Our go-to knives are Zwilling Four Star, but I discovered these carbon-steel knives hidden away yesterday. The 14-inch chef's, bottom, is Gustav Emil Ern; the others are unbranded. My guess is nothing special, but the longer blades may come in handy. I was able to get a decent edge on them with my Spyderco. Are they health hazards as-is? Is it possible to clean them up and, if so, how would I do it? 
-
-
If it’s corrosion you’re worried about, just buff it out. That Gustav is a good knife, good find! -
fkrall Don't know if available in the States but in Canada, Knifewear sells a "rust eraser" that has excellent reviews. Knifewear carries a lot of different Carbon Steel Knives. Here is a link to their site and the rust eraser.https://knifewear.com/products/knife...22038261432368Comment
-
Soak them overnight in white vinegar then give them a good scrub with hot water and soap. Repeat if necessary but that should be enough to remove the rust and staining. Once that is done, dry them thoroughly and give them a light rub with some food grade mineral oil. That should help keep them clean and rust free. The metal only needs a very light coat, but if the handles are real wood you can work a little more mineral oil in there.
Hope it works for you, i know it has for me.Comment
-
Updating my above. I originally missed until rickgregory post that they were carbon steel. Vinegar will force a patina on them so i would avoid this unless its what you are going for. And even then i would clean them first per Dewesq55 or just buff it out.
If you do want to force the patina for rust protection then there are some good youtube videos on using apple cider vinegar or a white vinger/water mixLast edited by grantgallagher; November 23, 2020, 01:50 PM.
-
-
I agree with the others - why not recondition them? Any knife that will take a good edge is worth keeping. Those look better than my multi colored Amazon Basics set, haha. Only good knife I own is a Victorinox 12†slicer.Comment
-
A small amount of Barkeeper's Friend will clean them right up. I would totally do it.Comment
-
Yes but carbon develops a patina so don't expect them to stay shiny like stainless. Remove the rust and sharpen them and they should be great. But carbon can't be left wet or it will rust so don't leave them in the sink and never put them in the dishwasher. Wash/rinse after use then wipe dry.Comment
-
Once you get these in shape start looking in thrift and church shops to add to your collection. It is amazing how many good quality knives are donated to these types of shops, and can be picked up for a dollar or less.Comment
-
So a closer look - the rust is a minor issue (steel wool lightly used would take it off) but the longer knife has no real issues. The coloring is just the patina.Comment
-
I'd definitely keep them; they don't look bad at all.
if you clean the rust off, you can always force a patina on them to help prevent rust - a quick internet search will explain how to do it.
Great find!Comment
-
Surface discoloration on an otherwise clean carbon steel knife is never a health hazard. Rust with pitting requires more care in cleaning to assure than contaminants aren't lodged in the pits, but even so it's still not inherently toxic.
Sometimes a cheap knife is just a cheap knife. But many cheap knives are affordable, high-quality carbon steel that is the best knife material available as long as you are willing to babysit it a little.
For example, on Saturday I was cleaning up the patio for a little get-together and found a couple knives someone had left in the outside storage from who-knows-when on a previous get-together. This is just surface oxidation, and I'm not even slightly worried about it. If I needed to, I would wash and wipe them clean and use them without any safety concern - the surface is smooth, not pitted, just discolored. But of course I don't want them looking like this, so I will clean them up with fine-grit wet/dry sandpaper to get them looking like they should.
Comment
-
btw check out this video - not a bad guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSzO...vBK8wO&index=8Comment
-
I second both the Bar Keepers friend and rust eraser block. The abrasive block is popular with Japanese knife sharpeners:
Comment
-
Soopa--many thanks, all. This is far better than I expected. I do suspect the Gustav was my father's, a skilled cook and griller. I'll follow your tips and think of him on Thanksgiving!Comment
-
The large knife doesnt even look to have any rust. All this makes me want to find old knives at estate sales. Although not in the middle of a pandemic... but maybe this summer.Comment
Comment