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So... I forged a meat hook for a friend. I'm very much a newbie and its not perfect, but I'm still proud of the end result. BUT... What do I do know to treat it and make it food safe? I looked around the net for an answer and there's a lot of them, so I'm hoping someone here has a tried and true method that's already worked for them. It's a BBQ tool, so I'd like to protect it from the elements if I could and still make it safe to flip a steak. Thank you in advance for any input you all might have. RD

Hi everyone! I am currently creating a multitool similar to the Gerber Shard from an old wrench, which I suspect to be a chrome-vanadium steel. The tool features a spoon, a short prybar, bottle opener, a sharpened edge and a flathead screwdriver. Steels with chromium seem to be food-safe from what I found out online, but how about the added vanadium? The oxides at least are apparently somewhat toxic. Not knowing this, I have finished an earlier version of it a while ago from the same steel (simply the other side of the wrench), which did indeed give the food a somewhat metallic-biting aftertaste. Is this simply because I just tasted untreated metal or might this be a very light form of poisoning? Are there any common steel additives that are known to be poisonous or at least not really food-safe? Thanks in advance!

Hey guys and gals, I've been coming to this site on and off for the last few years now, and I've always been impressed by people's knowledge and willingness to share it, so I'm hoping you guys could chuck a bit of wisdom my way? Basically, I've got some whiskey tumblers made from a range of materials. For example, one is made from extruded steel bar and then capped at one end with a gilding metal base (gilding metal being somewhere between brass and copper). I need to make the inside food safe as it's gonna have whiskey in it. I can't use stainless because the thing is supposed to rust on the outside.I can't use shellac because the customer is a vegetarian. Is there any way I can get around this? The inside of the tumbler is quite textured so whatever coating goes on it, it needs to be able to seal well. Also, I can't plate the inside with silver or tin because the customer likes the way it looks on the inside too.......... If any such magical substance exists, it would be great to know about. But on a more realistic note, if anyone has some kind of reasonable design compromise I could make, it would be great to hear. I did a rummage round in the forums before and didn't manage to find anything that kitted my needs, but if it's already there, I'mm sorry for my poor searching skills. Many thanks in advance y'all. Rob

Hi there. I am considering making a steak flipper on my forge out of a piece of round stock. My question is, once forged, can you start flipping steaks and burgers with it, or is there some way you need to treat the metal to make it food safe. This is just some plain old steel round stock (non-galvinized) that I grabbed at TSC. (I am a beginner and not working with any expensive metals)