How should i clean a crabon steel knife?

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knifeandgun

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Aug 10, 2013
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Hello everyone! I just got a new Mora knife in the mail and it is a carbon steel blade and i found out that the carbon steel can rust if not taken care of properly so i was wondering.
How do i clean the knife properly? How do i maintain it for years to come?
Also i order a stainless steel mora as well and was planning on giving one of them to my friend for his Birthday which of the 2 would you recommend I give to him? the carbon or stainless steel?
Thank you all! any response would be appreciated!
 
Welcome, hmm my when my work knives get rusted, I get steel wool and just rub it off, but they are WORK knives, I don't care if the blade gets ugly. if you want to keep the blade looking new, you could do a lot of things. If you are not able to purchase special rust remover and stainless steel cleaners (All you need is found at walmart in all the cleaning liquids section) you could use something more natural and use lemons or limes, rub the lemon juice on the blade and let it sit for a few minutes, then get a towel and rub it off, repeat until all the rust is gone, you can then proceed to oil your blade if needed. If your blade is NOT highly polished I would suggest using baking soda and just turn it into a paste and rub it, works wonders.
 
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The carbon and stainless are very very similar, the carbon needs a lot more care and should not be given to someone who lives in a high moisture environment, also the carbon edge, in my opinion, lasts a little longer than the other, also takes a razor edge a lot quicker. Both the knives are superb, I guess the deciding factor would be if he will be using it near water alot
 
Clean with dishwashing liquid soap and warm water, hand wash only. Wipe dry with a towel. Don't store it in a leather sheath.

Apply a small amount of oil or silicone to the blade on occasion and wipe off any excess. If you will use it to process food, then go with mineral oil USP from the drug store or some food-grade silicone spray.

Use 0000 steel wool to scrub off any rust spots as soon as you notice them.

If you want to get fancier, you can use a metal polish like Flitz or Simichrome to keep it shiny, and something like Eezox, Tuf-cloth or CorrosionX to prevent corrosion.

But in general, wash and dry by hand should do the job.
 
Use rubbing alcohol and follow up with oil or silicon gun and reel cloth. A lead removal rag will remove spots/staining if desired. I would avoid using water unless your sure its completely dry before you put it away.
 
Where do you live?

I don't do much for my carbon steel besides not putting it away wet.

I don't really oil it much.

I pocket carry carbon steel slipjoints, and use a carbon steel knife in the kitchen.

I just rinse it off, and wipe it dry before putting it away.

The great thing about carbon steel, is it takes color, and begins showing age and use. It is real character building.

I like to add a patina to the steel. Take a mustard, or vinegar. Put it on the steel and let it rest for a bit, then rinse off and wash. I like to put hot vinegar on with a q tip, and coat it a bunch of times. It makes nice dark grey. It withstands a bit more exposure before rusting.

I like both carbon steel and stainless.
 
I live in Southern California but we go to Arizona for camping and such because a friend of mine has a cabin up in the mountain region in Arizona.
And I would you recommend I put a patina on my carbon steel blades? It helps keep water off correct?
Sorry I am quite new to knives.
 
You can wipe with vinegar and wipe off in a few minutes, then wash with water soap then dry before putting it away.

when I got my carbon slicer I was worried at first, always drying and such.

it just needs a little attention when leaving your knife, it must be dry before you put away.
 
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