Summary
Although the 55,000 and 2000 series are both dishwasher
safe, to obtain best long-term results
we recommend hand washing, without soaking
and to avoid watermarks always dry immediately.
Never use a knife to open an obstinate
tin or as a substitute screwdriver, beware
of the surface on which you are cutting
and to further protect the tips we suggest
the use of a cork.
After extended used a blade may be easily
resharpened on a steel.
If you follow the care and use recommendations
the 55000 line knives will provide years
of good service.
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Stains
First, it must be emphasised
that staining is a rare phenomenon and
that in most cases it is due to something
that becomes firmly deposited on the steel,
rather than to any attack of the steel
itself. Probably the most common cause
of staining is attack by one of the proprietary
dip solutions used for removing tarnish
from silver. Although excellent for cleaning
silver, these solutions should never be
allowed to come into contact with stainless
steel; they contain acids that etch the
steel, first giving it an iridescent rainbow
stain and ultimately etching it a dull
grey. Even if care is taken to dip only
the silver handle of a knife, it is so
easy, when lifting it from the solution,
to let drips fall onto the stainless steel
blades of other cutlery that happen to
be lying around.
All tap water contains dissolved mineral
salts that would leave an extremely thin
film on any article on which it was allowed
to dry out without wiping. In most cases,
the resultant stain will wipe off, but
occasionally more vigorous treatment is
needed, using a polishing preparation,
such as stainless steel cleaners.
Detergents, especially
unnecessarily strong solutions of detergent,
can leave an indelible rainbow stain on
stainless steel if they are not rinsed
off and are allowed to dry, out on its
surface. This is a common problem with
some dishwashing machines when the rinse
cycle is malfunctioning.
Very hard water can deposit a chalky film
on stainless steel, but this is only likely
to occur in dishwashers that use unsoftened
or incompletely softened water.
Very hot grease, fat or meat juices sometimes
leave stubborn rainbow coloured stains
on stainless steel, but this is more likely
to occur on meat dishes than cutlery –
again this does not mean there is anything
wrong this the stainless steel and the
articles will be as good as new after
the stain has been removed.
Heat by itself will impart
a rainbow coloured heat tint to stainless
steel, but this is only likely to occur
if the cutlery is accidentally left on
a hot plate or gas burner, when the cause
would be immediately obvious.
Prolonged immersion in synthetic ‘vinegar’
(condiment) can stain stainless steel
knives if left on for several hours, but
more rapidly if the ‘vinegar’
also contains salt.
Sometimes rust coloured stains occur.
Wet fragments of steel wool that find
their way onto cutlery may go rusty and
leave indelible rust stains on the stainless
steel. Other rust coloured stains may
come from corrosion pits in the cutlery,
although the pits themselves may be so
small as to be barely visible.
Most stains that resist ordinary rubbing
with a soapy cloth can be removed with
stainless steel cleaners. Finally, it
must be pointed out that there may be
other causes of staining that have not
yet been identified.
Pits
When stainless steel corrodes,
it does not rust all over like non stainless
steel but acquires small localised pits
or holes.
The majority of spoons and forks are made
from stainless steels that have such excellent
corrosion resistance that they are virtually
immune to pitting. For knives, however,
the blade steel is selected to give a
compromise between corrosion resistance
and cutting properties. In order to achieve
a lasting edge, a steel that is much harder
but of lower corrosion resistance that
spoon and fork steel is used. The corrosion
resistance of this steel is strongly influenced
by care in manufacture (thorough hardening
and avoidance of overheating when grinding
etc) but only marginal improvements are
achieved by the selection of alternative
steels, however, expensive. Research is
continually being carried out in the search
for significantly better steels and method
of treatment.
Prolonged contact with water is probably
responsible for more pitting trouble than
anything else. Knives have been made from
stainless steel for such a long time that
the highly corrosive effect of tap water,
caused by the traces of mineral salts
it contains is not appreciated. Why then
do blades in one establishment last for
years without trouble, whilst in others
pitting becomes apparent within a few
months? The answer lies in the length
of time the blades are wet; knives that
are left undried or actually immersed
in water overnight can receive, in this
time, as much exposure to the corrosive
effect of water as three or four months’
ordinary use where they are in contact
with water for only a few minutes each
time they are washed.
Common salt and liquid bleaches or disinfectants
are very corrosive and will greatly accelerate
the corrosive action of water. Some water
softeners are regenerated with salt. If
they are not functioning correctly, the
softened water can have a high salt content.
After adding salt to water softeners in
a dishwasher, make certain that it is
put through the rinse programme recommended
by the supplier before washing knives
in the machine. Detergents, on the other
hand, are normally harmless when fully
dissolved – indeed they often inhibit
corrosion by water. If, however, certain
powder detergents are allowed to come
into contact with blades in hot water
before the detergent is fully dissolved,
pits and/or stains can form within a few
minutes. Undissolved table salt can have
a similar effect.
If pitting does occur, a diligent enquiry
into the washing procedure is recommended
to find out whether the cutlery is ever
left in contact with water for a long
item. Managers of catering establishments
are not always aware of what really happens
in their kitchens – for example,
probably only the person directly involved
may know that dirty cutlery is always
left soaking in a bucket of water until
someone has time to wash it, or that the
last batch of knives to be washed in the
early hours is left unwiped to dry overnight
in a humid basement.
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