How to keep knives black (and food safe)?

[Leon Husock]

I've got a canister damascus knife that's mostly black from the powder with a little smattering of bright spots from the stuff in the can, and I want to keep that black coloring and not have it rub off on food. All the threads I've found on setting oxides deal with standard damascus, which isn't so hard since the pattern is pretty dense and you have the topographically high silver parts to kind of protect the lower, darker parts, whereas most of this knife is flat black. Is it possible to set the oxides in a way where (as long as no one scrubs the blade or anything) they'll stay on after use?

 

[DustinY]

Mareko Maumasi blasted recently that he uses Axe Wax on his damascus after with good results, so i picked up a can to try (pretty happy with it thusfar). The knife pictured is 1095 gomai with nickel and copper. The oxides weren't rubbing off at all, and it's food safe (ren wax which i initially wanted to use, i've found out isn't food safe, so glad i bought the axe wax). I use it on the entire knife after it's finished. No idea how it's holding up now that it's been rehomed, but as long as it's cared for properly i see it being fine for a good while.

 

[Leon Husock]

Beautiful knife, Dustin! It's hilarious that you suggested AxeWax considering I *just* finished putting a coat on the knife in question, blade included. It seems to be making the rounds in the knifemaking community, I picked it up after a couple of different people I follow on Instagram posted pictures of some very nice results after using it on handles.

 

[DustinY]

Beautiful knife, Dustin! It's hilarious that you suggested AxeWax considering I *just* finished putting a coat on the knife in question, blade included. It seems to be making the rounds in the knifemaking community, I picked it up after a couple of different people I follow on Instagram posted pictures of some very nice results after using it on handles.

Small world