I don't think it holds up well. Think of it more as a finish, not a coating. It's like raw steel with a layer of oxidisation, which is what a patina is...
That cleaver looks sweet That's the good thing about having an oxide/patina finish, it will continue to reapply with use
It is the most abused knife I have. It was passed around and abused by a lot of you folks to split cows open. My wife used it to dig out roots in the yard. Like in rocky soil. I use it every day in the kitchen. Unfortunately I forgot it and I am down on the Golden Isles shark fishing for 2 weeks. I could really use it now.
I didn't want to start a fresh thread for this question, so I figured I'd put it up here. Does anyone else's black oxide izula reek? Mine is ripe. I mean, I haven't used it much for fear of carrying it and the smell leeching onto my pants. It's like a sharp, caustic smell. Almost garlicy, and definitely stings the nostrils.
I washed mine straight out of the package. I used dishwashing soap and a sponge. It washed away the extra black oxide and smell.
I'm thinking about getting rid of the extended scales on my od izula, but if I trade them for standard scales I won't be able to use my armatus carry sheath.
If you decide on going back to them, I have some standard scales you can flat out have. I like my TKCs too much to go back.
Thanks for the offer man! I'll let you know what I decide on. I may swap out the extended handles for the standard length tkc scales. The extended are really nice to use, but print like hell under a t shirt.