1095 Carbon corrosion resistance.

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Whisper21

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Jun 11, 2013
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I'm looking at some 1095 carbon blades and I was wondering about about their corrosion resistance in less than optimal conditions. I would imagine that in the real world, there would be many times when the user would forget to oil their knives or couldn't due to circumstances. How forgiving are 1095 carbon blades when they are without oil for short periods of time?
 
I have bins full of 1095 blades. I store them in my basement. I have no issues at all. Some have been down there for 10-15 yrs.
 
it's not about oil. it's about keeping them clean and dry.

oil is only necessary for storage, or maybe if you live in a humid area.

the only reason you oil blades is so that things that cause rust can not contact the blade, as the oil is covering it. rust is quite easy to prevent a long as you recognize what causes it.

that said 1095 has practically no corrosion resistance. I have gone swimming with mine, camping, food prep, etc and have never had a rust problem. and I never oil my blades unless they are going in the drawer for a couple weeks.

this steel WILL discolor on you, though. some people not used to patina consider it a problem, but it affects nothing.
 
People have used carbon steels for hundreds of years in the "real world", and under much harsher conditions than we encounter now. They worked just fine. :thumbup:
 
marcinek said:
People have used carbon steels for hundreds of years in the "real world", and under much harsher conditions than we encounter now. They worked just fine. :thumbup:
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This. A used tool doesn't rust:thumbup:
 
a well cared for 1095 knife can be spotless and a neglected stainless steel knife will have rust.

depends on your climate and how your store them.
 
I have found 1095 to have almost literally no rust resistance. If you live somewhere with humidity above like 30% normally then it will spot at the drop of a hat. It takes a lot for it to really rust, though. 1095 is H1 compared to L6, though, which rusts if you look at it funny.

If you want to make 1095 good, I would suggest getting a patina on it. If you know how to do it, you can turn a knife from boring to gorgeous.
 
keep em dry and clean, thats all i can say. I smooth polish most my 1095 knives, removes any pits and crevasses that rust can from in
 
dkb45 said:
1095 is H1 compared to L6, though, which rusts if you look at it funny.
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now that is surprising to me as from what i've seen here in the swamps use with my knives. my 1095's rust with mild sweat or just left in a garage with the high humidity here...if i take them into the sulphur springs and swamps or even clean water they get rust marks. nothing that can't be wiped off with mild effort, but rust marks none the less. but my svord l6(i believe they are l6, and the only examples of this steel i have) don't seem to rust, they get ugly patina marks that ain't pretty but they have yet to rust as badly as my 1095's do.

course maybe those svords have some kind of factory clear coat on them and i haven't really seen what happens until this coating wears off?

appreciate your feedback on my confusion of why my svords don't rust as bad as my 1095's do? thank you Sir!
 
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