FAQs

No knives belong in the dishwasher or put in the sink. After use, dry the knife with a cloth and store it in its place, on a shelf, on a stand or in a sheath. Not in the drawer with the other knives.

The knives are designed for cutting on a wooden or plastic cutting board (except for bamboo cutting boards which dull any knife very much). We don’t cut the knives or hit them with a mallet or anything like that. If we treat the knife correctly, it will reward us with a very durable blade and thus a joyful preparation of food in your kitchen.

Stainless steel blades:

Corrosion-resistant steel does not require any special care, it is sufficient to wipe such a knife dry after use and store it in its place.

Carbon steel blades:

Carbon steel is susceptible to corrosion so these knives should be wiped dry immediately after use, especially on acidic foods, and occasionally lightly coated with table oil and wiped with a napkin. Over time, the knife develops a natural, unique patina, which preserves the knife and makes it more resistant to corrosion.

Handles

If your hands feel dry on the surface after a while, it is ideal to coat them with an oil designed for contact with food, linseed oil is a good choice. Rub the hand, let it soak for 10-15 minutes and then wipe properly, for example with a paper towel.

Natural wood:

I use a wide variety of different European and exotic woods to make my hands. For example Ebony, Padouk, Palm wood, Zebrano, but also Oak, Walnut or Plum. For soft woods such as linden or birch, I stabilize them with colorless acrylic resin.

Stabilized wood:

Stabilized wood is characterized by its increased resistance to moisture and its interesting appearance. I use various soft woods such as Alder, Maple, Lime, Birch, Walnut and others. The most interesting are the various wood defects that occur in so-called ‘tumours’ on trees, or from roots, knots and so on. If pigment is added to the stabilising resin, various possible and impossible colour shades and combinations are created.

Other materials and accessories:

For the various details, stripes and decorations on the knives I use the above mentioned materials as well as different coloured epoxy resin castings, composite materials such as G10, Micarta or Acrylic. From natural materials such as buffalo horn, birch bark, or various nuts and pits.

N690:

This steel has good edge hold with very good durability. It is relatively low-maintenance, so it fits into any kitchen. It has very good corrosion resistance and is relatively easy to sharpen. The achievable hardness is 58-60 HRC.

Excellent price/performance ratio.

AEB-L:

This steel produced by powder metallurgy is characterized by very good toughness even with high hardness of 60-62HRC. Thanks to its very fine grain, it sharpens very well but at the same time has a high durability of the blade. Of course, it has very good corrosion resistance.

Elmax:

The Swedish Elmax steel from Uddeholm, produced by powder metallurgy, has similar properties to AEB-L steel, but Elmax is one of the best European stainless steels. Very popular for both household kitchen knives and in the hands of experienced cooks. The achievable hardness is around 60-62 HRC.

VG10 SAN MAI:

Japanese VG10 steel produced by Takefu Special Steel, of course by powder metallurgy. A layer of this steel is sandwiched between 66 layers of mild, non-hardenable stainless steel. Thanks to this, the blade is very tough, but at the same time fragile on the edge where the steel is VG10. Steel used primarily by chefs both in Japan and around the world. It can be sharpened to a very high sharpness thanks to the extremely fine grain. The blades are very light, cutting-able and precise. The steel is hardened to a hardness of 60-62 HRC.

Carbon or non-corrosive steel:

D2:

One of the most widely used carbon steels. Despite its high carbon content, it has increased corrosion resistance, but is no longer classified as a corrosion-resistant steel. It is popular for its high toughness and very good edge retention even at a hardness of 60-62 HRC.

Santoku:

Basic Japanese knife suitable for cutting vegetables, fish, mushrooms and meat. The length of the blade most often ranges from 15 cm to 20 cm. Santoku is the ideal first choice of Japanese knife type if you don’t already have one.

Gyuto:

Gyuto is the equivalent of the classic European chef’s knife. The blade is usually long from
18 cm to approx. 26 cm. It’s mostly used for cutting meat, but it’s also a basic knife like a Santoku, so vegetables or fish won’t be a problem for it either.

Kiritsuke:

The third of the basic Japanese knives is the Kiritsuke, its use is the same as the Santoku or Gyuto, but with the longer blade variant it is also used as a slicing (shashimi) knife. The blade length ranges from 18 cm to 24 cm but slicing variants can be up to 30 cm.

Sujihiki / Yanagiba:

Thanks to its long blade, this knife cuts thin and precise slices of meat and is also used in sushi preparation. The blade ranges from 20 to 30 cm.

Petty:

A small knife for all-round use, especially for vegetables, fruit and herbs. The length of the blade ranges from 8 to 15 cm.

Nakiri:

Nakiri is a knife designed for vegetables. Thanks to its square shape, the knife can be pushed with the other hand, for example when cutting pumpkins and similar vegetables. It is also very good for root vegetables.
The length of the blade usually ranges from 16 to 18 cm.

Honesuki:

Japanese knife mainly for deboning poultry, but thanks to its shape it can be used just like the Petty. The blade length ranges from 12 to 15cm.

If you are interested in making a custom knife, please contact me at info@milantumaknives.com