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Serious cooks tend to use a carbon knife blade since, unlike a stainless knife blade, it is easier to make it sharper, with the effect lasting longer. However, a carbon knife blade is also notorious for its requirement for proper extra care.
A carbon knife steel is more susceptible to natural oxidation, which is seen in the form of an outer layer (patina) and rust. Discolouration takes place when the carbon blade interacts primarily with moisture, acids, and oxygen.
The process of oxidation can be greatly accelerated with the availability of salt or acidic substances.
What’s a Patina?
Generally, the oxidation of a carbon knife blade can be categorized either as mild or harsh. The mild and harsh forms of oxidation are known as Magnetite and Hematite, respectively.
It is the mild oxidation or Magnetite on a carbon knife blade that leads to the formation of a patina, a thin brown or charcoal grey layer.
Does forced Patina prevent rust?
The advantage of the protective covering formed as a result of mild corrosion is that it makes your blade resistant to further corrosion or rusting.
Of course, a patina can also be useful in providing your blade with a distinctive rustic look, possible to incorporate different designs or patterns.
That is why there are knife makers who produce carbon knife blades with factory-made patinas for both aesthetics and the prevention of rust.
Patina Formation
A patina on a carbon knife blade can be formed naturally or forcefully. Forcing a patina is ideal when you don’t want to constantly worry about rust formation.
Still, forcing a patina on your carbon knife does not mean that you abandon any form of maintenance.
Your knife blade would still need to be sharpened frequently and safeguarded from potential rusting accelerators.
In case you would like to force a desirable patina on your knife, remember that the process can be difficult. There is always a chance you may be disappointed by the resulting finish. Thus, you should first opt to maintain your knife often and get a patina naturally.
But, if you do not want to regularly wash your carbon knife blade and desire protection against further wearing away, then here is how to force a black patina finish on your carbon knife.
1. Clean Your Carbon Knife Blade
It is vital that you completely wash your carbon knife blade so that it does not have any impurities, residue, or stains.
Thorough cleaning is also vital since it enables the acidic patina catalyst being used to spread evenly on the surface of the knife.
You can use rubbing alcohol for wiping to achieve a thorough cleaning of the knife blade. Once you have cleaned your knife blade, wipe it dry and avoid touching the steel since that can hinder the process of forcing patina on a carbon knife blade.
2. Mask the Blade Handle
Especially if the handle material of your carbon knife blade is composed of highly reactive things like horn or bone, ensure the masking is done appropriately.
Spreading an acidic patina catalyst onto the handle of your blade will corrode and discolourise it.
3. Vinegar Boiling
Since you are using vinegar, a popular acidic patina catalyst, pour it into a saucepan with a size allowing the bottom to be completely immersed. Ensure that the poured cider vinegar is boiled to become warm.
When boiling the acid, there is a gas produced and that demands that the windows nearest to you are opened for free, fresh airflow.
The essence of boiling the vinegar is to generally increase the rate of the chemical reaction between the blade and the vinegar in the next step.
4. Dip the Knife Blade in the Boiled Vinegar
Now dip the blade in the boiled vinegar and let it sit for about 5 to 20 minutes. During this period you will see bubbles forming over the blade and that is generally the patina formation taking place.
The hotter the vinegar, the quicker the formation of patina. You can lift the blade during the process to observe the darkening of the blade and stop the reaction when you have achieved your desired colour.
In case you notice some spots on the knife are still shinny, You can rotate the knife around the vinegar and let it sit for a few more minutes, eventually patina will form on those spots too.
5. Rinse the Blade
Rinsing the carbon knife blade is a must with tap water that is running. Rinsing is important at this stage to remove the excess vinegar on the blade.
Once the knife blade has been rinsed, you may spot some remains that are uneven. That is where the silver polish, not causing abrasion, comes in handy.
Apply a small amount of silver polish on your carbon knife blade until there is an even grey finish.
6. Wipe away any Residues of the Polish
After performing the wiping away of any residues resulting from the knife polishing, it is advised that you repeat steps one to four until your blade has benefitted from an even staining.
With the resulting finish satisfactory, use oil to wipe the carbon knife blade. That is essential for the removal of any remaining vinegar residues.
7. How To Remove Patina From A Carbon Knife
Well, now that you are done forming the patina, you might have second thoughts and would want to clear the patina.
The easiest way to do this is by use of a polishing chemical compound that contains fine abrasive grit. I recommend Mothers Mag & Aluminium Polish, I have achieved great results with it.
You can also do this by cleaning the knife on a water stone, this may not work sometimes as the patina may be deeply etched.
Estimated Cost: 35 USD
Supply:
- An acid, here we use apple cider vinegar
- A silver polish that is not abrasive
- Towels
Tools:
- Source of heat
Materials: Knife blade
Things To Remember
- The use of warm or boiled vinegar is preferred since it makes the process of forcing patina on your carbon knife blade to be fast.
- You can also use other acidic patina catalysts such as tomato sauce or yellow mustard. These options are great since they allow easier painting of patina patterns or designs on the carbon knife blade.
- Avoid allowing the vinegar solution to dry on your carbon knife blade as that can result in the formation of spots for discolouration or rust. When the vinegar application is complete, dry your carbon knife blade.
- In case your blade already has sections with patina, when you undertake a forceful patina, those sections will be much darker.
- Always care for your knife even if it has a forced patina to reduce susceptibility to harm.
- Avoid dipping your knife in mustard or vinegar for long since the blade will be more susceptible to harm eventually.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best and easiest way to develop a patina is to let it develop naturally. When you have to force a patina finish on your carbon knife blade, see to it that the resulting finish is not undesirable, you can repeat the steps severally to get a better finish in this case.
To prevent patina and rusting of the carbon knife blade it is best to avoid a hastened oxidation by cleaning and drying your carbon knife blade frequently, after every task of slicing.
