Patina... What is it? 

A patina is a thin oxidation layer that naturally forms on steel. It's nothing to fear. It actually helps to protect the steel from further corrosion.

A patina will naturally form over time, or it can be accelerated by applying acidic foods. It's an inevitable occurrence with high carbon steels. 

As the patina grows it gives the knife character and a personality that's individual to every knife.

High carbon steels have been used for over a thousand years. Although the performance of modern steels are vastly improved over traditionally made steel that the Japanese used for their samurai swords and cooking knives, one thing remains the same - they rust if not cared for properly. 

Some simple tips to maintain your high carbon knives to preserve them for generations to come:

*NEVER, I mean it... NEVER put your custom knife in a dishwasher! 

*Do not use your knife as a screwdriver! Steel is tough but can still chip. 

*Do not use your knife as a spatula. BBQ's and frying pans get hot. If you heat your blade up it can affect the heat treatment of the steel and reduce the epoxy bond on the handle.

*Wash, dry and oil your high carbon knife frequently, especially when cutting acidic foods. It's a good habit to wipe down the blade if it's going to sit unused for more than a couple of minutes.  A quick wipe down and application of cooking grade oil will drastically reduce the chances of rust forming. 

*Although strong, anything can break. Don't chop into bone or hard dry ingredients like uncooked pasta/hard nut shells/glass chopping boards etc.

*Keep your knife sharp. A sharp knife maintains its cutting edge longer and is less likely to veer side to side when cutting.

*After washing, drying and oiling your knife, store in a dry position and make sure its not touching any other steels.    

Most of the above rules also relate to stainless steels with the exception to drying/oiling. It's not necessary to oil stainless but edge care is still vitally important.