GEC Blades

Hkjay

Hkjay

Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Messages
575
Hey Guys,

So I have been seeing some older traditional knives where the blades are basically black from Patina. So I started to wonder...Will all the blades on my GEC knives eventually turn black or can you prevent that?
 
You can keep them polished with something like Flitz or any good metal polish. A good polish will remove the patina if your blades start to develop one and you want it removed.
 
If you keep the blades clean and well oiled with something like mineral oil, that should prevent patina from developing in the first place.
 
The above is true, but my opinion is that with carbon steel you let the patina develop because it shows character and use:) If you want shiny blades then go for stainless steel!
 
Ernie1980 said:
The above is true, but my opinion is that with carbon steel you let the patina develop because it shows character and use:) If you want shiny blades then go for stainless steel!
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Definitely, those old blades that are black with patina are just gorgeous.
 
If all you do is keep them in the tubes, unused except to inspect them, then they should remain pristine. Handling them and wiping away the oil will expose them to the elements, and you might get pepper spots or tarnish, or even rust if you're neglectful. Using them will bring the patina. Cut dry stuff and keep it oiled and it'll stay shiny longer. Leave off the oil, and it'll darken. Cut stuff like meat or fruit, it'll likely patina instantly if it's unprotected (ie: wiped clean so you don't taste oil).

It really depends on what you use, or don't use them for. Keep in mind that many of use like patina. An honestly earned patina gives the knife character and makes it "yours", possibly with stories to tell. A forced patina (sticking it in an apple or potato or otherwise purposely using it for things that will cause tarnish) can have the same effect, just quicker. If you really want to use the knife but keep it pristine, you can, but as others have said, just go with a stainless knife.
 
I don't like the looks of a patina on my own knives. I occasionally carry and use a GEC with 1095 steel. Same with Case CV. Unless I cut food with them, they don't develop a noticeable patina. I do put a drop of mineral oil in the pivot once in a while and rub the excess onto the blades before wiping them off.

A lot of the knives you see with dark patinas are the result of people intentionally creating them because they like the way it looks.
 
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Planterz said:
If all you do is keep them in the tubes, unused except to inspect them, then they should remain pristine. Handling them and wiping away the oil will expose them to the elements, and you might get pepper spots or tarnish, or even rust if you're neglectful. Using them will bring the patina. Cut dry stuff and keep it oiled and it'll stay shiny longer. Leave off the oil, and it'll darken. Cut stuff like meat or fruit, it'll likely patina instantly if it's unprotected (ie: wiped clean so you don't taste oil).

It really depends on what you use, or don't use them for. Keep in mind that many of use like patina. An honestly earned patina gives the knife character and makes it "yours", possibly with stories to tell. A forced patina (sticking it in an apple or potato or otherwise purposely using it for things that will cause tarnish) can have the same effect, just quicker. If you really want to use the knife but keep it pristine, you can, but as others have said, just go with a stainless knife.
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jc57 said:
I don't like the looks of a patina on my own knives. I occasionally carry and user a GEC with 1095 steel. Same with Case CV. Unless I cut food with them, they don't develop a noticeable patina. I do put a drop of mineral oil in the pivot once in a while and rub the excess onto the blades before wiping them off.

A lot of the knives you see with dark patinas are the result of people intentionally creating them because they like the way it looks.
Click to expand...

This has been my experience as well. I can take or leave a patina but I have never been in the habit of using my pocket knives to cut food whether they are carbon or stainless. I don't try to avoid a patina but it's simply my nature to use my pocket knives on dry goods only. Been that way all my life and I carried only stainless knives until maybe around 2007. Now I carry a mix of both.

I've found that using a carbon steel knife on dry goods only will keep the blades shiny with little or no effort. My GEC Churchill has been in my pocket for just over seven months and the blades are still shiny but have a few scratches. No signs of patina. I haven't done anything to the blades that I would consider maintenance other than lubing the joints, wiping off debris with a cloth or my fingers, and keeping the blades sharp.

If you want your blades to stay shiny, which is what I gather from the original post, this is an easy way to go.

I'm just recently learning this myself because I expected my blades to develop a patina by now just from handling and using them. They haven't yet but summer is almost here so I'll have to wait and see how they hold up inside a sweaty pocket.
 
The GEC knives that I keep in my collection drawer stay nice and bright, no patina. They get a light coat of oil once in a while.
If I find a certain knife ends up in my pocket a lot, then I usually force a light patina on the blade. This stops me from worrying about what I cut with it and I treat it like a "user". I actually like the look of both shiny blades and blades with a patina. They are both beautiful.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I did not know that using them on food like cutting chicken is instant patina but I found that out pretty quick. I like a little patina I just don't want the blade to black and rusted. I guess if I want to keep one with a clean blade I will just use it on dry things. I have a Sentry Solutions tough cloth that i use on them occasionally will that keep the patina to a minimum? I think that is it is just mineral oil on the cloth.
 
Love the patina on that #43 Icky thump, that is the kind of patina I want to develop on the knives. Was that a forced patina?
 
I've never cared for patina on a blade, it just makes it look like it wasn't cared for.
I've carried a churchill off and on since they came out and it's still shiny. If you do have to use it on food and can't get it wiped down in time to prevent the patina, a little Nevr-Dull will bring it back to new.
Like others have said use it for dry goods and you'll have no problem.
 
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