Creating a Patina on a carbon Opinel 8

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I am particularly stupid when it comes to carbon steel care...

Does anyone have any tips on creating a patina?

Thanks!

-ethan
 
Stick the blade into a tater and leave it overnight. Or spread mustard all over the blade and wrap it in a paper towel and leave it overnight. Either should work. Using it for numerous kitchen tasks will also create a fine patina over time.
 
Stick it in a potato overnight. Or a slice a tomato, and wipe dry with a paper towel. Acids work fastest.


If you are patient, and want it to have character, just use it. Cutting food will really get the colors going. I was cutting steak, chicken, etc. at lunch with my carbon no6, and it's getting a nice blue/purple/orange hue. If you're cutting paper, rope, tape, etc. you won't get much of a patina for a long time.


Edit: Doh! beat me by a minute.
 
I got patina by using it in kitchen, but noticed that it's not really optimal because of the wooden handle (swells really fast).

Here's one with lime patina after about ten minutes:

opinel-1.jpg
 
For carbon, food prep is the way, but a wooden handle needs to be kept dry after use or you'll never open the knife again!

Never found potato very effective actually. Here's my patina tips: Wash and dry the blade,then remove all traces of oil or finger grease etc with alcohol solvent/lighter fuel e.g. Carbon responds to pears very well, leave the blade in that overnight and the funk starts. Use on citrus fruits particularly,rhubarb, any of the onion family.Quick wash/wipe after each use is all it needs. After a week, Scotchbrite the patina off and get a matte look, put alcohol on and start using again. A week later the patina will be even and tough,after that an wipe with mineral or olive oil once a week will keep all rust at bay,both these are food safe. I got an almost 'Damascus' Tiger stripe look on a CASE cv Swayback after scotchbriting and then leaving it in a lime for an hour, really nice.
 
I find apples to be much more effective than citrus. Since I eat a lot of fruit, if I just use it as my fruit knife for a week it has a nice patina.
 
pics or it didnt happen
willgoy said:
For carbon, food prep is the way, but a wooden handle needs to be kept dry after use or you'll never open the knife again!

Never found potato very effective actually. Here's my patina tips: Wash and dry the blade,then remove all traces of oil or finger grease etc with alcohol solvent/lighter fuel e.g. Carbon responds to pears very well, leave the blade in that overnight and the funk starts. Use on citrus fruits particularly,rhubarb, any of the onion family.Quick wash/wipe after each use is all it needs. After a week, Scotchbrite the patina off and get a matte look, put alcohol on and start using again. A week later the patina will be even and tough,after that an wipe with mineral or olive oil once a week will keep all rust at bay,both these are food safe. I got an almost 'Damascus' Tiger stripe look on a CASE cv Swayback after scotchbriting and then leaving it in a lime for an hour, really nice.
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