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Carbon knife care

My SiL got me a beautiful knife for Christmas.  I know very little about Carbon steel, care or maintenance.  I have used it, wiped it clean with mild soap and then dried it.  I also have kept it away from every other family member.  It is a real pleasure to use, and want to keep it nice.  It is already developing a patina.

It is White Carbon #2 and a "reactive" Damascus cladding.  This means nothing to me.


A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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Comments

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Beautiful knife!
    Im far from an expert but the steel you have is tough to keep pristine. You can’t leave it setting wet or uncleared very long and I oil mine right after I hand wash it.
    They do make cleaning kits and they work well.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOSHIHIRO-Tsubaki-Knife-Oil-with-Rust-Eraser-Sabitori-Japanese-Sushi-Chef-Tools/230908766806?pageci=9887c7a8-50a9-4573-af5c-fa48dee9df62&redirect=mobile
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    edited December 2022
    Photo Egg said:
    Beautiful knife!
    Im far from an expert but the steel you have is tough to keep pristine. You can’t leave it setting wet or uncleared very long and I oil mine right after I hand wash it.
    They do make cleaning kits and they work well.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOSHIHIRO-Tsubaki-Knife-Oil-with-Rust-Eraser-Sabitori-Japanese-Sushi-Chef-Tools/230908766806?pageci=9887c7a8-50a9-4573-af5c-fa48dee9df62&redirect=mobile
    I just put on a very light coat of food grade mineral oil.  Thank you for that tip.  The patina happened as I was chopping some onions.  That doesn't bother me at all, I plan to use it, I just want to make sure I don't screw it up.

    It has an asymmetric handle that is very comfortable with a pinch grip.  The balance is fantastic, and sharpness is unreal.  My BiL touched it up before they gave it to me.  It just melts through onions and vegetables.  Never used a knife like that.  I have only used western knives and a chinese cleaver.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Photo Egg said:
    Beautiful knife!
    Im far from an expert but the steel you have is tough to keep pristine. You can’t leave it setting wet or uncleared very long and I oil mine right after I hand wash it.
    They do make cleaning kits and they work well.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOSHIHIRO-Tsubaki-Knife-Oil-with-Rust-Eraser-Sabitori-Japanese-Sushi-Chef-Tools/230908766806?pageci=9887c7a8-50a9-4573-af5c-fa48dee9df62&redirect=mobile
    I just put on a very light coat of food grade mineral oil.  Thank you for that tip.  The patina happened as I was chopping some onions.  That doesn't bother me at all, I plan to use it, I just want to make sure I don't screw it up.

    It has an asymmetric handle that is very comfortable with a pinch grip.  The balance is fantastic, and sharpness is unreal.  My BiL touched it up before they gave it to me.  It just melts through onions and vegetables.  Never used a knife like that.  I have only used western knives and a chinese cleaver.
    You got it under control. The upside is it should very easily take an edge or touch up.
    I have One very similar and love it. I also have a longer more traditional Tanaka in the same material as yours. It has been challenging to keep it looking good.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    I'd say let the new knife develop a patina naturally or go ahead and force a patina onto it. Trying to keep that thing looking like it's new out of the box is like those folks that insist that their pots and pans stay shiny and new on the outside and spend lots of time rubbing barkeepers friend on them  - there are better things on which to spend one's finite amount of time on Earth.

    To help keep them free from rust the tsubaki oil is nice but is kinda pricey. I use coconut oil. It's cheap, I always have some around, and it doesn't really go rancid so you don't have to worry about using it on knives you may not use frequently.
    When I oil mine I wipe them so well they actually look like there is no oil on them, just like when one seasons raw carbon steel skillet.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    make a big pot of french onion soup, dont wash the blade, just wipe it clean with a dry paper towel. oil will just slow down the patina process. i dont use a steel with japanese bevels, just a hard stone (not a diamond, they cause small knicks in the blade). the edge will dull with it just sitting there in time as it pretty much doesnt develope patina, maybe even the patina dulls it. two swipes each side on a hard stone usually brings back the edge when that happens. my carbon steel knives are not close to that nice, my grandmothers bil was a butcher back in the 40's early 50's, i got the knives
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • TechsasJim
    TechsasJim Posts: 1,908
    I have a very similar knife.    Use it for odds and ends but haven’t encountered the patina…yet…but I wouldn’t let it bother you so long as the edge isn’t impaired.   

    The best cymbals in the world have a solid patina—adds character.   
    LBGE, 28” BS, Weber Kettle, HCI 7.8 SE Texas
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,041
    edited December 2022
    I’m blaming you for the last hour of knife searching and related rabbit holes.  My conclusion is if I got that knife I would force a patina with vinegar due to the reactive cladding having potential to transfer an off taste or smell and discoloration to some foods.  Also I’m resisting ordering another knife. 

    *edited for typos
  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    I have a knife problem.  I have been ebaying knives this entire holiday season.  It is probably a good thing, otherwise, I would have bought a chamber sealer by now.
    Clinton, Iowa
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    U_tarded said:
    I’m blaming you for the last hour of knife searching and related rabbit holes.  My conclusion is if I got that knife I would force a patina with vinegar due to the reactive cladding having potential to transfer an off taste or smell and discoloration to some foods.  Also I’m resisting ordering another knife. 

    *edited for typos
    I wandered down that rabbit hole.  Plan os a hot blood patina tomorrow.  Supposedly gives a beautiful blue patina

    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Loving the chamber sealer @Langner91 the knifes I want are back ordered.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 5,410
    I like that knife!

    It's a rabbit hole I've avoided thus far.

    I've also avoided SV and vacuum sealers. 
    Large, Medium, MiniMax, & 22, and 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
  • MasterC
    MasterC Posts: 1,359
    Chamber vacuum sealer=compressed apples and hot damn... wow
    Fort Wayne Indiana 
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    My SiL got me a beautiful knife for Christmas.  I know very little about Carbon steel, care or maintenance.  I have used it, wiped it clean with mild soap and then dried it.  I also have kept it away from every other family member.  It is a real pleasure to use, and want to keep it nice.  It is already developing a patina.

    It is White Carbon #2 and a "reactive" Damascus cladding.  This means nothing to me.


    I know this is more than obvious but that will make a great sphincter slicer 👍

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    SGH said:
    My SiL got me a beautiful knife for Christmas.  I know very little about Carbon steel, care or maintenance.  I have used it, wiped it clean with mild soap and then dried it.  I also have kept it away from every other family member.  It is a real pleasure to use, and want to keep it nice.  It is already developing a patina.

    It is White Carbon #2 and a "reactive" Damascus cladding.  This means nothing to me.


    I know this is more than obvious but that will make a great sphincter slicer 👍
    Country calamari.  A favorite of mine.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • My SiL got me a beautiful knife for Christmas.  I know very little about Carbon steel, care or maintenance.  I have used it, wiped it clean with mild soap and then dried it.  I also have kept it away from every other family member.  It is a real pleasure to use, and want to keep it nice.  It is already developing a patina.

    It is White Carbon #2 and a "reactive" Damascus cladding.  This means nothing to me.


    Yeah that’s beautiful. Really. 

    I have one carbon knife. I wipe it down with whatever oil I have around after using it. Every time. Still is getting a patina. I’m learning to look forward to how it matures. 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • Just for anyone who may be new to carbon steel knives and is reading this…. Many manufacturers now clad their carbon blades in stainless steel to make them simpler to maintain. A very nice option, but like anything, it adds to price. Also keeps it from developing those beautiful patinas. 
  • nice write up @Grogu, good info there.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    Question on honing rods/steels.

    My understanding is honing steels realign the burr, so on these carbon steel blades with mirror finish, should you use a steel/ceramic rod?.Maybe a leather strap would be better, or touch it up on a finish stone?
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    edited December 2022
    That blade has a Rockwell hardness of 62. It will not burr, the steel rod is worthless on it. Finish stone it is fine, it's the only way I would sharpen the Japanese angle
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    ^^^^^ thank you^^^^
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    @Grogu thank you for all your help!  Any tips, tricks, recommendations, etc are greatly appreciated.  As is any discussion.  Especially thank you for explanation on honing rods and stroping. 

    Since I have yet to meet a skill that didn't interest me, and a tool I didn't like, here is what I picked up to help learn with.

    Plan is lots of practice on some older cheapie knives I have and in the meantime let my BiL keep touching up the nicer stuff when it needs it.


    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Grogu
    Grogu Posts: 125
    @Grogu thank you for all your help!  Any tips, tricks, recommendations, etc are greatly appreciated.  As is any discussion.  Especially thank you for explanation on honing rods and stroping. 

    Since I have yet to meet a skill that didn't interest me, and a tool I didn't like, here is what I picked up to help learn with.

    Plan is lots of practice on some older cheapie knives I have and in the meantime let my BiL keep touching up the nicer stuff when it needs it.


    Those will get you started nicely. Welcome to the sharpening rabbit hole. It’s a deep but fascinating one. Enjoy the new addiction!
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    Sharpened a Misen chef knife and learned a few lessons:

    1.  Need to keep adding water, more than I would have thought.

    2.  Finding the current angle of the knife was not as easy as YouTubers say.  They say just roll it till you feel it.  Eventually I got the feel for it, but it is not an exact science for me.

    3.  Took a while to find the comfortable way to hold the knife and ensure even pressure and control.  Everyone on YouTube had a different way.

    4.  After a while I just stopped fiddling and went for it.  It took more pressure than I thought for the 1200 grit stone, and a lot less pressure for the 6000 grit stone.

    Now, the biggies:

    5. Neither stone was flat out of the box.  I was really struggling, they seemed flat with my ruler test, but they must have been off enough to impact my progress.  Once I used the fixing stone, things went a lot faster and smoother.  Both stones needed touching up.

    6. It is not as easy as I hoped, but it wasn't as hard as I feared.  Nothing substituted just trying to find what worked for me.

    6.  $h!t is sharp.  I literally just bumped my finger while switching to the 6000 grit and cut it.  Not a slice, not a cut, not dragging, and not a hard bump, literally just super light bump and I cut my finger enough to bleed.

    7.  Eveyone seems to have their own style and lots of contradictory commentary.  Knife makers sharpen different than Chefs, and Kenji Alt-Lopez, my cooking guru, didn't have the science or explanation behind his methods that I hoped.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • bbracey21
    bbracey21 Posts: 319
    @Ozzie_Isaac

    I was on Misen’s website yesterday and ran across this video they shared. Doesn’t do you much good right now but maybe for the next time you need to sharpen them. 

    https://youtu.be/NZ4N7nExUYY

    They also offer free lifetime sharpening if you wish to pay the S&H and be without your knives for a period of time. 

  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    bbracey21 said:
    @Ozzie_Isaac

    I was on Misen’s website yesterday and ran across this video they shared. Doesn’t do you much good right now but maybe for the next time you need to sharpen them. 

    https://youtu.be/NZ4N7nExUYY

    They also offer free lifetime sharpening if you wish to pay the S&H and be without your knives for a period of time. 

    Thank you for the links, I will check them out!
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Grogu
    Grogu Posts: 125
    At the risk of sounding snobbish, if it’s easy to feel the secondary bevel just rolling the knife on the stone, that’s an indication of a blade that’s too thick behind the edge. In other words, don’t feel bad it didn’t feel obvious because that can be simply having a properly thinned blade. You’ve discovered the fiddlyness of water stones I was referencing about needing to keep wet and flat, but it sounds like you’ve worked through those well. Keep in mind those water stones “dish” or wear as you use them. You’ll want to regularly check and flatten them as needed before use. As for the amount of pressure needed on the 1200, that’s still a fairly high grit stone. You might try getting something in the 600-800 range as your first step stone if you have a blade that is in real need of sharpening. 1200 is fine to go back to for touch ups. The 6000 you’re not finding the need for much pressure because you are really just polishing at that point, not really removing steel. As you found when switching stones, you’ll actually have a really sharp functional edge after the 1200 and don’t really need to go to the 6000 for most uses if you are just looking to be able to touch up and use. It’s fun to take it to the high finish though and have a laser. I finish my edges on a Belgian Blue stone that is roughly equivalent to a 4000-6000.
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    Grogu said:
    At the risk of sounding snobbish, if it’s easy to feel the secondary bevel just rolling the knife on the stone, that’s an indication of a blade that’s too thick behind the edge. In other words, don’t feel bad it didn’t feel obvious because that can be simply having a properly thinned blade. You’ve discovered the fiddlyness of water stones I was referencing about needing to keep wet and flat, but it sounds like you’ve worked through those well. Keep in mind those water stones “dish” or wear as you use them. You’ll want to regularly check and flatten them as needed before use. As for the amount of pressure needed on the 1200, that’s still a fairly high grit stone. You might try getting something in the 600-800 range as your first step stone if you have a blade that is in real need of sharpening. 1200 is fine to go back to for touch ups. The 6000 you’re not finding the need for much pressure because you are really just polishing at that point, not really removing steel. As you found when switching stones, you’ll actually have a really sharp functional edge after the 1200 and don’t really need to go to the 6000 for most uses if you are just looking to be able to touch up and use. It’s fun to take it to the high finish though and have a laser. I finish my edges on a Belgian Blue stone that is roughly equivalent to a 4000-6000.
    I will pick up an 800 grit stone.  I just touched up a pocket knife.  I have used a ken onion edition work sharp for years, but I am enjoying my honeymoon phase with these stones.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    edited January 2023
    i wouldnt take a kitchen knife over 1200 grit. i do have the belgium blue with a grit somewhere around 4000-6000 (it varies by the amount of slurry you build up rubbing a similar stone with water over the sharpening stone) and a natural yellow coticule that will take it up to 10,000 grit.   these i reserve for straight razors where a highly polished sharp straight razor is needed, the last step is polishing by pulling the razor backwards on news paper softly.  some of my pocket knives cut butter with an 800 grit max stone.  some of the newer stainless knives with vanadium in the composition cut better with lower grits as well. vg-1, vg-10(shuns), s90v (upper class benchmades) and one heavy shashimi knife with loads of vanadium (hardest knife ive ever sharpened, full hollow on backside, 3/4 inch flat bevel on front, its only sharpened flat on the bevel side) im getting close with that one, it eats any stone you throw at it.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it