Introduction: Rust-Proofing a Knife
Carbon steel can hold a longer sharp edge than a stainless knife and is much easier to sharpen. However, carbon steel is vulnerable to rusting while stainless is not as vulnerable. One way to help prevent carbon steel is to force a patina onto the blade. The video above will give you detail instructions to forcing a patina and so will the following article.
You'll Need:
- White Vinegar
- Rubbing Alcohol
- A cup
- A pot/stove
- Carbon steel knife
- Paper towels
Step 1: Boil the Vinegar
To force a patina you will first need to bring the vinegar to boil. As you wait for the vinegar to boil, you can take the rubbing alcohol and pour some on a paper towel. Take the paper towel then and clean your carbon steel blade.
Step 2: Forcing the Patina
After the vinegar comes to a boil, pour it into a cup. Then place your carbon steel blade into the cup. The blade should begin to "bubble." That is patina being forced onto the blade. After 10 to 20 minutes, pull the blade out of the vinegar. The blade will have a thin "black" coating called the patina. The patina will help your knife from rusting.
After using your knife for a long duration, the patina will slowly rub off, but you can reply the patina at any time.
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4 Comments
Question 2 years ago on Introduction
Would this work on a Damascus knife? If not is there anything else I can use, I have several handmade ones that are rusting, some are pretty bad and I would really appreciate your time and help with this problem, thank you
5 years ago
Alternatively, you could also use concentrated vinegar (Essigessenz) or citron acid. As both has a higher acidity, boiling it is not really necesarry.
Additionally, you can easiely create a camouflage effect on the blade: Take the blade out once it has a slight patina, cover some parts of the blade with wax, masking tape or similar, and put it back in the vinegar/acid for some extra time ...
Reply 5 years ago
Other acidic stuff will work as well. I have stuck shorter blades into lemons and let them soak for a while, rubbed larger ones with cut citrus, balsamic is good also. I read about one fellow who claims mustard works to great effect. Just monitor the progress as you go.
5 years ago
Always thought it sorta funny that it takes forced rusting the blade to keep it from rusting :)