Do magnetic knife bars damage Japanese knives?

[knowsnoknife]

Hi everyone

Now that my knife shipment is coming, I was wondering about magnetic knife bars.

I know you can damage the edge of a knife by pulling or placing the knife the wrong way (edge first before spine) due to the metal to metal contact.

What I'm curious about is can the magnet itself magnetically damage the knife by virtue of it being magnetic and knife being metal? Will it affect the atoms, geometry of edge or blade, etc....?

If it does affect the knife, does it affect Carbon steel knives more/less than Stainless?

Thank you for any insight you guys may share.

[Ourorboros]

It won't affect the atoms at all. They will in fact keep the same number of protons and neutrons that define them as whatever element they are. You'd need something like a particle accelerator and good aim to change a stable atom.
Likewise the magnets you use are not strong enough to deform your blade in any way, thus changing the profile or edge geometry of your blade.
Induction forges, which utilize a contained magnetic field inside, will heat up metal long before actually physically deforming it. That metal must keep moving through the magnetic field, or the magnetic field must keep changing strength, to achieve the heating. That field is several orders of magnitude stronger than your magnetic bar. And each order of magnitude means *10.

Carbon steel does in fact react more strongly to magnets, though as noted not in any way you are asking about. Enough non-ferrous materials mixed into iron will make it non-magnetically reactive. In fact it is an easy way to check for high chrome content - see it if sticks to a magnet or vice-versa.

The low effect is also why cell phone towers don't cause cancer, btw.

So the only damage you will do to your knife is letting the edge slam into your (hopefully wood covered) magnetic bar.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

+1 to all of Ouroboros post.

My only issue with using mag bars in the past is I chipped an edge when the magnet pulled the knife edge into another knife that was on the bar. I just wasn't paying attention.

[Bensbites]

Ok, a chemist and magnetic knife bar user here chiming in. The magnets will not damage your knives at all! You can damage the cutting edge if that comes in contact with your bar to quickly.

For years I used cheap IKEA stainless steel knife bars. I noticed they would scratch the surface of my shuns or other SS knives. Recently I made myself wooden magnetic knife bars and love them. There are pictures posted here somewhere.

[GopherBroke]

I have been using a magnetic bar (that I made) for a year or so now, and I cannot see any physical damage to any of my blades.
If marking the surface is an issue, or concerns.. there's remedies for that

[Georgek]

I have been using 2 magnetic racks that he (GopherBroke) made for more than a year now and no damage, twisting or bending was done to any of my knives.

[dv/dt]

Have two Mag-Bloks for my knives. No metal to metal contact, and the knives are secure even if the dog crashes into my Boos block.

[Ourorboros]

Transmutation can also be done with a neutron source - like Uranium 234, a means of slowing down said neutrons - like heavy water, though wax can do, & the magic of Beta decay. Works better in unstable elements, none of which are in larger than trace amounts.
Going the other direction, fusion is possible - the heart of a fusion reactor or star. In fact the later is how the heavier elements came to be.
Chemistry - well it would take unliveably strong magnetic fields to break down or alter molecular bonds. Admittedly I point this out as a (long ago) former math/physics major who takes a physist's view of chemistry.

[Jeff B]

Just don't let your knives get to close to the flux capacitor.

[Kalaeb]

Just don't let your knives get to close to the flux capacitor.

And be wary of traveling more than 88mph.

[winstonli]

Use meg bar to my daily knife, just don't get one that is plain metal, use the wood cover one and plenty space between each knife and you will be fine

[Bensbites]

If anyone needs a magnetic wooden bar, they are easily made...

[Jean Valjean]

+1 to getting a wood covered one to avoid scratches and no, the magnets will not damage a blade in any way. One issue that has yet to be mentioned though is the magnetization of the blade itself. Now, this doesn't affect much as things we eat/cut tend not to contain large amounts of metal, but after putting one of my knives up on a magnet for several months I noticed something odd when sharpening : the swarf was sticking to the knife! Took me a second to put it together that the knife was now slightly magnetized, dragging with it little metal particulates as I went over the stone. I doubt this has any functional effect on the blade or sharpening process, but I did find it a little visually disconcerting, enough so that I don't store up on a magnet anymore. I'm probably just a little OCD regarding that issue, but thought it a side-effect worth mentioning.

[Ourorboros]

Just don't let your knives get to close to the flux capacitor.

And be wary of traveling more than 88mph.

That merely displaces a knife in time. Structurally it remains the same.

Becoming magnetized over time is a real possibility though.

[Jeff B]

Just don't let your knives get to close to the flux capacitor.

And be wary of traveling more than 88mph.

That merely displaces a knife in time. Structurally it remains the same.

Becoming magnetized over time is a real possibility though.

Becoming magnetized is really no big deal, the knife just attracts other utensils when you set it next to them, somewhat ghostly. It's a bitch though when it just disappears from your hand and reappears next week!

[desol]

One issue that has yet to be mentioned though is the magnetization of the blade itself. Now, this doesn't affect much as things we eat/cut tend not to contain large amounts of metal, but after putting one of my knives up on a magnet for several months I noticed something odd when sharpening : the swarf was sticking to the knife! Took me a second to put it together that the knife was now slightly magnetized, dragging with it little metal particulates as I went over the stone. I doubt this has any functional effect on the blade or sharpening process, but I did find it a little visually disconcerting, enough so that I don't store up on a magnet anymore. I'm probably just a little OCD regarding that issue, but thought it a side-effect worth mentioning.

Indeed. And this was something I was wondering about. The knife becoming magnetized itself.

[gladius]

I don't use them and magnetization of the blade is why. Years ago I had a bar but noticed on softer Euro knives the tendency of the edge not to align as easily or keep after the honing rod. The magnetism has reduce to almost nothing over the years and none of my J-knives have ever been magnetized. The swarf sticking on the blade while sharpening is also not something I was good with.

[Bulldog93]

Disclaimer: I have no scientific rationale for the following. My (1st attempt) at a MAC Superior bread knife had some strange oxidation (mine was parked on a magnetic strip "board"). There is a report on the CKTG page about another customer saying they had a similar experience. That said, Mark replaced mine and the new one has not had the same issue. If you ask...I think he will also tell there was something up with my original one! +1 to CKTG for taking really great care on me with a quick swap/ replacement, and fantastic communication throughout.