A Question On Patina's

MattyLav

MattyLav

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
2,159
Hey guys,
So i just put a patina on my Case Peanut. And im just wondering how do i keep it how it looks now. Does oiling the blade help? Or does the Patina just naturally dissappear? Or does it just go away from wear?
Thanks for any help :)
 
Carbon steel like that has a personality of it's own. It will change over time depending on what it's exposed to (cutting fruit? Skinning rabbits? Other food prep? Chemicals?) and the care you give it. Certainly if you give it a wipe down after each use will help. Also coat it with a light film of oil perhaps once or twice a week under routine use, it will be more stable in it's color and appearance (right away after any unusual exposures) .

Maintenance of 1095 or CV is an ongoing thing, especially if you're trying to have it maintain a certain appearance.
 
Thank you very much. So is it okay to put a light coat then completely wipe it off? Or do i need to leave it on? And is it the same with 1095? because i am getting an Esee Izula and i want to know how often i should oil it to prevent rust. Also what oils should i use? And sorry im asking so many questions :o
 
No problem, that's why we're all here - to learn and share :)

How often to oil depends on what it's exposed to, the humidity of the climate you're in, moisture, etc. Also even the oils of your skin can cause rust. Some people's skin is more prone to this than others. For example one person might handle a firearm or knife and the next day there's a light film of rust where his fingerprint is. Another person who handles it may not have this effect at all.

Any kind of oil is fine. I use 3 n 1 household oil usually. BUT: if you use your knife for food prep then use mineral oil as it's not harmful to you. When I oil my blade I just wipe it with a thin coat and then wipe if off with a dry paper towel. This leaves an extremely thin film of oil that usually works fine to protect your knife from rust.

When you get your knife just watch it closely and see what level of attention it needs based on your use, humidity, etc. The knife will basically let you know if it needs more or less attention. Just listen to it :)
 
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No problem, that's why we're all here - to learn and share :)

How often to oil depends on what it's exposed to, the humidity of the climate you're in, moisture, etc. Also even the oils of your skin can cause rust. Some people's skin is more prone to this than others. For example one person might handle a firearm or knife and the next day there's a light film of rust where his fingerprint is. Another person who handles it may not have this effect at all.

Any kind of oil is fine. I use 3 n 1 household oil usually. BUT: if you use your knife for food prep then use mineral oil as it's not harmful to you.

When you get your knife just watch it closely and see what level of attention it needs based on your use, humidity, etc. The knife will basically let you know if it needs more or less attention. Just listen to it :)
 
Oops sorry about the double post! Don't know how that happened?

PS to Matty,

Another thing with pocket knives is SWEAT in your pocket. If you carry a carbon steel object in your pocket, in summer especially, it's going to come out at the end of the day with dark spots on it from the SALT in your sweat. My #55 GEC is in my pocket all the time and is graying pretty quickly from the perspiration in my pocket. Now I live in the desert, so humidity is usually low to extremely low. If I lived in Florida it would be even more of a concern. Your activity level and how much you perspire will make a big difference as to the effect it has on your knife. Personally I don't worry about it, I wipe the blade and other steel parts down at the end of the day as needed. The patina on this knife is all natural and is developing quickly just from use and exposure to my pocket.

If you're wanting to avoid this use a leather knife slip to put your knife into in your pocket and/or a DAILY wipe down and light film of oil on the carbon steel parts will be necessary.
 
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I mostly try to dry mine off after every use. That is about it. If I have a slow time at work, I hone each of the blades. When it is really slow, I clean and wax the whole thing. But mostly, I just dry it off really well. :)
 
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help. And thanks for the heads up Arizonaranchman. I didnt even think of the sweat from pockets. And thank you Okbohn :)
 
I use only pharmaceutical grade mineral oil on my knives, because it is food safe and won't turn rancid.
 
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Partially wear, partially oil, partially humidity and acids from whatever food you're cutting. In reality, a carbon blade you use a lot will have a lighter patina than one that just sits there. Because some of the oxidation rubs off and it's not like a hard coating.
There are polishing cloths or towlettes you can get to remove staining, I would suggest polishing/tightening the pores of the steel using a buffing wheel and green compound. This should drastically reduce speckling if you don't cut food with your edc.
 
Thanks guys. And if i have an Izula, and it isnt very humid, and im not getting it very wet or anything. Is it alright to just oil it make once a week? And is there anything i can do to get rid of speckling if it happens? And i dont think ill be cutting food with it if that changes the answer.
 
I never oil my blades. I never have rust problems. however the patina is ever changing. make sure to wipe it off well after use, and if it is particularly humid/sweaty where you are, just wipe it off on your jeans from time to time if it's just sitting. you will get used to it and find it is not hard and doesn't take any extra time really.

don't expect the patina to stay as it is now, it won't unless you lather it in oil and then never use it. but that's the beauty of it, it is ever changing.

my opinel had a pretty dark, consistent, natural patina for a long time. almost boring. cut up my burrito at work the other day and had to leave to help a customer. when I came back it had a ridiculously nice, layered patina that had an awesome swirly textured design.
 
MattyLav said:
Thank you very much. So is it okay to put a light coat then completely wipe it off? Or do i need to leave it on? And is it the same with 1095? because i am getting an Esee Izula and i want to know how often i should oil it to prevent rust. Also what oils should i use? And sorry im asking so many questions :o
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if you going just to store it then get the Tuff Cloth. it put's on a coating that stop rust in it's tracks. this is not a oil.
 
MattyLav said:
Thanks guys. And if i have an Izula, and it isnt very humid, and im not getting it very wet or anything. Is it alright to just oil it make once a week? And is there anything i can do to get rid of speckling if it happens? And i dont think ill be cutting food with it if that changes the answer.
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The patina will be ever changing especially if you use the knife for food prep. Eventually you'll get a dull gray but even that will get darker and lighter in spots with use. As for the Izula, if you're not stripping it then you don't really need to worry too much about oiling it. If you're using it, any surface rust will just be rubbed away against whatever you're cutting. I only oil my Izulas at the edge and etch if I don't think I'm going to use it for a while. Even then, I just use the excess on my fingers from oiling my traditional knife.
 
In general, I wouldn't. If you're only using it on the blade and wiping it off regularly it would be ok but that stuff can go rancid. Mineral Oil is only a few dollars at the pharmacy and would be the way to go. One of those containers will last you years. Generally, I use mineral oil on the blades, Formby's lemon oil or mineral oil on covers, and Remoil in the joints.
 
2Dead said:
In general, I wouldn't. If you're only using it on the blade and wiping it off regularly it would be ok but that stuff can go rancid. Mineral Oil is only a few dollars at the pharmacy and would be the way to go. One of those containers will last you years. Generally, I use mineral oil on the blades, Formby's lemon oil or mineral oil on covers, and Remoil in the joints.
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very good thanks.
 
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