Maintenance of Carbon??

[TheViking]

Hi...

Is there something about that a carbonsteel knife can't be stored for too long in a leathersheath, beacause the leather makes moisture? If, for how long is it safe to store it in the sheath?
Will a carbonsteel knife rust someday even if taken care of? How many years will it last, then?
What a bunch of Q's!? :uu:

 

[C_Claycomb]

Leather does not make moisture. However, leather can hang on to moisture and not dry so easily, also some of the treatments that are used on leather can cause corrosion. Corrosion is not necessarily rust, it could be pitting, or verdigris (green) on brass.

For those reasons you shouldn't leave your carbon knife in its sheath for storage. I have found light pitting after a couple of weeks in a sheath. I now oil all my blades if I don't expect to use them for a while and they are going to be in sheaths. I try to store most of my knives separate from sheaths though.

If you look after a carbon knife there is no reason that it won't out live you!! Even if you live to 100.

Ed Fowler wrote a couple of nice pieces about carbon steel a while ago in BLADE magazine. The gist was that carbon steel has been working just fine in blades for generations, the pre-stainless world didn't live in quaking fear that all its knives would disappear into piles of rusty flakes at the first sign of water, and neither should we! A blade doesn't have to keep a mirror polish to be good.

 

[Adi007]

The gist was that carbon steel has been working just fine in blades for generations, the pre-stainless world didn't live in quaking fear that all its knives would disappear into piles of rusty flakes at the first sign of water, and neither should we! A blade doesn't have to keep a mirror polish to be good.

They didn't either. They just developed a nice protective patina which looked good and was useful.

Today we suffer too much from "shiny knife syndrome".

 

[TheViking]

Hi...

Question: In another thread somebody said that a knifeblade should be soaked in normal cooking oil, to prevent corrosion and rust. But I must wipe the oil off again right? Maybe let it stay a little on the blade before wiping...? :roll: Is this the way to do it?

 

[Adi007]

Hi...

Question: In another thread somebody said that a knifeblade should be soaked in normal cooking oil, to prevent corrosion and rust. But I must wipe the oil off again right? Maybe let it stay a little on the blade before wiping...? :roll: Is this the way to do it?

I just put a little oil on a paper towel and give the blade a wipe. All you need is a thin film of oil on the blade. No need to leave loads on.

 

[TheViking]

Thanks mate! :biggthump
Wouldn't be that good either if mom found out that half of her oil was gone in a week...

 

[Ed]

.... and remember... If you are using your knife for game/food prep then I suggest use an edible oil like vegetable or sunflower..... mineral oils don't taste too well in food ;-)

Ed

 

[ScottC]

I discovered recently that even a finger print on the blade can cause rust, so I suggest that after cleaning the blade after usage or sharpening you run a lightly oiled rag over the blade.