Why should you buy a ceramic knife? - Very few materials are so hard as ceramic (whose hardness is close to diamond), this allow to get a so thin cutting edge to guarantee matchless cutting performance. - So thin and light blades guarantee precise cuts also on soft foods such as toasts, tomatoes and sandwiches. - Ceramic does not contain any metal and most of all does not contain nickel, an extremely allergenic material. - Ceramic is an inert material, thus it does not cause chemical reactions with foods: it does not change the taste, the smell or the appearance of foods. It does not transfer metal ions. - Ceramic blades do not rust. Useful Information and Cautions First of all a ceramic knife is not a steel knife. This seems to be an obvious remark but in reality it is not so obvious. When you decide to use a ceramic knife, you first have to learn how to use it. You will have to follow the use instructions but you will mostly have to remind that it is not a knife like the others. Ceramic is a very hard but fragile material, which can be compared to glass, as for characteristics. When a glass breaks (because of a fall) or chips, you do not think of a production defect but of your own mistake. The same goes for a Kyocera Ishi Ba knife. Remind that the wrong use causes more broken knives than the fall. Use instructions Many are the qualities of a ceramic knife but undisputed are its cutting performance and sharpening duration, both due to the material hardness. Kyocera Ishi Ba ceramic is lower in hardness only to diamond but pay attention: the harder a material is, the less flexible it is! With a ceramic knife you will never have to twist or to flex. No mistakes are admitted. Reading carefully the instructions is the first step to preserve your Kyocera Ishi Ba knife for a long time. Use The knife must be used for straight cuts on fruits, vegetables and meat without bones. “Fruits and vegetables” are generic terms: it is impossible to list all kinds of fruits and vegetables which are not recommended but it is strictly not recommended the use on hard fruits and vegetables (pumpkins, coconuts, etc.) ANY OTHER KIND OF CUT CAN INVOLVE A POSSIBLE RISK OF BLADE BREAKAGE OR CHIP Cut on plastic or wooden cutting board. Avoid Do not cut on dishes, marble, stone, steel or other hard materials. Do not cut hard foods, deep-frozen foods or foods with crusts. The cut of cheese is strongly not recommended. Do not use to bone. Do not lever (even slightly). Do not twist (even slightly). Do not scrape. Do not use the ceramic knife to separate the slices of food (after the cut, the knife must be taken out vertically from the food and not be used to separate the slices). Do not pound to crumble. Do not use the blade side to smash. Do not put in the dishwasher. Do not store in contact with the other kitchen tools. Do not put the blade near heat sources (ceramic is a heat conductor). Prevent the knife from falling. A ceramic knife cannot be used as a steel knife! Cleaning of ceramic blades Quality knives should not be put in the dishwasher and, in particular, Kyocera Ishi Ba knives risk the breakage for the following reasons: - contact with the other tools - because of its lightness, the knife could be pushed by the water jet power to fall or get in touch with the blades of the dishwasher. - the metal element inside the handle could rust. Since ceramic does not absorb any food component, it is sufficient to rinse the knife quickly and wipe with a dish towel. In case of stains caused by foods containing iron, clean the blade only (not the handle) with a mild bleach solution. Wear and resharpening All knives dull over time. A soft metal blade (stainless steel) “rolls” as it becomes dull. Harder metals (such as high carbon steels) hold their edge longer, but dull differently. Harder materials tend to slightly chip instead of roll. Ceramic stays sharper longer. In time, you may notice micro nicks on the blade’s edge. This is the normal process by which any hard material blade will dull. Despite its appearance, the existence of microchips does not necessarily mean the knife is dull. You will find that it performs well for quite some time. When the knife no longer performs to your liking, it has to be resharpened. Larger chips and broken tips (due to wrong use) can sometimes be corrected by resharpening in specialized resharpening centres. Warranty This product is warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship. .