Damascus steel staining and rusting

[busterbuilt]

Hi there, just after some advice on a Damascus blade that I have. Basically from the first cut through some vegetables the blade was left with stains and marks that would not wash off. There have also been some small spots of rust come up. The layers of steel were 15N and 1085. Im planning on making some of these knives myself so wondering if there is any way to prevent this from happening during the making process? cheers

 

[Joshua Fisher]

Hi there, just after some advice on a Damascus blade that I have. Basically from the first cut through some vegetables the blade was left with stains and marks that would not wash off. There have also been some small spots of rust come up. The layers of steel were 15N and 1085. Im planning on making some of these knives myself so wondering if there is any way to prevent this from happening during the making process? cheers

Welcome to the world of high carbon steel knives, it makes a great kitchen knife but the steel will react to acids and tannins in food and it will cause surface oxides to form, we call this a patina, it is actually good rust. It develops character on the blade and protects the blade from bad rust, if your getting actual rust spots then you need to dry the blade more thoroughly after use and oil the blade occasionally with something like mineral oil. There is no way to prevent this from happening and nothing that can be done during the making process that changes how high carbon steel behaves, the only other option would be to use stainless steel. You could clean the blade with an abrasive pad or just water and baking soda and it would remove the rust but will also remove the etch that brings out the contrast in pattern welded steel. The pattern can be visible on its own without etching which is just a surface finish, especially if your cutting lots of acidic fruits which in a way will natural etch the two steels differently. My advice is learn to love that natural patina and character and realize it’s the only type of steel that grows and develops with you. Stainless for the most part always looks the same but high carbon steel can show a range of colors from browns to blues and can be very beautiful in the way it develops over time.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Carbon steel rusts - fast of life and chemistry.

Carbon steel damascus is a poor choice for kitchen knives. By its construction and nature it has millions of ridges and pockets for acids and moisture to collect and react with the steel.

Stainless damascus, especially Damasteel, is the better choice if you want a damascus pattern on your kitchen cutlery.

Damascus isn't really what you want anyway - plain stainless steel or carbon steel is the normal choice for kitchen blades. The choices are many, with AEB-L, S-30V, and a dozen more being the standard choices.

 

[weo]

Carbon steel damascus is a poor choice for kitchen knives.

I'm going to take a bit of issue with this, Stacy. If cleaned promptly and properly, the pattern can last for years. I use mine on onions and garlic regularly and immediately after using, rinse the blade off (pinching the blade with my fingers using dish soap if necessary), wipe the blade on a clean towel to remove most of the water, then rest it on the counter to air dry the rest of the way before putting it back on the magnet strip.