Caring for your new knife or hawk

All of my knives and hawks are made with high carbon tool steel.  To care for them you need to keep them dry and oiled.  

If surface rust appears, it may be buffed off with fine steel wool.  Protect the blade with oil after cleaning.

Wooden and bone handles benefit from natural oils as well.  Most are treated with linseed oil, so you may add additional coats of this to keep the shine.  A paste wax or just beeswax will keep the wood healthy.

Sharpen with a high quality stone or fine file, using smooth strokes.  Any knife or axe will chip if you hit the wrong object the wrong way, but you can usually work this out carefully with a file and whetstone.