Blade color change, anyone experienced that?

A

alberich

Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
219
Just got my khukri today morning, and tried to cut some meat tonight. I washed it immediatelly afterwards, but the blade caught some strange color. It doesn't look like rust and it can't be possibly rusty after such a short time and I have not a clue what is it. Pictures below:

blade12jt.jpg


blade20no.jpg



Anyone seen something like that? Well it's cosmetic but can it mean some problem, like bad tempering or whatever?
 
Carbon steel is relatively easy to discolor. You can polish it back if you really like the shiny finish but it'll discolor again.

I prefer the satin finish.
 
alberich said:
So this is normal? I have a D2 bowie and use it often, and it's still as good as new.
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Normal, yes. Cut meat with most carbon steel knife, and it will discolor. But it's as good as it ever was. D2 is a high Chromium tool steel containing 12% chromium. It's almost stainless steel. 440C stainless steel has 16-18% chromium I think.

Steve
 
Alberich?

Just wait until you cut tomatoes!!! You will be making your blade a member of the family.
 
Same thing happened to my Sirupati when it collided intentionally with a pineapple for dinner (the pineapple lost).

Lots of scrubbing w/steel wool and alcohol (the rubbing kind) help that discoloration fade, but it'll never be exactly the same. Fughetaboutit.
 
flitz metal polish will restore the finish.

your blade is simply tarnished. The steel is reacting to the sulfur in the meat/blood, and the air (oxidation). Very common.

Always clean the knife after use and before storage. :thumbup:
 
Yeah, meat. It discolors the blade so well I was thinking of blueing one with a steak.

munk
 
Thanks guys I can breathe again.

"Same thing happened to my Sirupati when it collided intentionally with a pineapple for dinner (the pineapple lost)."

:-)))
 
Encourage it! Scrub that puppy up with a used 3M green scrubby (careful, please, watch those fingers, and those scrubby pads can dull the blade if you strop over the edge. Slop some salsa or a lemon or something acidic on the blade for a few minutes, watch it get all discolored, scrub it off a bit, slap some mineral oil on it, and consider yourself initiated into the Cult of the Patina. It'll only get cooler with use.
 
Josh Feltman said:
Encourage it! Scrub that puppy up with a used 3M green scrubby (careful, please, watch those fingers, and those scrubby pads can dull the blade if you strop over the edge. Slop some salsa or a lemon or something acidic on the blade for a few minutes, watch it get all discolored, scrub it off a bit, slap some mineral oil on it, and consider yourself initiated into the Cult of the Patina. It'll only get cooler with use.
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What Josh said for sure. I got tired of trying to keep the beautiful full polish on my user knives. Besides, I have seen it written and proved it to myself that a satin finish resists tarnishing and rusting better than a full polished one, and requires less maintenance overall. When I think of the Villagers I passed up early on...! :eek::confused::o

Norm
 
Just keep using it and don't worry about cleaning it. You'll find that different things result in different tarnishes. Some of us strive for the famed and elusive black tarnish; others are happy with the food etch. Cutting back blackberry bushes tends to turn the steel a bluish purple, the working man's bluing. Other materials can yield various results. You'll get an idea for what does what through use.

Or you can polish it each time. It's your choice. I just got tired of polishing and rationalized my laziness instead. :)
 
TomFetter said:
Rhubarb is also great for unintentional patina. Quickest and most definite etch I've done.
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Never tried it, but from what everyone is saying it seems to result from acid reactions. I wonder what garlic would do? 57 sulphur compounds.

James
 
I won't polish it, gents, I have it for use, not for display - I was just concerned if it's OK (no functional problem like bad tempering or so). And being generally lazy I will likely not color it as well, I will just use it and let it have a natural patina.

So far, bread cutting tests passed this morning :-)
 
No worries at all! Discoloration is natural with carbon steel. Needs a bit more TLC than stainless but takes a wicked edge. If you do a search for "patina" you'll find all kinds of info.
 
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