Carbon Steel Newbie, Needs Help

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GavonKH1993

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Mar 8, 2014
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Hey all, how are y'all tonight??

Getting right to it, I need to know how to care for a pocket knife I'm likely going to carry every day, possibly in wet conditions, that has C75 carbon steel blades. What do y'all do to prevent rust?? What else should I know?? Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

For the record, the knife I'm referring to is the Böker Beer Barrel Congress made in Solingen, Germany. Ordered it tonight, very stoked.

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Keep it dry and don't worry about it. Your grandpa and mine got along fine with carbon steel pocket knives.
 
Depending on certain conditions, you may want to force a patina to prevent "pepper spotting" - small corrosive areas that quickly etch into the blade. I live in the south, and with the humidity, even the most diligent cleaning and oiling routine will not prevent this with pocket carry.

My Solingen Boker took on a really nice, even grey patina with hot vinegar/water. There are some excellent threads on here about how to do that. Now I just wipe it down after use, apply a thin coat of mineral oil every now and then, and it does fine.


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Sand the blade a bit and suspend it in a pot of boiling apple cider vinegar for about 5min, then wash it with cold water to stop the oxidization priocess. You should get a nice black patina on the blade that way. Polish it with a bit of silver polish and it will even out the tone. I just did my Esee Izula yesterday and it turned out pretty good!
 
Well that sounds simple enough. I wonder if 3 in 1 oil would work?? Or I've got a ton of raw coconut oil I melt down and use for honing oil, would that work if I slather that on there??

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Also long story short, I usually cut up apples with my pocket knife for my break snack at work. Is that something of a no no or can I keep on doing that and not cause harm??

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You can cut apples with carbon steel. It will develop a nice patina on them. I find it also imparts a faint metallic taste at least until the patina is fully formed. I personally prefer stainless steel for food use but many others don't, so it's really up to you.

I usually use a little (very little) light mineral oil on my carbon blades every once in a while. Norton Honing oil is my first choice, followed by Howard's Cutting Board oil. Both are food safe oils and are less viscous than the Mineral Oil USP you get at the pharmacy. And since I use them both for their stated purpose, I have them on hand already.
 
So now I wonder something else, can I get a good patina if I keep the blades oiled?? I mean I know the patina will protect it from rust/other catastrophic damage but if I oil them right after I get it and keep them that way, will that disrupt the process??

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Just let it age naturally. We have a carbon steel Frosts on the boat that's used for food prep all the time, and I've had no problems with my Joker pocket knife either. Just try not to leave it wet for too long.
 
GavonKH1993 said:
So now I wonder something else, can I get a good patina if I keep the blades oiled?? I mean I know the patina will protect it from rust/other catastrophic damage but if I oil them right after I get it and keep them that way, will that disrupt the process??

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Oiling it will slow it somewhat, and more so if it's kept constantly 'wet' with oil. But it can't completely halt the formation of patina. Let the black oxide patina come as it will; it won't hurt a thing, and it will help in additionally protecting the blade from rusting, in addition to the oil. Just watch for red rust, and clean that away as needed. Sometimes red rust can 'hide' amongst the black oxide patina. Examining it under bright light, maybe with a magnifier as well, will show some red/brown, if so. Can also see it by rubbing a white pencil eraser on the patina, and look to see if it comes off stained a little red/brown.


David
 
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