Kabar/ Ek 45 Bowie question

Aias

Aias

Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
5,188
Hello all,

I just pulled the trigger on a EK 45 Bowie, and just wanted to know if the parkerized blade is OK to use on food... meats, fruits, veggies, game/fish, etc. I'm not worried about using carbon steel, since I have a lot of experience with 1095. But does the parkerized finish make this blade a no-go when it comes to food or game prep.

Lately I've been using a Kabar 1317 Dog's Head for a few months for general utility and some food prep--I was inspired by Lost Viking's thread a while back. It has been a joy to use--great knife!

Thanks,

Anthony
 
I've always been told that parkerized and blued finishes are NOT good for food prep work. Something about the parkerized finish being porous and difficult to clean properly (minute food residue trapped in the porous finish) and that the gun bluing used to blue metals leaves a toxic residue for the finish that leaches off as the bluing wears away.

A properly patina'd blade will be much better for food prep, at least in MY opinion.

For my blades' patina development, I either rely on::
- a "gradual usage" patina that develops over time on its own mottled character due to everyday use

or

- for a "pushed" or "forced" patina development, I just stick the blade in a potato for a few hours. Nice even, dark patina, long wearing. Never have gone for the "mustard"/"vinegar"/"whatever" tiger striping patinas. I like the solids from a potato or the "honest wear" patinas developed from use.
 
Thanks, that's close to what I thought too... I have lots of GEC's and I just use them, and let the patina develop. I coat them with a little Ballistol when I'm through with them at the end of the day, otherwise I just rinse off the blade and dry it before it goes back in my pocket.

I thought that if the blade was washed well, the parkerized blade would not be too bad. The collection of much could be controlled, theoretically. However, I was not sure if remnants of the parkerizing process would make the blade unsuitable. I know that is the case with blueing a knife.

If the parkerized finish is a problem, could sand the blade to remove it? I've stripped blades before, so I'm familiar with the process. With Beckers and and Kabars, it was pretty simple; with my Busses, after the coating was stripped, I sanded the decarb off the get down to the bare metal. I wonder if the process is similar.

Ultimately, I like the look of the parkerized EK 45; I'd prefer not to sand it, and just wash it well if I use it on food. But if their chemical process (to parkerized) is going to contaminate the food, then clearly the blade should not be used.

I'm just not sure about that last part.
 
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Ya gotta wait til folks get home.:D

Parkerizing is accomplished by treating a degreased steel knife or gun barrel with manganese phosphate. It's a little more complicated than that but that is the nutshell version. Due to the chemical reaction between the steel and the manganese phosphate, a coating is formed on the surface of the steel. Manganese is incorporated in that coating. Every time the knife or bun barrel is rubbed, whether by food, a piece of rope, gun case, etc, a minute amount of of the coating is removed. See WW2 vintage MK2s/1219C2s for typical wear. So a little manganese is removed and deposited on whatever is rubbing the metal.

So, that means food can be contaminated with manganese if a parkerized blade is used to cut/chop the food. Exposure to manganese can result in manganese poisoning or manganism. The amount ingested at any particular time is small, and some manganese will be eliminated over time, so occasional use of a parkerized blade will NOT cause immediate manganism. Daily use of such a blade COULD cause manganism depending on a lot of factors - how much cutting is being done, the nature of the foods being cut (some foods may leach the manganese out more quickly than others), the actual parkerizing method and solution used, the person consuming the contamination, and more factors.

Bottom line, in my opinion, is that I never use a parkerized blade for food prep. If I had to use a parkerized blade for food in an emergency situation, I would, but since I seldom have fewer than 5 knives on me (2 folders and 3 fixed), the odds of me having NO unparkerized blades available in any situation is about as likely as me letting a rattlesnake live. Less than zero.
 
Thanks man... I appreciate you coming back with more info. I found some of that on my own too, and ultimately, I called Kabar. They were helpful. Much like you, they advised against food usage. But the guy I talked to offered a viable alternative... he has the same model and just sanded the blade down to the bare steel and let a patina form naturally.

I think that if I really like the knife, I'll invest the time and elbow grease to sand it down and use it as I like. What do you think ZZ?

Thanks again.
Anthony
 
If you like the knife and want to use it for food prep, I say go for it. It will take a LOT of elbow grease to remove all the parkerizing. I have WW2 MK2s/1219C2s that have been heavily used over the intervening 70+ years that still has a lot of the original parkerizing left. I also have some that have not a lick of parkerizing on the blade, so it is possible to remove it all with effort and time.

You probably don't need to remove any from under the handle scales - food will never touch that part of the blade and leaving it there will help prevent rust and corrosion from forming there.
 
That's my plan... just the blade. I'm guessing you're right, it will be a PITA. I have stripped Busses, and sanded that stubborn layer of decarb, so I have a some experience going in. I guess we'll see! I just stripped my well loved 1317 Dog's Head... that was pretty easy, and the steel beneath looks great. Thanks again, ZZ.
 
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