Knives

• Knives #medium
  • Whetstone 400/1000
  • Using sandpaper to remove tarnishing in areas where the whetstones don’t reach
  • Knives were very cleaned up, but would start to rust easily when wet
    • Discovered that the tarnishing was actually natural patina that occurred over time after cutting foods, so we needed to protect the knives from oxidation
    • Japanese knives don’t have the same stainless steel (up to 13% chromium) that protects against oxidation, so they need extra care. The natural patina is what protects against oxidation
    • Artificial oxidation using vinegar, citrus, acidic foods or coffee can help
  • Ended up dunking each knife in instant brewed coffee for hours to create a layer of patina (which becomes visible as a blueish/gray with some orange hues)
  • Still sometimes prone to oxidation, so it’s important to wipe the knives off and dry them quickly before storage. Air dry = bad