I've tried the pickle juice method and like it. It left the mottled surface on the blade and helped to cure my not wanting to use the new knife because its too nice, "illness". The pickling seems to wear off somewhat as the knife blade is handled and cleaned over time. Anyone notice this?

Once, when I had just bought a knife out of the display case, I recall Pete Hamilton telling me to go out in back of the Randall shop, pick and orange and cut it up with the new blade to "season" the carbon blade. Another time he told me to get a tomato and cut it in half. Then, slice up half of it to make a sandwich for my lunch. Next, take the other half of the tomato and crush and squeeze it all over the blade. This would serve to season that blade, too.