Can the carbon steel damascus be more rust resistant by bluing them?

[Recessiveriver]

I know bluing the steel is to create a oxide layer on the steel,
does this oxide layer can help the rust resistance for the steel?

 

[stezann]

Yes, it does.
Iron oxyde is not as air-tight as the chrome oxyde (stainless steel's trick), but it does provide some shielding.
Other bluing methods involve more tight compounds to form a barrier, like you get with parkerizing which is also used for bluing damascus.
The layer will be not complete in damascus due to the white parts of the pattern, so you should keep the blade oiled if you want to avoid rusting.

 

[Lapedog]

Um, wouldn't bluing or especially Parkerization hide the damascus underneath or is I dumb?