Kurouchi Finish

So I think I'm learning the hard way that Kurouchi finish needs a little extra attention. Not sure why I thought Barkeeper's Friend would be a good idea, but I've began to wear away the finish on my 150mm Shigefusa.

Any suggestions on how to manage this going forward, other than to just let it be as is and not scrub the Kurouchi?

Remove it entirely and do an acid etch, then let it patina over it!

Often times you'll find that blades with the firescale left on, such as blades with the kuroichi finish, are coated with a lacquer to prevent oxidation and to preserve the finish. As long as that remains intact over the black part, the finish should last awhile (in other words, no harsh scrubbing or abrasives on that part). With my Murata knives, I removed the lacquer from the blade path with sandpaper, and forced a patina on the jigane and hagane with cider vinegar.

Here's a really dodgy pic of part of my Nakiri. You can tell that there's still lacquer on the firescale due to the shiny finish.

panda said:

Remove it entirely and do an acid etch, then let it patina over it!

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I wouldn't. I suggest treating the kurouchi delicately. I've used gun cold blue to repair damage. It is safe as long as you let it dry and then rinse, and it prevents rust.

+1 on cold bluing. I use it on tangs when I'm replacing handles, as a rust preventer.

EdipisReks said:

I wouldn't. I suggest treating the kurouchi delicately. I've used gun cold blue to repair damage. It is safe as long as you let it dry and then rinse, and it prevents rust.

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Would that be safe go use on the core steel? Sounds interesting.

EdipisReks said:

I wouldn't. I suggest treating the kurouchi delicately.

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+1. Some of these iron cladding materials just won't passivate effectively. You'd be taking a risk.

Frater_Decus said:

Would that be safe go use on the core steel? Sounds interesting.

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sure, but it does wear off very quickly when any friction is involved. It also tends to stink, but the stink goes away and doesn't transfer to the food. The stink is also better than bare iron oxidizing, in my experience.

Also, aesthetically KU can hide some fugly blemishes; be it waves or scratches. It's one of those, the further you take it, the more work you'll need to do projects. So, dive into it as a learning experience, or leave it and baby it.

Very sound advise given here, but Hero's are always welcome on KKF. If you do choose to remove the finish, please post pics so that we can insert them as examples of the feedback given here. ;-)

Of course they all could be wrong, So te'll me, My Friend, are you feelin lucky? I'm my best Clint voice?