Lampblack is elemental carbon, so if you apply it right you can seal, carbonize and harden your steel at the same time. Idk about that in reality.
Tho after carbonizing would be the best time to apply a hot carbonized wax.
I got a couple slicks I've ground down from some mystery 3/4 steel plate. I figured I'd get em to shape, sharpen them to scary, pack them in, press them til almost bursting, in a steel box of activated charcoal and lampblack from my chimney. Clean them immediately after. While still hot, give em a bath in Blu, pull them out, dab them dry, then a bath in wax.
Until i figure out how asphaltum was applied 100+ years ago that's the best I can come up with.
I got a Monarch modal A engine lathe from 1918 that's got its original asphaltum on it. xxxxx indestructible, and even tho this lathe was on a navy ship in ww2, not a speck of rust on the thing. Like magic.
