This may seem silly, but I haven't ever owned an exspensive knife with a carbon blade. What is the best way to clean and protect a RMK carbon blade?? Are there things I should be carefull not to use?? I have Randalll fever!! Thanks in advance,
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Care of carbon steel blades
- Thread starter 532Sawby
- Start date
Make sure it is clean and dry after you use it,spray with WD-40 and wipe down if it's not going to be used for a while.The blade will become stained if you use it to cut meat and veggies,there are two ways to deal with this.The first is to let the stains accumulate until it takes on a beautiful patina that acts a protective coating,similar to bluing.Or if you like the shiny finish buff with metal polish or crocus cloth to remove any stains.I love the O-1 tool steel in the blade of my Randall and the chrome vanadium blades on my 20 year old Case 6318SP pocket knife.Stainless is great around the ocean or in a display case,but for most uses give me the carbon steel anyday.
Don't store your knife in its' sheath--the chemicals in the leather will stain your blade and sometimes moisture can build up in the sheath and cause the blade to rust. Tom Clinton swears by Simichrome polish and it's really good stuff for shining up your blades.
Kind of bluish at first then later a dark gray.I've got an Ithaca mod 37 shotgun that papaw bought in 1943 that has turned a brownish color on all the metal,except for a shinier place around the receiver where the hand is when carried.The blades on the Case pocketknife are almost black.On the other hand I've got a Buck 307 stockman that fell through a hole in my pocket on the farm and was thought to be lost forever.One day after a hard rain I just happened to look down and there it was in the mud where it had lain for over two months.After it was cleaned of all the mud the blades were spotless,the backsprings were pretty rusty but a little elbow grease got that off and the knife is fine,so stainless steel certainly has merits.I shudder to think what the carbon steel Cases blades would have looked like after a similar ordeal.The moral of the story;don't wear britches with a hole in the pocket.