Pepper Spots... Avoidable or Inevitable???

[67nick]

I recently had a discussion with another forum member about old & new carbon steel and the presence of "pepper spots." We both seemed to agree that they occur no matter what you do to preserve your collection but I wanted to bring the topic up here to find out if any other traditionals folk have thought this one through or come up with a way to preserve carbon steel to a NIB appearance for a lifetime. Any insights and educated guesses would be grateful... Thanks ya'll!

 

[jkulysses]

I've managed to keep some of mine looking like new but you pretty much have wipe the blade down every couple days more or less depending on use. I use break free CLP & one of those silicon gun cloths that leaves a coating of silicon on the blade. If its a blade that will be used for food then mineral oil but it doesn't work nearly as good at keeping the blade looking new.

 

[bonzodog]

I clean my 1095 blades with metal polish,then wiped with tuff cloth.Not used on food btw.

 

[gunstockjack]

I use a mixture of Boeshield T-9 and light machine oil plus a generous squirt of WD-40 on a clean cotton rag; let sit overnight in a ziplok bag and wipe all carbon steel blades with it. This works better than silicone rags, Ren wax, or plain oil. The T-9 can be used alone, although it is very sticky and somewhat messy, but when diluted as described works very well to keep those pesky carbon spots at bay. Boeing developed the product for corrosion resistance and it contains waxes and oils that stick to the metal, yet wipe off easily with spirits if desired. You can find it online or at your marine supply store.

Oh yeah, I don't use my carbon blades for food and I don't suppose the T-9 tastes very good. That's why 440C was invented.

 

[pmew]

Some of you may cringe, but I use all my pocket knives. I'm not that precious with them either and tend to just use 3 in 1 all purpose oil. I get pepper spots as well as patina. It doesn't bother me really though.

 

[The Mastiff]

I use a polish if needed, clean of everything, then Renn wax. They stay like mirrors if they began life that way. I use silicone on my users. Cleaning off any salts from my hands before lubing or sealing the steel is needed to avoid peppering. The higher grit polish to begin with the easier it is too.

 

[brownshoe]

At the American Military Edged Wpnry Museum in Intercourse, PA I asked the owner how he preserves his knives. He says he uses Butcher's bowling lane wax. He gets asked it so much, they sell it at the hardware store for tourists to buy. His collection is superb, looks in better condition than others (e.g. Randall museum) and is probably 99% carbon steel.

I use Rennisance Wax or mineral oil.

 

[Cisco Kid]

I use Tuf-Glide and it seems to do the trick well without the need to be obsessive about it.

 

[jackknife]

I think that there's two lines of thought on carbon steel knives. One is, you can drive yourself nuts trying to keep it pristine and new looking, oiling and waxing it. Or, you can just go ahead and use the heck out of it, and just keep it in working order and the heck with any discoloration. I tend to use the stuff, so I don't obsess over a little rust spots or staining here or there. I live in a very humid area close tot he Chesapeake Bay, and from spring to late fall I do a fair amount of boating. Canoes, some sailing. My knives are exposed to salt water on a regular basis. When I find small rust spots, I take a rag or pipe cleaner and wipe down the knife, and that usually gets rid of the rust, sometimes leaving a few dark spots. Eventually the knife will patina. If it's a using knife, don't worry about it.

This photo of a GEC 15 was taken after a long weekend on the water, canoe camping out at Assateague Island. The small rust spots on the steel liner came right off, with only a faint darkening where they were. I guess if I had tossed the knife in a tackle box and forgot about it it would develop into serious rust, but all I did was wipe the knife down when I got home. That took care of it. The knife is still ready to go.

 

[AFAustin]

I actually use my carbon blades for food prep---I may have defective taste buds as I don't get an "off" flavor---so was using "food safe" mineral oil on them. Then one of the very knowledgeable gents on the M,T & E subforum (Obsessed with Edges/David) said that using plain rubbing alcohol for a quick wipe down after use worked well. That seemed less messy than mineral oil so I've been doing that for a good while now, and no pepper spots or rust (so far at least).

Andrew