Easiest Way to Preserve Carbon Steel Blades?

S

SOUTHERN WOODS

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Nov 17, 2011
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I have several dozen older Case carbon steel knives that are in a display. I don't keep the display in a heavily lighted area so the handles won't discolor but what would you recommend for the blades to keep them from rusting or spotting?
 
Just coat them occasionally with Break Free CLP and they should not spot or rust. Like maybe a couple of times a year. That is what I do with several carbon steel knives and firearms that I don't use very often and I have never had a problem with the high humidity we have here in south Florida.
 
mycough said:
ChapStick. Russ
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I use Chapstick on all my carbon steel knives, and I haven't had one rust yet. This includes use in the salt water environment of the Chesapeake Bay. Plus, it's esy to carry around and helps start a campfire in the woods in a pinch.

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There are various products available for metal preservation- "metal seal" and "sheath" are made for sporting goods, royal purple makes a product that is available at auto parts stores, now I see that WD40 is making a specialty product for metal protection. I have read that people in real harsh environments have better luck with various waxes.
 
I use earwax. It's the reason I never use qtips. Always available in the field and without the added weight and space constraints of carrying around chap stick. Plus it's food safe...
 
I have had very good luck with Birchwood Casey Sheath for long term storage on bare metal barrels and bores of traditional flintlock rifles, which tend to be rust and patina magnets. Just make sure you clean the blade well with alcohol if you are going to use it. An occasional coat of mineral oil for the wood scales.
 
Food knives I use mineral oil. Other knives I use Renaissance wax.
A local gun store is a drop off location for my sharpening service. Today they gave me "GetSome" to try out and give feedback. It has no silicon or petroleum and they say that it doesn't harm paint, neoprene or rubber seals. They also claim it doesn't dry up or wash off. I may toy with what others have already, treat a chunk of metal with several types, maybe even bury it in mud and see what happens.
 
While better than nothing, mineral oil does not offer very good corrosion protection. Luckily, most food knives are kept in the kitchen, so the elements aren't too much of a concern! If not a food knife, I would use break free because it comes out very high in the tests, and is commonly available.
 
I see no point in using any oil on kitchen knives. If you are going to store them long term, chapstick may be a great solution (have yet to try that). Mineral oil is plenty for kitchen knives. Because they are stored in the kitchen in a drawer or block at room temp all the time, they don't need super corrosion protection. I don't usually use any oil, because my knives get used fairly regularly. As long as carbon steel is wiped dry (completely dry) when done, no oil is needed at all. Carbon steel hangs around just fine indoors when it is dry. Leave it wet and let it dry..you'll have problems....like rust! All my kitchen knives are carbon steel (ok I admit I have a shun knife) and they never see oil. They look darn near brand new. Every year or so I remove the patina with bar keepers friend and then polish.

For non kitchen knives, break free works wonders. You can use break free on your kitchen knives...no problem. You might want to wash before use, tho! Break free does NOT taste good....at all. I know. yuch!
 
samuraistuart said:
I see no point in using any oil on kitchen knives...
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I would only disagree on one count being that I have only one kitchen knife I must oil: Its marked "CASE XX CA 242-9 1/2 PROCESS PAT. NO.2147079" The patent was applied for in 1938 so a carbon blade. Its my favorite carving knife used a couple of days a week and if not oiled the edge will rust within an hour if just a drop of water is on it and I'm in the CA desert so the least amount of moisture dries quickly but not quick enough. My problem is that if not oiling it after use I tend to use it and leave it lying around until the rest of the dishes are done which is too long. Maybe if i immediately washed and dried it I'd never have the problem but without the ritual Id be removing rust after every use. I use what I read many chefs use which is a drop of high quality virgin olive oil - I've used Rem-Oil and break-free which work but if I forgot to wipe it off it could get unpleasant. A drop of olive oil on kitchen knives that need it and you can forget about it other than it drying out after a few months and needing another drop.
 
Yes....ANY amount of water.....half of a drop....if left to dry will rust the blade. IMMEDIATELY wash and DRY DRY DRY after use....no oil needed. Exception.....salty air environments like coastal areas. I never use any oil on any kitchen carbon blade at all. My wife has been instructed (bless her heart she is a trooper!) how to care for carbon knives. She does a GREAT job. Again, you can use carbon steel (even stuff like O1 that rusts when you look at it wrong) wet all day long...just never let any water dry on it. One single minute with water on some carbon steel will equal rust every time! NOTHING wrong with using food grade oil, tho, AT ALL.

I am amazed how many people have no idea how to care for carbon steel (not directed at anyone here....just experience in selling knives). I just sold two Blue steel knives to a guy who knows his stuff. Or so he told me. When we discussed which steel he wanted, he told me he knew all about caring for carbon steel. OK, I said, and made him two kitchen knives in Blue2. Two weeks later he brings them back to me. One of them had a layer of rust on the blade because his wife let it dry while wet. She said she dried it off, but there is NO way a dry carbon steel kitchen knife will get a layer of rust on it sitting in the kitchen drawer or whatever. Just NO WAY. We live in central Texas, very dry here, not like it's salty air. She just did not dry it off well enough. The other knife, he had cut into a sweet potato. The carbon steel, of course, reacted with the acids in the potato and turned color (patina). He brought the knife back to ask me what that was!!!! Seriously?!?! You told me you knew ALL ABOUT carbon steel!?!? So a little bar keepers friend and metal polish makes them look new again.

When using carbon steel in the kitchen, when you are done using it, THE VERY SECOND YOU ARE DONE USING IT, rinse/wash by hand and dry it off....thoroughly. Store in a block or on a magnetic bar......it won't corrode on you. I recommend using a new carbon steel knife on nothing but meat for the first few months. Why? No real reason other than meat tends to turn the blade a very nice looking blue/purple color. A great base to start a nice patina.

Have fun with it guys!
 
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