Should I maintain a carbon steel knife with oil?
I just got a new All Clad chef's knife that is carbon steel. I've read that carbon steel knives require a lot of maintenance like wiping twice after every single use(once with a damp cloth and again with a dry cloth) and not leaving it in the sink for even a minute. I was thinking of buying an oil for carbon steel, but I've read that carbon steel SHOULD develop a patina. So should I buy this oil? Is that patina really a good thing?
Best Answer
I write it as a seasoned carbon steel knife user and a hobbyist knifemaker.
Use edible oil or nothing
Safety first. You can use any oil as long as you are really, really sure you wouldn't mind it added to your food.
Patina is good.
There are two kinds of iron oxide. Let's call them red (rust) and black (patina). Black one is good.
- It mitigates red rust
- It's less sticky
- It's mostly tasteless
It's main drawback - it's ugly.
This is my everyday carbon steel knife. It's scrached and developed patina. It does not mind being used for cooking. It no longer requires wiping every minute, it can well be washed and dried after few hours.
How to develop good patina?
First, the less patina you already have, the slower you need to go. Don't keep virgin steel wet too long. Only after it begins to darken you can allow it to stay wet longer.
Remove red rust when you see it. But don't just use scrubber. If you want to develop patina fast, you should boil your knfe's blade for ten or twenty minutes when you see it getting red. This will convert some red to black. Then gently scrub the rest of red from your blade. If you don't want to boil, just gently remove rust, carefully not destroying patina.
If you want to artificially develop patina, dijon mustard is especially good for that. Few hours in warm place should do the job. Lemon juice is not half bad, either.
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Quick Answer about "Should I maintain a carbon steel knife with oil?"
The only down side to high carbon steel is that it will rust if you do not take care of it. To prevent this, keep your knife as clean and dry as possible after use, and apply a light coating of oil periodically. For culinary knives, olive, vegetable, canola or sunflower oil is fine.How often should I oil my carbon steel knife?
Even the smallest amount of moisture in the air is enough to cause rust to form on the blade. To prevent this, oil or wax should be applied to the blade and any fittings every two to three weeks of use, and the knife should be cleaned and dried after each use.Do you need to oil carbon steel?
Oiling is only needed occasionally or when it will be stored for a long period of time. If you do choose to oil it, we recommend using a Tsubaki (Camelia) oil or food grade mineral oil \u2013 avoid any type of vegetable oil which can breakdown and become rancid.Should I oil my knife blade?
Lubricating. Periodically, and always after cleaning, apply a small amount of lubricant to the working parts of the knife, particularly the pivot points of a folding knife. Then apply a thin film of lubricant to the entire surface of the blade. This will help prevent surface oxidation and corrosion from moisture.Do carbon steel knives rust easily?
Carbon steel knives can be a beautiful pain in the ass sometimes. They are usually sharper than stainless knives, a dream to sharpen, and have amazing edge retention. Unfortunately, they can also rust if not given a little extra care.taking care of high carbon steel knives - general maintenance
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