Staving off tarnish...

Guyon

Guyon

Biscuit Whisperer
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Since I have a new Old Timer 8OT and a Moore Maker 2301 (on its way), I thought I'd ask about tarnish on the blades.

With carbon blades, I just sort of expect a certain degree of tarnish. As long as the blades aren't rusting, I figure it's okay. At least that was my previous attitude before I got into stainless production knives like Benchmades and Spydercos.

Does anybody here do anything special with their carbon steel users to keep tarnish away? Or is a darkened blade just a normal blade?
 
I just keep a light coating of mineral oil or vegetable oil on the blades. If they get wet, dry them asap. The mineral oil or veg. oil is used instead of other oils in case you want to cut food with the knife. I have some old 8 OT knives with no rust on them, thanks to the oil.

You will get a patina on the blades as time goes by. If that bothers you, just put some Metal Glo or other polish on the blade and shine it up.
 
I apply Tuf-Glide to all my blades. On the carbon ones, I find that after Tuf-Glide, it does not patina and stays shiny.
 
They look great afterwards and will not rust nor stain. The blue looks like a very deep heat blue and is some seriously tough stuff. You can get the carbon steel so impregnated with OXPHOBLUE it will bead water. This coloration is IN the steel not upon it's surface. The 1095 steel in most American carbon steel blades takes this OXPHOBLUE like a duck to water.
The other side of this is the fact I also think a carbon steel blade properly blackened by use looks absolutely great too. The old timers didn't think such blades were " cured " until they had taken on a totally black surface, which if done correctly does NOT rust either. Personally, if I want shiny bright blades in-the-white I will buy a knife with high grade stainless steel.
 
WIL TERRY said:
...OXPHOBLUE...
Click to expand...

Hands down the best cold blue on the market. I've used it on knives and guns and it's tough as nails. Any cold blue manufacturer that suggests polishing the piece with 0000 steel wool after finishing is okay in my book as I've used 0000 to remove other cold blue.


I like the look of a patina'd carbon blade. No matter what you put on them the first time you cut a piece of fruit you will have some staining. If you try to treat it with something in advance the patina will most likely just be spotty.

Be careful using oils derived from foods, they tend to go rancid. I know people do it often but vegetable, olive, peanut and oils like that do go bad.

It's a fact of life that when you use a carbon steel blade it's going to show it. That's one of the big appeals of stainless that they can be used for years and still look the same.
 
WIL TERRY said:
They look great afterwards and will not rust nor stain. The blue looks like a very deep heat blue and is some seriously tough stuff. You can get the carbon steel so impregnated with OXPHOBLUE it will bead water. This coloration is IN the steel not upon it's surface. The 1095 steel in most American carbon steel blades takes this OXPHOBLUE like a duck to water.
The other side of this is the fact I also think a carbon steel blade properly blackened by use looks absolutely great too. The old timers didn't think such blades were " cured " until they had taken on a totally black surface, which if done correctly does NOT rust either. Personally, if I want shiny bright blades in-the-white I will buy a knife with high grade stainless steel.
Click to expand...
Good idea !! Can't recall ever seeing a blade treated with this...I would love to see a photo of one of yours.

-regards
 
well, you can use, any kind of oil, natural (like vegatable oil), or man made. You can also use tuff-glide, which has 100% mineral spirits added to form a light coating that dries with the oil. You can also use renaissance wax, or other protectant. Some will even use mayonaise on the blades to form a coating of tarnish that helps protect the blades, others sometimes use bluing. Its all a matter of preference. If you just remember to keep the blades oiled, and wipe them clean of any water, or any acid from fruit, etc. you'll be fine.
 
These aren't "traditional", but they kind of show what Oxphoblue will do.

Here's a Keltec P3AT I did a slide melt on. I've since carried it loose in my pockets dozens of times and the finish looks good as new.

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Here's a Covington Battle Bowie I restored and finished in the same stuff. I chopped through 3-4 2x4's with no effect on the blued finish. This photo was taken after the wood chopping...

attachment.php
 
Thanks Chad !!!...VERY nice job on the battle bowie....do you use the liquid or the paste ? Is application pretty straight forward......it's a Brownells product....correct ?

-Best regards
 
Thanks!

Now that I'm home I have access to a couple of better shots of the Keltec. They show the finish much better.

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Yes, it's a Brownell's product. Have fun!
 
Nice job on the P3AT. I've always been wary of loose carry though. A finger in the wrong place, perhaps in a moment of stress, and oops! there's a hole in your pocket (and maybe your leg, your testicle, your "best friend," etc.). Same goes for a key or knife or other object somehow lodging against the trigger. Lots of holsters available, but I really like my R.J. Hedley. Makes the Kel-Tec print like a wallet and guards the trigger.
 
Just for poops n grins I have been attempting to preserve the glazed finish on a Case CV Mini Trapper. It's been a month now. It's still pretty good. Wiping after use is a key, but with fruit cutting (apples, oranges, occasional onion), this alone wont do it. Flitzing the blade periodically gets rid of the stain. Stropping on cardboard with the blade flat seems to help as well.

Kind of a futile endeavor most likely, but just an exercise.
 
Not really, If you want to keep the balde nice you can, but it takes care.

I have some old case CV's Ive had for years that do not have a spot of tarnish on them! If they cut anything acidic, I just wipe it off asap. I periodically strop the blade on a barbers strop, and just keep it oiled, works just fine.

We've gotten spoiled with allot of the new stainless steels and take it for granted that carbon blades cannot be left to the elements if we want to keep them nice.

I remember in the 70's when we did not have allot of good choices for stainless out there, except for 440c (more "semi" stainless), so many of us stayed with carbon. The stainless at the time was not very good, unless you had a SAK, which the stainless was not that bad.
 
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