We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. One of the first issues beginner chefs need to deal with is patina. Some knife makers recommend using wet and dry emery paper if the rusting is severe, but make sure you work with it gently to prevent damaging the blade. This is what we know as “patina” – or losing the shine and gaining a dull, darker nuance. Never use the knife for other purposes than its chief function. Keep the knife as clean and dry as you can – you should wash and dry the blade as you cook (more on this in the following); Pick a damp kitchen towel or a washcloth, fold it in a square, and place it on your cooking table or countertop. To this day, if steel knife blades are processed according to the manufacturers recommendations without cryogenic treatments in conventional heat treatment methods, they will perform extremely well, because simply, the alloys are superior to plain, medium, and high carbon steels. Also, if you want to share your own tips and tricks on how to best care for carbon steel knives, feel free to use the comments’ section below! Regular honing helps keep your blade (carbon steel or other) balanced, which makes cutting easier. The charts are wrong. Now that you know how to take care of carbon steel knives, let’s get cooking, shall we? Keep them clean and dry – The most important point is to keep your carbon steel knives clean and dry. If you are cutting different types of meat, you should wipe the blade often to keep things hygienic at all times. Sharpening involves shaving off tiny parts of your blade to achieve a fresh, razor-sharp blade. It has enough carbon to do wot a blades should and the heat treat is a process that almost anyone can do in a home shop. Jo is a contributing writer for The Kitchn. (Here’s a quick guide to how to do it properly.). Expert chefs recommend you hone the knife each day before you begin your work. Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. The rule of thumb is to NEVER casually throw your carbon blade knife in the same drawer together with other utensils. No matter how you care for your carbon steel knife, in time, it will turn a gray-blue color. This video is part of The Complete Online Guide to Knife Making. Storing. You can also use some veggie oil (non mineral oil!) Knives that are held over a burning flame may discolor and accumulate a buildup of carbon residue on the blade. Apply the mineral oil on the blade while spreading it gently with a cloth until it starts gleaming. 10 Best Japanese Chef Knives to Buy in 2019, 10 Best Chef Knives under $100 to Buy in 2019, 10 Best Chef Knives under $50 to Buy in 2019, patina can protect the blade against rust, Best Kitchen Knives under $100 Dollars - Knives Blog. So today, we will discuss and tell you how to take care of carbon steel knives and give you some maintenance tips and tricks! Some purchasers of our winning carbon steel knife, the Bob Kramer 8" Carbon Steel Chef’s Knife by Zwilling J.A. Your email address will not be published. Some experts recommend using cooking oil. So make it a habit to wipe the knife, and preferably oil the blade after usage. If you have a honing rod, you should use it daily to keep your knife re-centered and fully functional. Protect carbon steel and stainless steel knives with a light coating of hand-buffed wax, not oil. Pour in the chilled coffee until it covers the entire blade of your knife, but does NOT submerge the handle. I handle my carbon steel blade like a samurai treats his sword. Another way to do this starts by clamping the file by its tang upright in a metal vise and annealing it with a torch. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Take care of your carbon steel Unlike stainless steel, all non-stainless steel blades, such as carbon steel blades, will oxidize or be affected by moisture and corrosive environments. It just as important to properly store knives as it is to clean them. Your email address will not be published. If you have bought a knife from us, it will be made of high carbon steel not stainless steel. By doing this, you can protect the blades against corrosion and rust. Immerse the metal into the oil when it glows a deep red. There’s a difference between patina and rust. You can use steel wool to scrub away small and newly formed rusty areas. 80CrV2 steel is a traditionally cast, high-carbon tool steel that contains chromium as well as vanadium in quantities high enough to affect the strength and hardness of the crystalline matrix of the steel. Don’t forget “time is money.” If you take 3 hours and 3 heat treat cycles to get the steel dialed in right, you could have just bought 1084 and done it once. But yes, carbon steel can and will rust if you don’t treat it right. While sunflower, olive, or canola oil may play their part in this maintenance process, we all know that cooking oils tend to leave behind a sticky residue. If you use the carbon knife daily, you should use a sharpening steel weekly and a sharpening stone monthly. What pros know and beginners should learn, however, is that you have to care for such blades, and do so properly. Allow more soak time for more massive pieces of steel. Thanks to Lewis, David Abbot, and Nick Shabazz for becoming Knife Steel Nerds Patreon supporters!. It may seem like a real humdrum at the beginning, but cleaning your carbon steel knives will help you prevent rust and preserve the knife for years. A modern heat treat shop would heat the steel to temperature in an atmosphere-controlled furnace and then turn the furnace off until the steel has cooled sufficiently. — the dishwasher. Don’t freak! To correctly clean your knife, do the following: Some of the biggest enemies of carbon blade are onions, tomatoes, and most fruits – because they are what we call acidic food. That’s why professional chefs with a knack for carbon steel knives force a patina on their kitchen knives. Simple Carbon steels are easy to heat treat but where you have very little room for play, is the Quench: When the blade is non-magnetic, note the colour as this is what you are going for. This is especially true when working with acidic foods, like lemons and tomatoes, which tend to be particularly tough on carbon steel. So wash it, wipe it clean and dry it off after each use. Never leave your carbon steel knife in a sink full of dishes, water, or food leftovers! After cleaning and drying your knife, you should lubricate it with a wax to prevent moisture from affecting the blade. Moisture will get into the tang/handle join, and will rust the metal away if not forcibly dried using heat. The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. Use a soft cloth to gently remove all leftovers and spots from the blade. It just as important to properly store knives as it is to clean them. We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites. The lemon had turned black where it was in contact with the steel. Oil attracts dust as well as weakens the sheath. That’s because a carbon steel blade, when properly cared for, holds a sharp edge better than stainless steel. How to Easily Heat Treat 1095 High Carbon Steel for Knife Making. Wait until the steel turns cherry-red in color. If you do not use the knife on a daily basis, you should considerably lower the sharpening frequency to three-four times a year. If you do not have any alternative to storing steel carbon steel knives in the utensils’ drawer, at least use a knife sheath to guard the blade and preserve the integrity of the knife. Hard surfaces, like glass, marble, and even harder woods like bamboo, can dull or chip your blade. It may seem tedious at first, but it will keep your blade from rusting. A mineral-oil rubdown is how I say goodnight to my favorite blade. Build a patina -A patina is a formation of a more stable form of … What People Want from a Healer in the Midst of a Pandemic, A Middle School Math Teacher Planning Lessons and Lunch, The Columbus, OH-based Forager Who's Become a TikTok Star, A Food Justice Advocate and Mother Talks Breastfeeding and Herb Gardens, Bryant Terry's Sautéed Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes, Vivian Howard's Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage, knife choice is an extremely personal decision. "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.". There is a danger to immersing hot steel in … Sign up for KitchenAid's Newsletter to receive 10% off your next order! Wipe your knife: Use a clean dishcloth to wipe down your knife while you're cooking — especially after cutting acidic foods. Of all chef blades, high carbon steel knives are a must-have, especially if you are serious about your culinary endeavors. A high carbon steel I like for hunting knives is 1084. Honing, which essentially just re-centers your knife, can be done daily; sharpening, which involves shaving off part of your knife to create a fresh edge, should be done considerably less frequently (maybe twice a year). Rub with mineral oil. Although stainless steel is the most common material for kitchen knives, carbon steel is often the preferred choice of culinary professionals. Required fields are marked *. That means wiping down your knife while you cook. Here is what you need to do: You can oil the blade as often as you want, especially after a long day of hard use. Plus, a patina is a good thing as it protects the knife from corrosion. Besides the fact that this unaesthetic layer might lower the knife’s usefulness, it could also act like flypaper for dust, powders, germs, and all sorts of particulate debris found in a kitchen. Always wash the knife after you’ve finished using it. It is also best to store them in a warm place too. Knife Polishing Tips. Heat treatment is a metal fortification technique that gives high carbon steel increased strength and durability. Determining how many steps are right for you will come with experience. Hone your knife: The easiest way to keep your knife centered is to hone it before each use. Over time, your knife will develop a gray-blue patina. Henckels, cited discoloration on the blade after use. In comparison to stainless steel knives, carbon steel knives require a little more maintenance work than your day-to-day knives. You can quickly restore the blades of your knife that shows signs of carbon residue and staining. You will need to make sure the blade remains clean and dry in order to prevent rust or discoloration. Caring for a carbon-steel knife requires ritual-like devotion. Renaissance® wax is the best! The steel began to develop a nice grey/black film. Steel knife blades are rust resistant but will still begin to … Not my carbon steel, no way. Reference data: ASM Book: Practical Heat Treating by Boyer. Step 1 Place the steel into a heat treat oven or forge and raise the temperature to between 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit and 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of us are better off just buying known steel. Store knife: A plastic sheath, magnetic knife strip, or drawer insert are all appropriate. That’s because a carbon steel blade, when properly cared for, holds a sharp edge better than stainless steel. Between .3 and .8 percent, it rusts less and will be a little easier to take care of.” This knife polishing guide will help you decide which wheels and compounds are right for your job. Nitrate bluing is a very thin patina that can eventually wear away, leaving a gray metal finish. 1095 is considered slightly “fussier” about heat treating than say 1080 or 5160. We recommend to not wash it, merely wipe it over as soon as you have finished using it and put it away. to protect the blade. Simple Heat Treating for a High Carbon Steel Knife Blade – Part 1, by Steve A. If you bought a set of knives, your set may have come with a honing rod. “If you have high-carbon steel knives — like .8 percent carbon and up — they get really reactive to rust. When subjected to extremely high temperatures followed by rapid cooling, a chemical change takes place within the steel that rearranges its atomic structure. 5160 is a low alloy steel known for its excellent toughness. Hand-dry the knife with a dry and soft cloth or dish towel immediately after you’ve washed it. Today, carbon steel knives are some of the best knives (under $50) to get if you are a beginner in the culinary arts. You will especially want to clean your knife properly after you’ve finished using it. Written by Tracy Mickley. During the heat treating process, the surface of the steel was likely marred by scale buildup and oil residue, so it will be necessary to re-finish the blade to the desired level of quality. Make a habit of wiping both sides of the blade on the damp cloth every time you finish cutting something (you could also pat dry the knife with a paper towel). Pettersson says knowing the makeup of your knife is the best way to know how delicately you need to treat it. Don’t let it sit in the sink after use, like you probably do with the usual stainleless steel blade. Wash your knife: Use a soft cloth to wash your knife in a sink of warm, soapy water. Carbon steel knives, especially those with wooden handles have to be dried using heat. Put your knife in gently, tip down. The steel was then given a grain refinement treatment by … It’s also a good idea to cut on a wood or plastic surface. It has been used by many forging bladesmiths due to its good properties and also wide availability, especially in … Never put your knife in a sink full of dishes or — gasp! If you are serious about your chef knives, mineral grade oil might be the best solution. Moreover, you can add a few drops of mineral grade oil into the sheath, place the knife in it, and enjoy a well-preserved and waterproof knife next time you use it. Using your skinny & tall vessel, place the small sponge or dish cloth in the bottom.