Chrome,
You have one heck of a knife!
I am going from memory, still that steel came from the same supplier that supplied Case their steel for Chrome Vanadium.
Word was, Western did a better job that Case did with the steel.
That is a classic, not only because of being a Western, the steel, geometry , heat treat and having Colorado on the tang, also because the knife was crafted.
The craftsman that put together that knife, no matter what part of the process, did so, as if they were building that knife for themselves.
Ted Trueblood was one spokesman for that knife, he used Western for his hunting and outdoor uses.
You are only to get that same level of quality today in a new knife, by having a customer knifemaker, make you one.
IMO.
It will take a patina. That patina will assist in protecting the blade akin to bluing on a gun.
For old times sake, get a Norton Crystalon coarse/fine stone and Case Hard Arkansas stone.
Use these stones dry.
That steel sharpened on Crystalon fine, will cut, and keep and edge - a few stroke on the Hard Ark ever so slight, then light strop, just the weight of the blade on dry leather...is all that knife needs or requires.
If you can find a old Norton Extra Fine India stone, about 3" that is the stone to use instead of Hard Arkansas.
Great knife!
