There is a difference between patina on a well-used item and corrosion on a neglected item.
Leave a chunk of brass neglected in a damp/humid environment and you’ll get soft, porous, green corrosion.
Simply use it without polishing, and it develops a thin, stable, burnished, possibly multi-color oxide layer that is somewhat protective. In this condition, I don’t notice that wet brass smell anymore.
I never polish my Karve. I rinse it thoroughly after use, leave it open to dry, and occasionally clean soap buildup off the bottom of the plate (but not aggressively). While it isn’t polished, it’s not a lump of green either (though there is a slight green tint on top of the cap). It’s more like an old, but still circulating and pocket-worn, penny.
Of course, the actual colors will vary with the type of alloy, but the principle still holds.
Frankly, I have more patina than polish myself.
Leave a chunk of brass neglected in a damp/humid environment and you’ll get soft, porous, green corrosion.
Simply use it without polishing, and it develops a thin, stable, burnished, possibly multi-color oxide layer that is somewhat protective. In this condition, I don’t notice that wet brass smell anymore.
I never polish my Karve. I rinse it thoroughly after use, leave it open to dry, and occasionally clean soap buildup off the bottom of the plate (but not aggressively). While it isn’t polished, it’s not a lump of green either (though there is a slight green tint on top of the cap). It’s more like an old, but still circulating and pocket-worn, penny.
Of course, the actual colors will vary with the type of alloy, but the principle still holds.
Frankly, I have more patina than polish myself.