First attempt at kitchen style knife

H

HellFire Blades

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Aug 29, 2016
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Well, as the title says... This is my first attempt at a kitchen style knife. It's also my first attempt at a hidden tang knife. Actually, it's only my fifth knife I've ever made. It's made from a leftover piece of 15N20 I had lying around. Just drew something that looked like a paring knife onto the steel and went for it. I know it's not the most common kitchen knife steel but, I had it on hand in a thickness that would work. My wife broke our paring knife trying to pry apart frozen chicken breasts so, I figured this was a good chance to try and make one. It has a convex grind on it (just done by removing my platen on my cheap craftsman 2x42). Handle is curly maple and ironwood with G10 spacers. I put about three coats of tongue oil on it. The blade was hand sanded to 800 and left with a satin finish.

I initially had planned on leaving it with a satin hand sand finish but was told that buffing it to a polished blade would help to keep it from rusting and be easier to maintain. I personally hate mirror finish knives. It doesn't look terrible but, not my thing. Thoughts on ways to help keep it from rusting with use? Obviously being a carbon blade it'll need much more care than a stainless but what type of oil/wax is food safe? What do you use on your kitchen knives? It took an edge very easily and is shaving sharp. I'll probably try making a larger one down the road so, suggestions on what to change?





Thanks in advance.
 
Coconut oil or vegetable oil. Looks very handy, good work!
 
Very nice. Most people use mineral oil as it will not go rancid like vegetable/coconut/walnut etc.
 
Nice looking knife. I don't personally bother with oiling my carbon steel cooking knives. In normal use it will soon form a patina that will help protect the blade from rusting. If you want to use oil, camellia oil is another good option. Food safe and works great.

Personally I love the look of a well-patinated knife.
Just my $.02


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Like others said rinse dry thoroughly and you will have no problems. 15n20 is a fine steel for kitchen knives.
 
Flax oil is the best for conditioning cast iron because it has the highest smoke point... im sure it would work well for other applications too.


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I use all carbon kitchen knives and just wipe them during and after usage. Once a patina is formed they are no where near as reactive but the patina will wear, get stripped, re patina and so on. The knife is living :). If it gets rusty just hit it with some bar keepers friend.
I use pork fat on my cast irons ^^
Knife is a looker, nice work.
 
A.McPherson said:
Flax oil is the best for conditioning cast iron because it has the highest smoke point... im sure it would work well for other applications too.


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Ah good to know! My reason was "because grandma said so"

And yes, mine probably has far more pork fat than flax oil, but some people think that leaving carnitas remnants in the pot is gross ;)

Back on topic... my carbon steel knives get by just fine with just being cleaned after being used. I don't do anything to them other than not let them sit in dirty dish water.
 
I like a very thin coat of Howard's feed and wax. Wipe off good. I really should read if this stuff is food safe.
 
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