My newest kitchen knife!!

E

emt1581

Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
902
While it was somewhat of an impulse buy, I'm really glad I pulled the trigger on a WS-1020.

For those curious or waiting on theirs to arrive, it's really a sweet little blade. Very comfortable in the hand, super light weight, and seems like it would be at home in the kitchen as well as in the woods or for EDC.

However, other than my Regulator, I don't own any SR-101 knives and I've never used this steel in a kitchen capacity before. So a few quick questions on doing so...

1. How will the edge stand up to a granite counter top during food prep? Am I going to have to constantly be taking this to a steel or sharpener??

2. Is it dishwasher safe....or am I asking for problems with stains/rust?

3. When looking at rust prevention, is there a food-safe way to prevent it? Coating it in Mobile 1 won't exactly work.

4. It'll be sleeping in a knife block most of the time. But is this ok to leave coated with food, submerged in the sink, etc.?

Here's a couple pics. Btw, the Basic 8 is NOT a kitchen knife for me. It's actually something I prize, right up there with my CF TGLB and kept as new. I just included it for a frame of reference on size.

Thanks!

BgQyI4W.jpg


u5bFIZB.jpg
 
1. Don’t, just don’t
2. See above, seriously
3. Mineral oil if you want, but you’ll probably still get a patina, especially if you cut meat with it
4. Absolutely not, as in never (see also, 1 & 2)
 
(FYI: I'm using the terms "quality cutlery" or "kitchen knife" in reference to the lines used in cooking and food prep, like chef's knives, etc., Not the stainless steel knives people use to eat with at the table, which are often plated, dull, and soft, compared to a serious food-prep knife.)

1. No. Not because Busse can't handle it, but you just should never do that with any quality cutlery. There is a reason cutting boards are a thing.
Why? Hardness. It's simple physics.

2. No. Again this is something you should never do with any quality cutlery. Take good care of your knives, and they'll take good care of you.
Why? In general, prolonged heat + humidity causes rust and corrosion, especially with carbon steels. Many good kitchen knives are carbon steel, including SR-101. The wash cycle is also meant to be turbulent/jostling - that's how it replaces the mechanical scrubbing if you hand wash. That constant jostling can cause your blade to knock into other stuff, which may cause chipping or rolling. You wouldn't just toss your knives in a drawerfull of loose wrenches and let it get knocked around, would ya?

3. Although SR-101 is a carbon steel that patinas nicely, which can help prevent corrosive rust. Just use it. If you want to though, a thin coat of food grade mineral oil can keep it keep it's original shine.

4. No. Again, you should not do that with ANY quality kitchen knife, especially carbon steel knives.
Why? Because of rust. Just wipe the knife down, please. It's a good habit.
 
Busses SR101 is pretty amazing stuff, second only in some areas of performance to INFI. One of those areas is corrosion resistance. Like the others have mentioned, I would keep it well oiled with mineral oil/frog lube or force a patina with some mustard or vinegar. You can create some cool looking blades.
 
ipal said:
Because the counter is not covered by Busse warranty if you break it? :p:D
Click to expand...

Been doing it for 10+ years without an issue at this point.

As for the other questions and replies...looks like this will be the last uncoated/non-INFI Busse I buy impulsively. I'll just keep this one in the "new" pile.

But it does beg the follow-up question of....if you need to keep these coated in oil constantly, and they aren't good for food prep....what are the rest of ya'll using yours for??

Thanks
 
They are great for food prep! Carbon steels get razor sharp and hold an edge for a loooong time. They just won't stay shiny and pretty for as long as stainless steels.

My father was a commercial fisherman and owned a seafood market for a while. The guys behind the counter that could be seen by customers all used stainless so the customers didn't think their fish was being cut with "rusty" knives. The guys in the back doing the real work were using carbon steel.

If you're more concerned with looks, stick to stainless. If you want to experience amazing performance, go with Carbon. What makes INFI so special is that it's technically not stainless but it is very corrosion resistant.

Since you have this one and it wasn't super expensive, I recommend trying it out and comparing the results to your stainless knives. You will be amazed.
 
emt1581 said:
2. Is it dishwasher safe....or am I asking for problems with stains/rust?
Click to expand...

In addition to what others have said, dishwasher detergent is abrasive and can dull your knives even if they don't bang against other stuff. Just wash by hand and dry it after use, and you should be fine.
 
No knife is worth a damn against a stone counter top. That's why we have cutting boards and butcher blocks. And in the history of knives, stainless is still a fairly new thing. Nothing wrong with a good carbon steel blade.
 
SR-101 is a tweaked by Jerry Busse version of 52100 steel (ball bearing steel) that is acually quite popular for chef knives because it holds edge like nobody's business, it just requires to be washed and dried after use.

The Resiprene C handle is slipped over the tang, if you put in dishwasher there is a very good chance that water and corrosive detergents will get into the hangle and over time will damage the tang.

No cutting knife should be going in dishwasher, there is the mentioned above issue if vibration and being 'tossed' around, the other issue being the corrosive nature of detergents will damage really fine edges.

Cut a bunch of fruit (citrus & mangoes are probably the fastest acting), vegetables and raw & cooked meat (a boody steak works a treat) and you will build up patina on your blade which with basic wash & dry will protect it from corrosion

Edit
check out the patina thread at the Swamp: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/patina-contest-win-shop-credit.1753847/
 
Last edited:
So what I've gathered from the recent replies is....

It'll be awesome for food prep, no dishwasher, and use a cutting board.

Right?

Thanks!
 
A little more on #3: I’ve found that coconut oil is a great food-grade rust preventative. I think it’s the main ingredient in Frog Lube anyway.
 
emt1581 said:
So what I've gathered from the recent replies is....

It'll be awesome for food prep, no dishwasher, and use a cutting board.

Right?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Yes. And that isn't just for SR-101, that's true for any serious kitchen knife that is worth it's weight. :):thumbsup:
Granite countertops are wonderful for so many reasons... But being a cutting board is NOT one of its virtues.:oops:

I don't fault people who haven't learned to properly care for their knives... It's not something most people think about! We all start somewhere. However, I do fault those who are resistant to learning and keep on complaining after ignoring the knowledge presented.

Don't be that guy ;)
 
It's yours, do what you want with it. Ride it hard, put it up wet and beat it with a big stick.

Life is short.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top