears out. See on front page. 

11.  Timing for delivery

  
    Delivery time depends on the time of year and if we are in the midst of a sale , Xmas rush , or an ad campaign . If timing is critical for you , then please e-mail about your situation and I will be happy to take into consideration your special circumstances. Otherwise we will ship as soon as is feasible .

    
12- What about the woods you use ?

     See photos at , click here for options beyond Santos Rosewood .  
    It  just makes good business sense all around to look for a local alternative wood to my tropical line of Santos Rosewood , and we think we have found it , after alot of fiddling with different woods. We tried Yew [ not very available , too light and splinters easily ] and Oak   [to plain , raised grain when wet ] ] and settled on  Myrtle Wood . I especially love the dark Myrtle look and the figuring I find in Myrtle , which for me is the Pink Ivory of the Northwest . It finishes nicely and is very very durable for a kitchen knife's use and best of all, affordable . So we offer both tropical and local for the same price .

13 - More on shipping. 

A- Just switched to flat rate shipping , which means there is a flat rate ship charge of $ 11.00 ( or whatever the cost is to flat rate priority ship with USPS ) plus the handle cost of $ 3.00. It may be that we can charge less with shipments to neighboring states with one item and will charge what the ship charge is then, no matter what the software prints out . Ship charge to Canada and Europe is very very reasonable. package usually weigh one pound for the box and one pound each per knife and we are at zip code
97520.

14-Contacting Wildfire

I live on the West Coast , so please do not call first thing in the morning East Coast time - as that is 5 AM here and my phone is in my home .
   If you call me at 541-488-0781  and you leave a message ,  I would be happy to call you right back right away . 
    The very best way to contact me is via e-mail . I will respond promptly , almost always the same day .
If you have to call, call during west coast business hours .

15- Stabilized Wood - Double Dyed & knife finishing
     This is either  Black Ash  or California Buckeye burl wood and it is getting harder and harder to find due to it's popularity .
   It has all the moisture removed [ sucked or vacuumed out ] and replaced with a special blend of monomers and acrylics to stabilize the wood. Then it is processed further with two dyes. This wood , once stabilized , results in material that is resistant to temperature changes, humidity extremes, UV rays and saltwater as well as many acids and solvents commonly encountered in day-in-day-out use. There is no more expensive wood product for a kitchen knife.
     I sand the handles of my knives, with aluminum oxide belts and take it up to 240 grit. This is not considered a high polish , which could be all the up to 600 grit and then ( with some woods ) high buffed.
    I used to make my knives like this , with a mirror finish on the blade. I would take them to a crafts show after putting lots of time and effort into making them look like jewelry. Then when I got home, they were all scratched up and needed re-finishing all over again. Remember, for those that read my bio, I did these shows for 20 years full time and mat a lot of people.
     I kept this pattern up for 5 years, and when I needed to raise prices due to increases in costs, decided to simply keep the price the same but not polish them to a mirror anymore. This was in the 80's and I kept the same style after that.
    I make affordable kitchen knives that work really well. If you want me to high polish a knife handle , then let me know and I will gladly use my skills to do this, but you will have to pay for my time. The other choice is to get a piece of 320 and 400 grit sand paper and take 20 minutes and put your own finish on it . Finish is relative to what your used to.
    The feedback I get from 97 % of my clients is that it is a good balance I have found, right price for the product, and people respond with re-orders .  The average person wants a knife that looks unique and hand made and that works well. Meaning that they can sharpen them easily and the blade holds a decent edge.
     If you want a knife that holds an edge as long as that super exotic steel knife you have , by all means buy stainless or an exotic steel like CPM10V. But 'the average' person has A LOT of difficulty in keeping these sharpened and they chip as well. For more info on this read my bio and why carbon steel.

    I have no wish to compete with anyone who makes kitchen knives where the main characteristic is it's hardness ( where they refer to Rockwell or Brinell ) or pander to customers who ask for a knife with Brinell of 62.  It would be so easy for me to say, sure it is 62 and not do a thing, as most of the time these folks know nothing about hardness, knives, knife making or steel. They are just parroting the line back that they heard and clearly have not read what I have written here. I make well balanced ( heat treat wise and knife wise ) kitchen knives of carbon steel - period for the price and will continue to do so going forward.