How To Care For A Serbian Chef Knife?

A Serbian Chef knife is a hefty piece of steel that has its origin in Serbia, France, and Germany. This is often known as a meat cleaver for its distinctive shape and size.

A Serbian Chef knife can be the perfect investment if you want to buy a knife that will do versatile jobs. Caring for your Serbian chef knife is as important as having one.

To ensure the blade lasts for a long time, you need to take good care of the knife. Let’s get into the details if you don’t know how to care for a Serbian Chef knife.

What Is A Serbian Chef Knife?

• A Serbian Chef knife is a multi-purpose knife that is known for wide and sharp blades with a high hardness rating.
• The blades of Serbian Chef knives are usually made of high carbon steel. This is why they are very tough and can hold the sharpness for longer.

Characteristics Of A Serbian Chef Knife

Serbian Chef knives are widely known for their incredible toughness and strength.

• High carbon steel used to build the blades is hand-forged by master blacksmiths. As a result, the edges of Serbian Chef knives are highly durable, provided that you take the right care of them.
• Edge retention is much better on Serbian Chef knives. Due to this characteristic, these Chef knives can hold their sharpness for much longer than other knives.
• Though the size of the blade is bigger and heftier than regular Chef knives, these blades can precisely cut various items in the kitchen.
• The balance of these knives on your hand is spot-on. As a result, these versatile knives are suitable for use to chop, mince, dice, or slice items.
• Their versatility is one of the main reasons behind their popularity across the globe.

How To Care For A Serbian Chef Knife?

No matter how good the steel or how famous the manufacturer is, knives will never last longer if you don’t take good care of them.

From using in the right manner to washing and storing properly, everything has an impact on the service life of a Serbian Chef knife.

Let’s know more about the care.

Intended Use

• Though Serbian Chef knives can be used for versatile jobs, you shouldn’t apply much pressure on the blade.
• Carbon steel blades are prone to chipping. Or at least, the blade might get blunt.
• Using the right cutting board is crucial. Marble or glass cutting boards aren’t suitable for Serbian Chef knives. These materials are too hard for carbon steel.
• You need a plastic or wooden cutting board to use with these knives.
• Have a good grip on the knife while cutting with it.
• Wrong movements can dull or chip the knife blade easily.
• Using the knife in a rocking motion might be harmful as the cutting edge of the blade is pretty straight.
• You can use the tip of the blade as a fulcrum so that the cutting edge hits the cutting surface straight.

Proper Cleaning

There’s no alternative to regularly cleaning your Serbian Chef knife to maintain its sharpness. Here are some tips for cleaning your knife correctly.

• Wash the knife after every use. No matter how short the time of use was, never leave the knife unwashed. This might easily rust the high carbon steel blade.
• You can use mild soap and hot water to wash the knife. But don’t use detergent to clean these knives.
• Don’t use too hot water either as it might damage the construction of the steel.
• Letting water sit on the knife blade is the biggest mistake you could make. Never let a Serbian Chef knife air dry after washing.
• Use a clean, dry cloth or paper towel to wipe excess water. Leaving the wet knife will quickly rust the blade.
• Never use a dishwasher to clean a Serbian Chef knife. Dishwashing chemicals and hot water can decrease the quality of the steel.
• Always clean the knife with your hands.
• Washing a Serbian Chef knife with other knives or steel utensils can blunt or chip the blade. Be careful while cleaning the knife.

Proper Storage

• Most people tend to store kitchen knives in utensil drawers. This is very risky for the blades.
• If you put the knife inside a utensil drawer, it might hit other knives or steel utensils. It can even hit the drawer wall, which will blunt the blade.
• Always use a knife rack or knife block to store a Serbian Chef knife safely. After washing and drying the knife, you can apply a bit of oil to the blade.
• Wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel or clean cloth before putting it into storage.

Timely Sharpening

• Regular sharpening is crucial for any knives, especially the Serbian Chef knives. As they have better edge retention than other knives, they will hold the sharpness for a long time.
• Still, you need to re-sharpen the blade regularly to maintain its performance.
• Use a traditional whetstone to sharpen the blades of Serbian Chef knives.
• Never use a belt sander or hot grinder to sharpen the blades.
• Hold the knife blade at a maximum angle of 15 degrees.
• Don’t over sharp the knife. Be gentle on every stroke so that you don’t accidentally chip the blade.

Rust Protection

• High carbon steel blades are very prone to rust. So, you need to take extra care to prevent the blades from rusting.
• Though patinas commonly grow on the knife blades, they aren’t that harmful to the blade.
• But rust can reduce the service life of the blade. If you see any sign of rust, immediately remove it by applying oil or scrubbing the blade.

Extra Tips To Care For A Serbian Chef Knife

• Honing a Serbian Chef knife before every use is a good practice. This helps the knife hold its sharpness.
• Never let food residue sit and dry on the knife blade. It can be difficult to scrape off later. Clean everything right after using the knife.
• Don’t tap the knife blade on the cutting board. This could dull the blade faster.
• Never scrape anything from the cutting board with the knife.
• Store the knife out of reach of the children. It will save them from accidents and the knife for damage.

Conclusion

A Serbian Chef knife is a spectacular kitchen tool that is being popular day by day. You can easily own one, but owning it for a long time is the real deal. And you need to care for the knife to make it perform longer.

With our straightforward guide on how to care for a Serbian Chef knife, you can better understand how to use and not use the knife.

If you follow the care tips while using your Serbian Chef knife, it will continue to cut with ultimate precision and strength.

Ensure you correctly use the knife and care for the knife to have a blade that can cut through thin sheets of paper in the air.