All Very Good knives are coated with a rust preventative oil as a final step before sending out. After the knife is in your possession, it is your responsibility to care for it. We use high carbon steels for our blades, so they will be prone to rust if not properly cared for. Some models are equipped with our textured powder coating and do not need as quite much attention, however we recommend you treat every knife with the care it deserves to ensure maximum longevity. Below is a list of procedures you may need to perform regularly to keep your Very Good knife in perfect shape.

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>Rust Prevention. High carbon steels will rust if not cleaned and oiled regularly. If you get your knife dirty, clean it off and give it a coat of oil. It is recommended that you wipe the edge clean after use. If your knife is wet, dry it before sheathing. Leaving a wet knife in a sheath will cause it to rust.

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>Do not put your knife in the dishwasher! The dishwasher will strip your knife of oils and cause it to rust immediately due to the heated drying cycle. This can also cause your handles to swell and deform.

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>Handle Care. If at any point your handle is looking dull in color, give it a coat of oil and it will brighten right up. Micarta handles will still have plenty of grip even when saturated with oil. It wont hurt the knife to soak it entirely in oil.

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>Sharpening your blade. There is no such thing as a knife that never needs sharpening. If you use it, you are going to sharpen it eventually. Our knives are sent with a good working edge that should last you a while. When you need to touch up your edge we recommend using a simple rod type sharpener such as a diamond or ceramic with a fine grit. A whetstone is also sufficient given that you have plenty of practice. We do NOT recommend you attempt to re-edge your blade with an electric belt type sharpener as this can damage your blade. See our Warranty page for our policy on sharpening.

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>Sheath care. Kydex sheaths are easy to care for as they don't saturate with any substance. Our kydex sheaths are equipped with a drain to shed any water that gets in, however if your knife and sheath become wet we recommend you remove the knife and dry both knife and sheath before storing. Kydex sheaths can be hand washed with soap and water if they become dirty, just be sure to dry thoroughly before storing the knife in it. Leather sheaths require a little more care. We recommend you give any leather sheath a light rub of mink or neatsfoot oil every once in a while. Avoid over oiling your leather sheath as it may stretch and lose some retention.

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>Adjusting your kydex sheath can be done with a hair dryer or heat gun. If you use a heat gun, please use the low setting. To tighten your sheath apply heat in 5-10 second intervals with at least 4 inches between your heat source and your sheath. DO NOT overheat the kydex as if will lose form entirely. Insert the knife and GENTLY squeeze the sheath. Allow the sheath to cool before removing the knife. Test your retention and repeat the steps until desired retention is achieved. To loosen the sheath, perform the same process. Once the kydex is warm, insert and remove the knife until desired retention is achieved.

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If you need help with anything concerning the care of your Very Good knife, please refer to our Contact page. We will be happy to help you with any questions you may have. Thank you!