The Viaje of High Carbon Steel

Viaje means trip or travel in Spanish. Like travel—think of the epic trips in your life—there’s a before and after with high carbon steel.

Why is that? There are a few reasons. High carbon steel, unlike stainless, requires attention. How much attention, you might ask? About as much as you need to give anything you need to handwash or treat mindfully on a daily basis. You have to keep the blade dry and rust-free—so no leaving it on the counter after chopping with bits of tomato smeared all over the blade. That would not be the high carbon steel way.

Another reason is it changes with you. If you’re a fan of mirror-finished super shiny knife blades at all costs, high carbon steel isn’t for you. Over time, depending on how you use it (and how often), your blade will develop what in the knife world is known as patina:

A healthy patina actually helps protect your blade from rust.

Mostly, though, it’s the wiping down. When I use one of Oskar’s blades, that moment I take to wipe it down is a way of thanking it for its service. It keeps me mindful.

This may be going out on a limb, but I find the kind of knife I use on a daily basis makes a difference to the activities I do. When I’m slicing and dicing with an industrial blade, I’m on automatic. When I’m using one of Oskar’s handcrafted blades, all the details and the “feel” of the knife help me stay connected to what I’m doing, i.e. to be as present using it as Oskar was when he forged and crafted this blade.

That’s just my experience. Do you notice a difference in handling handmade versus industrial knives?