Least Reactive Carbon Steel?

ColsonCustoms

ColsonCustoms

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Oct 19, 2015
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As far as simple carbon steels and tool steels (excluding D2), what are the least reactive options? I have a few kitchen blades that I've made from 1095 that do pretty well. The blade will stain some with acids, which does not bother me. It does give potatoes a little bit of dark color though. Does not seem to effect the taste, but if there is a better steel option, specifically regarding the color of the food, I would prefer to use that. Thanks
 
Frankly, if you are looking for a easy care knife steel go with stainless. If you prefer properties of carbon steel, than the best compromise would probably be A2. It has around 6% of carbon. It takes patina, but it does not really rust unless you neglect the knife. You will not get food staining or unpleasant smell. It still sharpens easily and keeps excellent edge. I have a Yoshikane SKD (A2 from Hitachi) Hakata Santoku and the knife has incredible edge holding (HRC around 64, so it needs a microbevel).

But I have to admit - most of my kitchen knives are Japanese iron-clad carbon steel knives and while I do experience staining on onions before the patina sets it (on a new knife or if the surface was re-worked after thinning), I have never experienced staining on potatos. I am not aware that 1095 should be more staining-prone, but I do not have a knife in that particular steel.

My first suggestions is - let the patine from normal use set in a course of few weeks and then you should have no problem with food staining.
 
Let the patina do it's thing .Don't try to keep the blade polished ,just keep it washed and dried .Rinsing off with hot water removes most of the problem.
 
Carbon damascus. It already has a patina.
 
Matus, I hope you don't mind.....you might check your A2 carbon %. I believe you meant to indicate Chromium instead of carbon. A2 has about 1% carbon, 5-6% Chromium. (SKD12 would be the Hitachi A2 equiv, as the other SKD steels are more akin to D2)
 
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mete said:
Let the patina do it's thing .Don't try to keep the blade polished ,just keep it washed and dried .Rinsing off with hot water removes most of the problem.
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^^^ This^^^

It will get better the longer a knife is used.
 
52100 is the least reactive of the carbon steels. After that you move into the tool steels, A2 is for sure a good one.

Hoss
 
I usually etch or force patina all of my carbon blades. They normally do well with onions and citrus. For whatever reason, the potatoes did not like it. I will give A2 a try and I have some 52100 that I am making a few honesuki out of as well.
 
At the moment I am using a charcoal forge to heat treat. I can get a solid ht on the simpler steels but I have yet to use the 52100 since I assumed that it needs to be sent off. Do you think that If I do my part that 52100 could be done with my primitive set up? I have gotten pretty good at controlling the blower & temp, keeping the steel moving and constantly monitoring with a magnet. I would guess, and it is just a guess, that I can keep the temp within 50-75 degrees once I hit nonmagnetic. I also have a thermocouple that I might be able to use for more control if a little more was needed.
 
samuraistuart said:
Matus, I hope you don't mind.....you might check your A2 carbon %. I believe you meant to indicate Chromium instead of carbon. A2 has about 1% carbon, 5-6% Chromium. (SKD12 would be the Hitachi A2 equiv, as the other SKD steels are more akin to D2)
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indeed, thanks for the correction. 6% carbon is more than can be dissolved in iron AFAIK :)
 
A comment on definitions. With steels in general ,a carbon steel is one that has only carbon as the major alloying element. When it has other alloying elements , Cr, Mo , etc it's called an alloy steel. When it has eough Cr ~ 12% it's called a stainless steel.
In the knife business it seems that 52100 is called ,as Devin has , a carbon steel . Yikes ! Yes it confuses me!
 
Yup I know, most knife makers classify steels as "carbon steels" if it heat treats in the 1500' range and doesn't require a long soak. Most of this comes from the ABS. O-1, 5160, 52100 etc. can be worked and heat treated in the same forge. Unless you include these steels the OP's question doesn't make sense.

Most of these types are low alloy steels.

Hoss
 
I may be misusing the term carbon steels. I always understood it to mean a lower alloy, non stainless steel with a hardenable amount of carbon.
Other than some of the Japanese white steel(s), are there any "true" carbon steels, with just carbon? Even 1075, 1084 & 1095 have other stuff added, making them alloys, although they are always considered "simple carbon steels" as far as I am aware.
 
That's what I meant by carbon steels, lower alloy.
I'm not sure if it is "technically" but in my mind 52100 is a tool steel.
 
More like a bearing steel, but who is counting all of the different classifications. :D
ColsonCustoms said:
That's what I meant by carbon steels, lower alloy.
I'm not sure if it is "technically" but in my mind 52100 is a tool steel.
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