These are the things I only have been recently told by my eldest brother. I wish I knew them long ago. I found them so important I posted them here.

1. treat the edge from your knife like the thinnest piece of glass in existence
2. don’t touch it if it isn’t necessary
3. don’t mix the knife with other knifes (e.g. put it in a drawer). Knife blocks were made for a reason.
4. don’t clean your knife with boiling water, it will lose its temper. Instead wipe the knife clean with a piece of wet cloth AWAY FROM THE EDGE.
5. don’t remove it from its sheath for no reason.

I think that’s it. If you got any more “golden” rules please post them here.

Reinhardt 4/4

>>don’t clean your knife with boiling water, it will lose its temper. Instead wipe the knife clean with a piece of wet cloth AWAY FROM THE EDGE.<<
The steel of a knife needs several hundred degrees to lose it´s temper. If the handle can stand it, boiling water doesn´t harm the knife. Blood should be removed with cold water though.

>> don’t remove it from its sheath for no reason.<<
Don´t forget that knifes shouldn´t be stored in a leather sheath. I´ve seen some knifes that were badly corroded because someone did.

M a x is right, the temperature of boiling water is not nearly high enough to affect the temper.

But I'll add one that I learned from an old-timer that's served me well:

DON'T get in the habit of putting a knife down. Cultivate the habit of always returning it to pocket or sheath. It's the knives that are set down, even for a second, that disappear. The knife you never put down never disappears.

Even this is an older thread, I would like to mention an old saying:" Always keep your knife sharp, because it is safer to use. " This is true IMHO, since a sharp knife will do what it is suppost to, cut where you want it to cut. And if you know your knife is sharp you'll even more treat it with respect.

Harald