01 Tool Steel Surprise

S

SFW

Joined
Aug 15, 2014
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395
I while back, I purchased an Enzo Trapper in D2. The knife was razor sharp, but the first thing I noticed was that it was a pain to sharpen. I ended up buying a diamond sharpener. I can get it scary sharp, but was worried about sharpening it in the field. So I decided to purchase another Enzo Trapper in 01 Tool Steel. The knife looked very nice out of the box. Hair popping sharp from the factory. Great. I placed the knife in the sheath and put it in my pack. Over the weekend, I took the knife out to do some work and noticed that the blade was already showing signs of staining from the leather sheath. I cleaned it off as best I could, and applied a light coat of gun oil on the blade. After just one day, it has even more staining on the knife. I've never owned a knife in 01 before, and wanted to ask if this is what I should expect from this steel. It seems that once stained, the metal doesn't like to let go of the discoloration. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Been a tool steel (not stainless) it will develop a patina. It takes a little elbow grease to get it off, depending on the steel. D2 is very very close to being a stainless. Its considered by some to be a semistainless. The other tool steels are more susceptible to developing a patina, rust, pitting etc. Keep it oiled and scrub it down good.
 
Alternatively, let it patina. Cut up an apple a day for a week with it and it will show a nice patina that will help bolster against rust. Otherwise, keep it oiled. Use mineral or vegetable oil if you intend on doing food stuff with it.
 
That has been my experience with O1. The black patina staining is OK. It will help protect it from rusting and pitting. The best food safe oil I have used is camelia oil. They use it on high end Japanese carbon steel chef knives. It prevents staining much better than mineral oil in my experience. However it does cost more.
 
It really is a part of life with 0-1, and I suggest as others have, to let the knife be what it really wants to be. Let it patina. Clean it well and use a bit of mineral oil once nice and dry. Trying to keep an 0-1 knife shiny is a lot of work.
Let it be what it wants to be.
 
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I just used my strop on my Blind Horse. Green compound got all the stains out!
 
Don't scrub that patina off man! It's natural rust protection! And it's one of the things that IMO makes carbon steel knives so handsome. Every single one will have a different patina, and should wear it proudly!
 
Don't store the knife long term in the sheath. Try some paste wax if you don't want any patina.

I'd let it patina.
 
Or just stab it in a Orange for about an hour, the pores and unevenness of the Orange makes a neat pattern.
 
If search the word PATINA on this board, in post titles only, you will find many suggestions on forcing a patina.
 
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