My carbon steel is magnetized... Is yours?

[SoCal_kid]

I was cleaning out my cheese grater with my super blue caly 3.5 and realized that the blade kept sticking to the grater. Sure enough, I found a paper clip and confirmed it... My knife is magnetized. Explain this to me fellow knife knuts. I understand that steel is ferrous, but I didn't think my knife would have its own charge. Pocket time and friction creating it? The type of metal? Wizards? Help me.

 

[The1trueBeavis]

Just checked with my fridge magnets on 1095 and it was magnetic.

 

[duro]

It was magnetized at some point. I understand that some custom makers have demagnetizers for this very reason.

 

[Franciscomv]

Several of my knives are magntized, I don't know why. I noticed it because while sharpening them, small filings would stick to the edge.

 

[dogstar]

My Svord Peasant mini is mildly magnetized. It holds on to filings. Most knife steels are magnetic, even stainless ones. My guess is they were held by a magnetic chuck at some point and retained some magnetism.

Back when I worked at a magnet company, we had these electromagnet demagnetizers. They were large coils with a decaying AC current. You drew a piece of magnetized steel through, and it was dead. Don't have one of those lying around, though. I know they sell permanent magnet demagnetizers at the hardware store, but I'm not sure how well they work.

 

[Sonnydaze]

It has to do with their personality, IIRC.

 

[tkeegan]

Hate to recommend a company with Chinese products, but Harbor Freight sells a demagnatizer for about $20.

 

[SoCal_kid]

I don't mind it being magnetized. I'm just trying to figure out how. I wanted to know if this was specific to carbon steels, or like some of you have suggested, a side effect of the production process. Thanks for all of your anecdotes though. I've been dangling paper clips from it to gauge its power.

 

[tiguy7]

Most cutlery steels exhibit ferromagnetism (ie. they can be be attracted to a magnet). If your knife exhibits magnetism (ie. it attracts ferromagnetic subtances like Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt), you may want to degauss it. A magnetic tool, such as a magnetized screwdriver, might be useful for starting a screw or retrieving a part, but a magnetic knife blade will complicate your sharpening process.

 

[Pete3]

i think it sounds cool!

 

[HwangJino]

I notice most my kitchen knives are magnetic at the tip. Dark metal shavjngs collect at the tip when I sharpen.

 

[elasmonut]

if you use a steel a lot your blade will magnetize

 

[leghog]

Where do you store your knife?

 

[William Schrade]

Your knife may have been surface ground and held by a magnetic vice. If not demagnetized after the grinding process it will retain a magnetic force.

 

[SoCal_kid]

Where do you store your knife?

In my pocket mostly. Otherwise it is in a drawer.