Knife care is essential if you want to get the most out of your knife. Being sure that your knife is cleaned and stored properly will ensure that your knife stays at top condition. Each steel type has different needs to be met. Same goes for sharpening whetstones.

Stainless Steel

VG1, VG10, AUS8, AUS10, SG2(R2), ZDP189, HAP40, Silver 3

Recommended to: 
Wash and dry knife after each use  (do NOT store knives until completely dry)
Sharpen with Japanese whetstones

NOT Recommended to: 
Clean knife in the dishwasher
Attempt to cut through bones or frozen foods
Use knife on a hard surface (marble, granite, glass, etc.)
Apply any bending force to the blade

We use the term "stainless" and "carbon" to simplify the grouping of steel types. All knives we carry could be classified as "high carbon" as the common definition of "high carbon" steel refers to a steel with more than 0.8% of carbon content.

What makes a steel "stainless" is a chromium content of more than 13%. Adding this amount of chromium creates a protective layer on the steel's surface that keeps the carbon from oxidizing. Thus, the stainless steels we carry should really be referred to as "high carbon stain resistant steel" because they have both a carbon content of more than 0.8% and a chromium content of 13+%. This is a bit too long to use, so we chose to simplify things a little and use the term "stainless".

High Carbon Steel

White No. 1. No.2 steel, Blue No.1. No.2, Super steel

Recommended to: 
Wipe blade frequently while in use  (esp. when working with acidic foods)
Wash and dry knife immediately after use -- carbon steel RUSTS easily
(do NOT store knives until completely dry)
Apply a thin layer of camellia oil  (esp. when storing for long periods of time)
Sharpen with Japanese whetstones  (sharpened at 15 degrees is recommended)

NOT Recommended to: 
Clean knife in the dishwasher
Use a honing steel/sharpening rod
Attempt to cut through bones or frozen foods
Use knife on a hard surface  (marble, granite, glass, etc.)
Apply any bending force to the blade

Note: Blade may eventually develop a natural patina

Can you identify the types of steel just by looking at them?

Whetstone

Sharpening stones come in a wide array of grit fineness and materials each with their own specialty

Recommended to: 
Soak in water before use. Stone is ready when bubbles stop forming.
Keep stone moist while in use  (a layer of water on the surface of the stone)

NOT Recommended to: 
Wash away slurry while you sharpen  (slurry helps in the sharpening process)
Dry by any alternate source as cracks will form. Let stone dry in the area you store it
Store in a towel. Store in a area under room temperature
Leave stone soaking in water for hours. It will soften the stone making it degrade quicker
Use soap. It will weaken the stone and lower its sharpening performance
Use hot water. Temperature changes can cause cracking