Blued stainless...

[Kalindras]

Question, for anyone out there doing this, or having had it done...

Would I be correct in guessing that a blued steel knife would NOT be safe for use in food preparation? I'm looking at making a couple of pieces up, a paring knife, and a bread knife, and was considering blueing them.

I figured that the paring knife was a definite, "No," because of all the liquids it would come in contact with, but I didn't know about the bread knife, since it'll mostly be 'dry' goods.

Or, am I just waaaaaay off-line, and it's safe? Anybody know? Oh, and another question--will ATS-34 take blueing, at all?

TIA, folks!

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

no stan-less steel will not take blueing because the blueing is a controled oxidation or rusting. it has been done on some S&W revolvers i dont what was envoled. i use ats-34 or 440c and they work great as is. for all of my culinary knives.

 

[Ringneck]

Brownells sells salts for blueing stainless. Same hot salt process just different salts.

Shawn

 

[R Dannemann]

Blued steels look pretty good, especially when done over polished metal. A very experienced knifemaker of 20 years told me any bluing process left compounds on the surface which were not food safe, I.E. whatever the bluing added or changed.

Would be nice if a Chemist or other well versed soul would give a absolute correct answer or opinion. There are many processes for bluing steels, are any food safe?

Don't know if there is a real safety reason, but it seems commercial kitchen cutlery doesn't show much other than stainless surfaces or natural steels reacting to whatever they cut.

Maybe some other materials, other than steel or stainless are ok for food use if other otherwise color altered by electric current treatment??

I'd be sort of careful.