Stubborn rust

[rayback]

Hi!

I have an high carbon steel kitchen knife.
After a careless one hour sharpening session in wet condition some rust has started to form.
I quickly removed the rust completely, sharpening on a 6000 grit stone.
Since that time, the knife rusts even after a few minutes of use - the type of rust that stains the cloth brown if I pass it over the knife.
Is there anything I could do?

Thanks you.
Alon

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

You might consider oiling the knife with some vegetable oil or olive oil, each time you use it, to keep most of the rust issues at bay while you're using it. Then wash & dry the knife as usual when you're done with it. Keeping the blade oiled while it's stored might help as well. Downside is, food oils like veg, olive oil, etc, quickly go rancid in a light, thin coating on the blade, which might affect the taste of foods cut with it. This is why I'd suggest cleaning & re-oiling each time you use it, to make sure the oil on the blade is relatively fresh.

Letting the blade patinate, i.e., darken via normal oxidation, might help slow rusting issues over the longer run. Even then, acidic or salty foods can still likely generate some new rust, if the blade isn't kept clean, dried and/or oiled. If you're in the habit of trying to keep the blade polished and free of any patina/oxidation, that's likely just making it easier to rust, as there's always 'fresh' unoxidized metal exposed, and therefore more vulnerable to rust.

Ultimate solution, use a stainless knife. But I understand the appeal of using high-carbon knives in the kitchen.


David

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

You either need to oil the blade or allow it to develop a patina, otherwise the bare steel will continue to be attacked by rust.