Shouldn't a Misono EU Swedish steel parer be rust-resistant?

Hi everybody,

I recently bought a Misono parer (80mm) EU Swedish steel from JCK. After its first use -after cutting a banana and an apple- I realised that it was very prone to rusting and that it smelled peculiarly after cutting the fruits. At first I thought that something was wrong, because I thought I had bought a stainless steel knife. But before ordering it, I was in the dilemma between carbon steel and stainless steel, so since I was (and still am) new to knives, once I saw that it was building rust stains just after a few minutes of cutting an apple, I thought myself that I had eventually bought a carbon steel knife (not a stainless one) and that Swedish steel was a carbon steel sub-category.

Recently, though, I went back to reading steel knife categories and their properties and re-read that Swedish steel knives are supposed to belong in the stainless steel category. So, if this is the case, then why is my Misono so reactive with fruits and why is it developing rust stains so easily (my Kagayaki Carbonext Gyuto is much more rust-resistant than this)? Is it common for Swedish steel to function that way, or is it just Misono's Swedish steel behaving like that?

Thanks all in advance!

Misono has both Swedish stainless and carbon, you got the carbon one.

The country of Sweden produces many steels, some stainless like the stud Sakai Yusuke uses, and some carbon like the steel used to make your Misono.

panda said:

Misono has both Swedish stainless and carbon, you got the carbon one.

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+1, their stainless series is called molybdenum, 440, ux-10

I have the same Parer, and a number of other knives from Misono in the Swedish carbon. To be honest I wouldn't want the stainless versions personally. Is yours actually rusting, or just discolouring? You can force a patina to make it less reactive, I coated mine in mayonnaise for several hours, washed and repeat; there are other methods too.

Thanks guys, I'm glad that it's been clarified.

@tjangula: It's just discolouring. I've read some stuff about building a patina, but I'm still skeptic about it, since I haven't studied it much. I think I'll do it (the articles I had read used mustard, I think).

besides mustard you can use cooked kitchen breasts (slightly under cooked). They produce nice blue/purple patina.

mamalos said:

Thanks guys, I'm glad that it's been clarified.

@tjangula: It's just discolouring. I've read some stuff about building a patina, but I'm still skeptic about it, since I haven't studied it much. I think I'll do it (the articles I had read used mustard, I think).

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Don't bother forcing with the mustard. Just cut a lot of apples, peaches, bananas and strawberries with it, wiping it off but not washing it during the cutting process, only at the end. The blade will develop a nice greyish patina that will reduce the reactivity.

..and rinse with very hot water!

tjangula said:

+1, their stainless series is called molybdenum, 440, ux-10

I have the same Parer, and a number of other knives from Misono in the Swedish carbon. To be honest I wouldn't want the stainless versions personally. Is yours actually rusting, or just discolouring? You can force a patina to make it less reactive, I coated mine in mayonnaise for several hours, washed and repeat; there are other methods too.

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Why would you not want stainless?

I've never even considered a carbon parer, as I can't see any benefits over stainless.

MAS4T0 said:

Why would you not want stainless?

I've never even considered a carbon parer, as I can't see any benefits over stainless.

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I should have been a bit clearer with that statement, sorry for any confusion. I wouldn't want the stainless Misonos personally. I agree that for knives like parers and pettys, I prefer high HRC stainless PM. I got the Misono Carbon as a set because it was easily available in left hand versions and I had heard decent reviews of them, also the HRC seems to strike a nice balance.

Here is an old picture of mine but the 360 dragon engraved gyuto is absent because it is getting rehandled:

Nice set 😀
I sold my short gyuto 180 mm but now I am missing it.
Have the 240 mm and the 165 mm left.
Selling the Deba also because I got a wa Deba instead 😉

Nice line anyway

I really like the size/profile of the 180 gyuto (2nd from bottom on left in my picture)

There's something about 180 gyutos that's not too shabby. Kind of like a man sized petty.

spoiledbroth said:

There's something about 180 gyutos that's not too shabby. Kind of like a man sized petty.

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Why not just a 180 petty then?

Which one do you have in mind??

Nice collection!

DanHumphrey said:

Why not just a 180 petty then?

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Not to speak for broth, but they're not tall enough. 180 petty is more of a slicer.