What do I need to know?

I

IMightBeWrong

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Feb 17, 2011
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I am looking at a GEC Northfield Stockman. It has carbon steel blades and a wood handle. I'm curious about taking care of it. I don't mind getting a patina and expect it, but is there anything I need to know about keeping rust away? And if I need to clean the knife how can I do so without getting moisture trapped in the handle and getting rust inside of the hinges? Is there anything I need to do to care for the wood handles?

Thanks for any advice!
 
Soap and warm water will clean the knife just fine if needed. A toothbrush and/or toothpick as needed to get any crud out that you can't reach. Dry it well a towel. You could blow excess water out of the joints yourself (mind the edges near your lips) or a bit of compressed air if you're really worried about it. I would tend to think that being in Arizona would do a good deal to prevent the problem of excess moisture though, right?

What kind of wood on the knife you're eyeing? Something like cocobolo or ebony is already pretty hard & dense, not bothered much by the occasional exposure to water.
 
Light mineral oil on the blade and in the joints and I use Coconut oil on my wood and bone.

Regards

Robin
 
Good to know! Thanks. I shave with a straight razor made with carbon steel but it has plastic handles and keeping it dry is very easy. I don't know anything about other handle materials or slip joints other than SAKs so I appreciate the info.
 
Food grade mineral oil is the only thing I put on my knives, whether stainless or carbon. If the blades get gunky, I just take a paper towel and wipe them off dry, then put a drop or two of mineral oil on my fingers and spread it over the entire knife, blades first and then the covers. A Q-tip with mineral oil works for the joints and down in the well.
 
If you use soap and water to clean a Carbon Steel knife you can dry it with a hair blower.
 
Well, I made my order. It's not my first GEC but it's my first one that didn't have a plastic handle with sharp edges (I got a #48 Northfield with a faux stained glass acrylic look that just had flat slabs with sort of sharp edges on it a while back and gifted it away shortly after). Looking forward to getting it. I plan to try out using a traditional as an EDC to see how it goes. I have an old Schrade in stainless that belonged either to my dad's best friend or to my grandfather (each has passed away and my dad doesn't remember whose it was so no way to be sure) and whenever I pick it up it just sinks into my hand. I don't know why modern knives seem to have moved away from the rounded out edges and instead have so many hot spots on their handles. I also love how my carbon steel ESEEs sharpen up so I'm really excited to try this.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt at all that the old fashioned knives are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! That's a big draw, too. Thanks for the advice, all!
 
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