Faqs

Good cutting edge condition in relation to the material to be cut is the time the knife remains sharp.
The cutting edge of a knife depends, among other things, on the blade or the edge angle, eg. 30 °.
The edge angle indicates the relationship between stability (greater angle = stability) and sharpness (small angle = more pronounced). A small angle gives an advantage of an excellent edge, but the blade is very fragile. The consequence of an obtuse angle is that, at the time of cutting, it will require more strength applied. The blade is harder to sharpen more than once.
Another important point is the base or the table where the food is cut as well as the use of the appropriate knife for each task (to cut bones or fruit seeds, etc. a knife is not the correct tool).
A smooth edge, like the one of our Professional line-up, guarantees a fine and precise cut with minimum effort. The structure of the food to be cut remains unchanged. By polishing the edge that is free of burrs, the knife continues to have a good cutting edge.
Continuous communication with our clients as well as the know-how and a lot of experience in the professional and amateur field, and, of course, without forgetting our SICO workers who work with knives daily, ensure optimal sharpness and cutting edge condition of SICO knives.

This can happen for several reasons: Cleaning the knives in the dish washer can attack the steel, causing the so-called light corrosion. Fruit acids, especially citrus, attack the material causing corrosion spots. Please always wash the knife by hand after use.

Yes.

This should be avoided, because the detergents used in dishwashers contain aggressive substances that cause damage to the steel. When the machine is closed, steam and moisture may contribute to the knife’s oxidation. With the force of the water it is also possible that the cutting edge may become dulled. Ideally, wash the knife immediately after use with a mild soap and wipe dry.

According to hygiene rules a knife should be cleaned for 3 seconds at a temperature of 82 °C. Using our material, the temperature can reach 120 °C for steam cleaning.

Rockwell is an internationally used measure for measuring the hardness of technical surfaces.
The abbreviation HRc: HR: Rockwell Hardness; c: cone, is based on the penetration depth of a diamond cone. This resistance test is performed with a 120 ° diamond cone.

The knives should be sharpened only by specialists such as steel product dealers or butchers so the sharpness remains perfect. Do not let high quality knives be sharpened by street "sharpeners".

For each work process there is a knife, since each cut is different and puts different requirements on the knives. In our knife catalogue one will find detailed information about each type and function.

No.

Ceramic knives keep their initial cutting edge for a long time, the problem is that they can not be sharpened as easily as steel. Sharpening is only possible through special sharpening services. It is possible that upon falling to the ground a ceramic knife will break.

No. We concentrate all of our effort on guaranteeing the quality of our accredited and traditional steels.

Each user has his / her preferences when sharpening the knives. These preferences are also often seen on a regional basis. Some prefer round steel, oval, among others, depending on the region they live in.
In general, these knives can be distinguished as follows:
Round shaped: It is very light and it has a dotted surface.
Oval: It is heavier because it has a larger surface, achieving a faster and more effective result.
Flattened: Line contact, thus more effective.
Four edges: a combination of 2 sharpeners in 1.

For those who do not have experience or practice in the use of sharpeners SICO offers "Rapid Steel". For these devices the sharpening angle has been adjusted so that sharpening is performed more easily. Simply pass a curved knife through the grooves and you can count on a sharp knife again.

Please contact us by e-mail at sico@sico.pt.

The best base would be to use a plastic or wood board. Very hard glass or stone bases damage the knife’s cutting edge.

We recommend a basic assortment of kitchen knives, to be able to cover different work procedures in the domestic area. Please check our catalogues.

We do not have any type of sharpening courses. But there are many who specialize in this area and offer these types of courses. There is a brief explanation in our knife catalogues about how to use our sharpener.

For home use, we recommend a thick sharpener. At home, it is not necessary to frequently sharpen knives, and a sharpener with thin grooves would not give the expected results.

​Repair or sharpening can be done faster and more economically at a specialist retailer. But if the defect is due to the material or workmanship, please contact us directly.

The forging process is made possible by the solidification of quality steel, whereby the strength and alignment of the structure is greatly improved. This has a very special effect on the durability of the blade. Our forged knives have great balance, so that work in the kitchen will proceed very pleasantly.

Our forged knives have a perfect balance, in which a special point lies on the spot called the "belly". Excellent quality Steels and metals are used for their fabrication, what guarantee a long knife life.

1. Soak the stone in water for 5 to 10 minutes before use. When there are no more bubbles you can remove it from the water.
2. Ensure that during the sharpening process the stone is always wet. The powder coming off of the stone during the sharpening process should remain on the stone and thus form a mass.
3. Always start with the thickest part of the stone.
4. Place the blade to be sharpened at an angle of approx. 15 ° away from the body with light pressure on the entire surface of the stone. Start at the tip. Repeat this procedure until a burr occurs.
5. Now change the sides of the blade and repeat step n.º 5 exactly. It is very important that the angle between the blade and the stone remains constant.
6. To obtain a very thin and sharp blade, repeat this procedure on the thin and white side of the stone.
7. Finally, wash the stone well and clean the knife with a neutral detergent so that it is totally free of residue.
360 grain for levelling cutting edge.
1000 grain for cleaning and polishing.

We recommend the use of our magnets or blocks.

Up to a certain point the knives can be kept sharp with a sharpener. Thus, the cutting edge will always remain sharp. However, after some time it is convenient to have the knife sharpened, and thus obtaining a cutting edge like the initial one and a perfect cutting angle.

SICO offers, in case of defects in workmanship or quality, a lifetime guarantee for its knives.

The decision of the handle colours was created with the purpose of assisting the HACCP system and avoiding cross-contamination.

Since 2006, Directive 852/2004 on Safety and Hygiene of foodstuffs has come into force. The main objective of this decree is to ensure uniform standards of hygiene in the European Union in order to ensure public health and to maintain consumer confidence in the food system without any inconvenience.
HACCP means that the hazard must be recognized, analysed and corrective measures should be applied (HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Any dirtiness or contamination of a food product which could endanger the health of consumers is considered to be an unacceptable hazard.

The cavities cause air cushions to form which prevent finer foods from adhering to the blade. With this type of blade one gets excellent thin slices of salmon, ham, etc.

They have a cutting edge only on one side of the blade because only one side of the blade is fit to cut. Food has little contact time with the blade which minimizes friction. This type of knife is ideal for fillets of meat or fish using a long and thin cut, in which the angle should not be too steep at the time of cutting. This type of knife is only suitable for right-handed people (In Japan it is common for left-handed children to be trained to become right-handed).

The oxidized carbon steel knife from our grandmother's time probably still cuts to the present day. Carbon steel knives are not used these days for hygiene reasons (they can develop rust, which will affect the taste). But to preserve the benefit of carbon steel in cutting performance, we have to define an ultra thin layer of this material (the core of the blade) between two layers of strong antirust using a sandwich procedure.

Traditionally Damascus steel blades were assembled together and folded one layer after the other. A feat of forging art. Through the various materials used in the production of these knives, an incredible hardness of the blade is achieved still today.
Considering that in ancient times the main objective was to prevent the breaking of brittle materials (such as swords), today the main characteristic of Damascus steel is that the different properties of various steels are advantageously combined, resulting in an excellent extremity and a great cutting capacity.

Knives with rivets are usually found in kitchens, but they do not necessarily have to be high quality knives or forged steel knives. These beliefs refer back to the past, when the production process of the handles involved craftsmanship and was therefore only carried out in the case of a knife of lasting value.

All our knives are produced in Portugal.

Traditionally, rivets sustained both sides of the handle. Due to its greater fabrication effort, this process became a quality mark but also for hygiene purposes uniting the handle and the blade, meaning that, in this case, rivets do not have a fixing function.

The distance between the teeth is fixed. This means that the person who will sharpen the knife has to have all the utensils / tools to sharpen it, eg. sandstone with grooves, etc. In some cases the dented edge has to be removed, completely worn, and in this way, create a new dented edge.

A forged knife is recognized by its enhancement (the thickness between the handle and the blade). Sometimes also by the blade’s continuous steel through the handle (one-piece, no welding). Tip: Try blowing on the blade and handle assembly. If a shadow appears, the blade has been welded.

We guarantee the fabrication of our products with strict quality control.
However, there may be some reason to complain. In this case, you should follow these steps:
• First, go to the store where you purchased the product and explain the situation.
• If this is not possible, please submit a complaint directly to:
Sicoeste – Soc. Industrial de Cutelarias, Lda
Rua Alto da Vila 33,
2475-107 Benedita

Please attach a brief description of the problem and your complete address.
• General information can be requested at: sico@sico.pt or comercial@sico.pt

If you do not receive an answer to your question, please write us directly.