Knife questions (for Buzz or anyone)

QSis

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
NCT Patron
The first good knife I ever bought was a Sabatier slicer when I was a young woman, because I heard someone on TV (I think it was Frugal Gourmet) who said to buy knifes with "high carbon steel".

I found this knife in a discount kitchen store for $20. I bought one and my mother bought one.

Somewhere along the line, I lost mine to someone's house. I inherited my mother's Sabatier slicer (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!).

Anyway, my mother's knife was in sad, rusty, gray-spotted shape. I took it, along with some of my Henkel knives, to a professional knife-sharpener, and they did a great job with all the knives. They cleaned up the Sabatier's blade, as well as sharpening it.

But, the Sabatier keeps getting rust spots and gray spots. It doesn't slice any better than my Henkel slicer, and is a pain to keep clean and rust-free.

So, I'm wondering, what is the best way to care for this knife? And is it worth the effort? Why?

The first photo makes it look shinier than it is, since it's reflecting the flash. The second photo shows some of the rust and gray spots that keep cropping up.

Any insights?

TIA!

Lee
 

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henkels is a better knife.i luv wustoff. u hafta treat utensils well. Chef taught us of Henkels- she rocked.
 
Buzz should be along shortly. Till he gets here. High carbon steel is going to rust. You could oil it with mineral oil of olive oil after you wash it. If you are happy with your henkles and you have enough knives to do what you want, maybe you clean it well, preserve it with some kind of a coating and keep it as a memory of your mom.
 
Actually some of the older Sabatier are excellent knives and in my opinion better than most of the Euro knives on the market today from Wusthof or Henckels. If the Sabatier you have is a carbon steel blade which hard to see based on your picture they hold a great edge though some of the stainless also do just won't take as sharp an edge. Most are worth keeping especially a carving type knife.

Now how to care for it is easy. First don't put it in a dishwasher to clean it but clean it by hand after every use immediately and dry as that only takes a second or so to do. You might try steel wool to remove the slight rust spots but if you can find it Flitz will do it easier and quicker. Then wash and dry it before putting it away. If it won't be used for long periods of time use some food grade oil such as mineral oil which works well.
 
To easily clean the rust and discoloration from a high carbon knife like that,
use a GREEN, not blue, scrubbie. Little bit of water and a newer scrubbie
and it comes right off. Always rinse it soon after use, then dry immediately.
Acidic things like tomatoes will cause discoloration, so rinse for sure!
I have found that they benefit from a few strokes on a sharpening steel
before every other use or so. Keeps my Case XX-400 tomato slicing sharp.
 
This is GREAT info!

I love this knife, as I considered it very expensive when I bought it decades ago. It was, and is, such a pleasure to use when it is sharp.

I will look for Flitz, Joe, and Kimchee, I do use green scurbbies, so I will use them on the knife. Andy, I have mineral oil, and I bet that will help, too.

I have to get in the habit of drying it immediately after I rinse it.

Lee
 
we used whetstones & honed via steels. as andy & lee said, mineral oil was used. I wipe my knives immediately on my clean apron, side-towel, etc. my hi-carbon may well have wilted, if not.
 
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Caution with Sabatier. There have been many manufacturers using the Sab brand name over a long period of time due to lax registration laws in France. The two makers traceable to the original Sab family are K-Sabatier and Thiers Issard.

Here are some Thiers-Issards of mine:

Sabs.jpg

The two larger knives are 11" blade length. I picked up the blondie at auction and it's truly rare in that the factory forgot to sharpen it. The little guy is 6". I have another one, brand new, and three new 7" models all of which are available for half the listed price here if anyone is interested. PM me.

QSis - the staining is patina, or "gray rust". It is usually best to leave it as is because it helps to prevent red rust.

Basic care is to never use an auto dishwasher, clean and dry shortly after use, and for long term storage use a light coat of mineral oil.
 
I have my Dads high carbon steel knives. I always handwash immediately after using and dry them by hand. I've never had any rust on them. The metal is very dark. I suspect that Dad did a very good job of conditioning them. He took great pride in his knives and cast iron skillets.
 
buzzard767 said:
QSis - the staining is patina, or "gray rust". It is usually best to leave it as is because it helps to prevent red rust.
Click to expand...

Buzz do kitchen folks "force" a patina ever like outdoor folks do, to help prevent "red rust"?

I ask because I force a patina on a Mora knife I have and it
1. Looks cool
2. has held back "red rust".
 
Some of the crazies force patina. Vinegar is a favorite or if you want to draw designs with your finger or other instrument mustard is used. I've never tried it.
 
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