Competition finish and food.

nicksison

nicksison

Joined
Feb 1, 2011
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Hi guys I would like to know if the competition finish on Busse Knives is good for food prep. Thanks
 
Hmmm... a novice here, but since i just ordered something in CF, i read the folks hear to describe the CF as "no finish." Bare, un-refined INFI.

Correct me if i'm wrong, folks, but as long as you use a food grade lubricant (vegetable oil or something), should be fine?

Unless the secret ingredient in INFI is radioactive, or something... hmmm... maybe...
 
The current competition finished knives are bead blasted twice (first version of the finish only left it bare without bead blasting; double cut bead blasting polishes the pits and grind lines away before bead blasting). The second blasting peens and "closes up" any pits created from the first blasting that might harbor bacteria. I doubt it's perfect, but if you're using something for food prep, you should be cleaning it normally anyway. Other than that, INFI doesn't inherently have any properties that would make it unsafe for food prep. Should be fine.

Almost nothing discolors or forms patina on INFI, but I hear raw meat does some funky stuff.
 
The CF finish is nothing to worry about, if you have ever used a high carbon steel knife before then you know what to do. Just wipe it down after each use and apply a little food grade oil for storage.

If you ever get the chance to see a sushi chef in action, his knives will rust in seconds if left wet, he will always wipe the blade before sitting it down on the board. I watched one student almost get kicked out for leaving a knife unattended, it will ruin the knife for sushi according to the chef.

Sorry for the story, but I found it fascinating at the time. :o
 
It'll be Ok, as long as you keep and eye out for rust, but a satin finished blade will be better.
 
Well, mine (a TGLB in CF) just arrived and i can't get a photo because i can't find the dang battery charger! :grumpy:

It's definitely nothing like my double cut Pork Shank. It's more like the pic in this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/972756-some-hasty-picture-of-my-first-BUSSE-a-TGLB-COMETITION-FINISH!!!

Except my grind looks a lot more "pock marked." If that's bead blasting, they're big-a__ beads, in near linear distribution vertically, in waves horizontally traversing down the from the grind line. It is shiny, but not polished. The flat and groove look like a rough or "industrial" satin, if that makes sense. Oh, the edge around the handle does appear to be bead blasted to almost the gray of the double cut (less consistent, but goes great with the "rough" look of the blade.

It's absolutely better than i expected!

I'd say, as long as you wash, dry, and lightly oil it (food safe oil), you should be good to go.

Pics if i can ever get 'em.
 
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retrocon said:
Well, mine (a TGLB in CF) just arrived and i can't get a photo because i can't find the dang battery charger! :grumpy:

It's definitely nothing like my double cut Pork Shank. It's more like the pic in this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/972756-some-hasty-picture-of-my-first-BUSSE-a-TGLB-COMETITION-FINISH!!!

Except my grind looks a lot more "pock marked." If that's bead blasting, they're big-a__ beads, in near linear distribution vertically, in waves horizontally traversing down the from the grind line. It is shiny, but not polished. The flat and groove look like a rough or "industrial" satin, if that makes sense. Oh, the edge around the handle does appear to be bead blasted to almost the gray of the double cut (less consistent, but goes great with the "rough" look of the blade.

It's absolutely better than i expected!

I'd say, as long as you wash, dry, and lightly oil it (food safe oil), you should be good to go.

Pics if i can ever get 'em.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it does look a lot more pock-marked than normal. I wonder if those pock marks are from the double cutting, or if those are the unfinished pits that have been double cut, i.e., pits within pits within pits.

Those lines are no surprise though. They're just from milling. They aren't smoothed out for competition finishes. That leads me to believe those pits are also regular INFI pits and not pits from the bead blasting.

Well, pics, of course.
 
uyotg said:
Yeah, it does look a lot more pock-marked than normal. I wonder if those pock marks are from the double cutting, or if those are the unfinished pits that have been double cut, i.e., pits within pits within pits.

Those lines are no surprise though. They're just from milling. They aren't smoothed out for competition finishes. That leads me to believe those pits are also regular INFI pits and not pits from the bead blasting.

Well, pics, of course.
Click to expand...


I agree that they don't look like pits from the blasting. It is blasted around the edges of the handle, and up the spine (just the top edge). Everything else looks like raw, machined INFI. Sooooo coool.
 
Ok, got some pics... not great, but if you look close, you can see the naked INFI...

TGLB11.jpgTGLB13.jpgTGLB14.jpgTGLB15.jpgTGLB16.jpg
 
Wow, those look better than satin or double cut to me. I think that's the way I'll go from now on.
 
uyotg said:
Wow, those look better than satin or double cut to me. I think that's the way I'll go from now on.
Click to expand...

I agree, it has a "tough character" before you even beat the crud out of it. But to each their own.

It looks better in person, like a freshly machined piece of battle hardened pork.
 
retrocon said:
I agree, it has a "tough character" before you even beat the crud out of it. But to each their own.

It looks better in person, like a freshly machined piece of battle hardened pork.
Click to expand...

I just like the way it reflects light! It sort of gleams, while double cut muffles light, and satin disperses it.

Maybe it's just your photography skills :p
 
uyotg said:
I just like the way it reflects light! It sort of gleams, while double cut muffles light, and satin disperses it.

Maybe it's just your photography skills :p
Click to expand...

No, those are actually pretty cr__y photos... but you're right, it does "gleam!" I like that word. It's not like a polished blade, it doesn't "shine" or look like a mirror finish, but it does reflect the light in a very interesting way. Those pics were on an old wooden filer that was under a simple LED light from IKEA. No flash.

It is a really unusual look. I gotta thank BigDumplings for turning me onto it, but frankly, it's even better than i thought it would be from any of the CF pics i've seen on the forum.
 
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