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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Sharpening Questions:
When can I bring knives in for sharpening?
How do I send my knives back for sharpening?
Can I sharpen the knives myself?
Are Warther's the only ones who can sharpen the knives?
Can you sharpen a serrated knife?
How often do I need to sharpen my Warther knives?
My knife won't stay sharp. What can I do?
Repairs:
My knife broke what should I do?
Can you repair a nick in the blade?
Can you replace the knife handle?
Can you refinish the handles?
Can you repair a broken knife tip?
Mailing knives:
Mailing Instructions
Can I mail knives through the Post Office?
Can I take my knives on an airplane?
Care of the knives:
What type of cutting board should I use?
Can I put my Warther knives in the dishwasher?
Will the knives rust?
Knife Making:
What type of steel do you use?
Do you really make left-handed knives?
Purchases:
I don't want to use my credit card on the internet. What can I do?
I would prefer to pay by check. How do I go about doing that?
What is your sales tax rate?
Why don't you charge the sales tax rate of my county or district?
I need to make an exchange, what do I do?
Sharpening Questions:
When can I bring knives in for sharpening?
Bring the knives in Monday - Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., we will sharpen them at no charge, while you wait. If you stop in on the weekend or after 4 p.m., you will have to leave them and pick them up later or pay the shipping charges to mail the knives back to you. ($10.00 east of the Mississippi and $13.00 west of the Mississippi).
Can I sharpen the knives myself?
Yes, you can sharpen the knives yourself using a honing stone, sharpening steel or any other hand sharpener. Don't use an electric sharpener where one pulls the knife through - this changes the type of beveled edge and removes too much steel on your knife. You can always check with your local hardware store, meat market, or grocery store to see if they provide a sharpening service.
Are Warther's the only ones who can sharpen the knives?
No, anyone can sharpen them. You can do it yourself or check with your local hardware store, meat market, or grocery store to see if they provide a sharpening service. Be sure they are not using an electric sharpener where they just pull the knives through a machine - this changes the type of beveled edge and removes too much steel on your knife.
Can you sharpen a serrated knife?
No we can not re-serrate our knives. However, if your serrated knife is completely worn out, we can grind the teeth off and convert the knife into a traditional smooth edge slicing knife.
How often do I need to sharpen my Warther knives?
We generally recommend sharpening them once a year whether they need it or not. Many people wait 2-3 years before they send them to us for sharpening. Another factor to consider is what cutting board you are using. A good rule of thumb: If you cut on a wood cutting board, sharpen your knife once a year whether it needs it or not, if you cut on plastic, sharpen your knife once every two to four weeks and if you cut on ceramic or glass, sharpen your knives several times a week. Hardwood cutting boards are recommended to extend the life and sharpness of your knife.
My knife won't stay sharp. What can I do?
It is most likely from one of two things, either the blade has worn back to where it is too thick or you are cutting on the wrong type of cutting board.
If the knife blade has worn back to where it is too thick to stay sharp, we will restore the knife edge by re-tapering it to a thin edge. This will restore your knife's sharpness and make it easy for you to successfully sharpen them in the future. See mailing instructions.
If the problem is the cutting board, keep in mind Corian, ceramic, and glass cutting boards are very hard and will dull your knives. Some plastic cutting boards that are soft enough to see cut lines on are good, but a study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that plastic is more susceptible to bacteria growth than wood. A good rule of thumb: If you cut on a wood cutting board, sharpen your knife once a year whether it needs it or not, if you cut on plastic, sharpen your knife once every two to four weeks and if you cut on ceramic or glass, sharpen your knives several times a week. Hardwood cutting boards are recommended to extend the life and sharpness of your knife.
Repairs:
My knife broke what should I do?
The knives have a five-year warranty against breakage. Sometimes there is a flaw in the steel that we cannot detect until it breaks. Return both pieces of the knife to us and if we determine it was from a flaw, we will replace it. We can determine the age of the knife by looking at it, so we do not require a receipt. If you have other Warther knives that you would like to have sharpened, you can include them in your shipment to us. We do not charge for sharpening, just the shipping and handling to return the knives to you ($10.00 east of Mississippi and $13.00 west of the Mississippi). See mailing instructions.
Can you repair a nick in the blade?
Yes, if the nick is not to large, we can grind it out during sharpening. See mailing instructions.
Can you replace the knife handle?
We can replace the handle especially if it was caught in the garbage disposal. A new handle varies in price from $5.00 for a paring knife to $8.00 for the French knives. To send a knife back for repair, see mailing instructions.
Can you refinish the handles?
Yes, if you want the handles sanded and buffed, it will cost $3.00 per knife. See mailing instructions.
Can you repair a broken knife tip?
If only the tip of the knife is broken, we can grind a new but shorter tip into the blade. We try to maximize the cutting edge and will grind the backside of the blade down to create a new tip. To send a knife back for repair, see mailing instructions.
Mailing knives:
Can I mail knives through the Post Office?
Yes - it is legal to mail knives through the U.S. Post office. See mailing instructions.
Can I take my knives on an airplane?
Yes - You can securely wrap you knives in your "checked luggage" but it is illegal to take your knives in your "carry-on" luggage.
Care of the knives:
What type of cutting board should I use?
What you cut on is almost as important as what you cut with. Hardwood cutting boards are recommended to extend the life and sharpness of your knife. The cutting surface should not be so hard that it dulls the knife's edge. Corian, ceramic, and glass cutting boards are very hard and dull the knife. Some plastic cutting boards that are soft enough to see cut lines on are good, but a study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that plastic is more susceptible to bacteria growth than wood. A good rule of thumb: If you cut on a wood cutting board, sharpen your knife once a year whether it needs it or not, if you cut on plastic, sharpen your knife once every two to four weeks and if you cut on ceramic or glass, sharpen your knives several times a week.
Can I put my Warther knives in the dishwasher?
Dishwashers are not recommended because the kitchen knives will become dull when the hand ground edge comes in contact with your silverware. Also, the kitchen knives will scratch the silverware. The handles will lose their luster and become grey with exposure to the harsh detergents, heat and water of the dishwasher. If you don't mind the discoloration and rough texture the handles will eventually turn, then put them in the dishwasher. If you choose not to put them in the dishwasher you can expect the knives to last 30-50 years. It is very easy to clean our knives by just wiping it off with a soapy dishcloth, rinse and place in the drying rack.
Will the knives rust?
We use a stain resistant high carbon tool steel. It is stain resistant, not stainless. If you wipe of your knives when you are done using them and if you do not put your knives in the dishwasher the chance of rusting is greatly reduced.
Knife Making:
What type of steel do you use?
We use a high carbon tool steel that has a small amount of chromium in it to keep it from rusting. We then take this steel and temper (harden) it to 58-60 Rockwell which is the hardest tempering for this type of steel. As a result our steel is stain resistant and will stay sharp longer than most other kitchen knives.
Do you really make left-handed knives?
Yes we make knives for left-handed people. It is a simple process we do during the final stages of making the knife, and since they are made by hand it is something easy for us to do. If you are ordering knives online, just add in a comment during the checkout process requesting the knives be sharpened for a Left-handed user. If you wish to order by phone just tell the person taking your order you wish to have the knives sharpened for left-handed.
Purchases:
I don't want to use my credit card on the internet. What can I do?
There are several choices: You can place your order online at www.warthers.com/kitchen_knives/ and then during checkout select "Check/Money Order/ Credit card by phone" for the payment method and then call us with your credit card number or send us a check for the total amount shown. Other options include calling us and place your order over the phone or request a pricelist and mail your order to us.
I would prefer to pay by check. How do I go about doing that?
There are couple choices: You can place your order online at www.warthers.com/kitchen_knives/ and then during checkout select "Check/Money Order/ Credit card by phone" for the payment method and then send us a check for the total amount shown. You can call us, provide a list of what you want to purchase and we will provide you with the total including shipping and sales tax. After you get the total you can mail us a check. You can request a pricelist and mail your order to us.
What is your sales tax rate?
Our sales tax is 6.5% for all purchases shipped to an Ohio address or purchased in our store. All items being shipped out of Ohio do not have sales tax charged.
Why don't you charge the sales tax rate of my county or district?
The state of Ohio passed a referendum stating that small businesses meeting certain requirements do not need to implement destination taxation until 2007. We meet those requirements and only collect based on the sales tax of our county - Tuscarawas.
I need to make an exchange, what do I do?
Since Warther's is the only place our knives are made and sold, exchanges are easy. Just send the item(s) back with a note explaining what you would like us to do. You can exchange it for a different product or return it for a full refund. No receipt is required.
Mailing instructions:
We sharpen all Warther knives at no charge, we just need you to cover the shipping and handling to return the knives to you. If you are sending your knives in for repair add the repair costs onto the shipping charges to get your total balance due.
1) Wrap the knives in thick newspaper or anything that will keep them from cutting their way out of the box. Please do not send the wood holder unless it is in need of repair.
2) Place them in a sturdy shipping carton.
3) Include your Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address (if available)
4) Include a note stating how many knives you are shipping to us and add in any special notes or instructions - i.e. Sharpen for left-handed
5) Include a check for return shipping and handling charges:
1. $10.00 to states East of the Mississippi
2. $13.00 to states West of the Mississippi
6) Mail the knives to us via any carrier you choose. Note: it is legal to mail knives through the US Post Office. Our address is:
E. Warther & Sons
Attn: Sharpening
327 Karl Ave
Dover, OH 44622
Hint: A good way to mark your knives for identification is to write your last name with a pen on masking tape and place it on the handle of each knife. It will not wear off during sharpening and it is easy for you to remove when the knives are returned.
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