585 liner rust !? Isn't it stainless?

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wiredbeans

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Apr 5, 2015
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Folks I am pretty bummed out... Took apart my 585 mini barrage to clean and lube to find out both liners have rust spots at the edges... Below are some Pics...
I never thought this is even possible being these are stainless... I then try the magnet test (stainless aren't magnetic) and they stick to the magnet hard so I suspect these liners are probably chromed steel... One side looks cleaner because I use flitz to try and clean up but there are pretty deep pittings... Anyone else come across this?
What should I do? Would BM warranty this? It's a few years old that I got from a trade but I rarely carry it and it still look and feel new. I don't have proof of purchase. I deassisted it and I can't find the spring bar...
Do put the knife back and send it to BM?

 
Stainless just means it has a minimum of 10-12% chromium. There's no such thing as rust-proof steel, just varying levels or corrosion resistance. Also, not all stainless steels are non-magnetic. In fact most cutlery stainless steels (martensitic) are still magnetic. You can certainly send it to Benchmade with a note that you noticed rust. It's only cosmetic at this point, won't affect the action or function of the knife so I don't know if they'll swap the liners for you. But you don't need proof of purchase or anything so don't worry about that.

EDIT: You already mentioned Flitz, somehow I missed that my first read lol.
 
As stated above, all steels can rust. Perhaps the previous owner exposed it to unfavorable conditions, perhaps not. Either way, rust spots under the scales of a modified used knife is not what I would personally presume to be a warranty issue.

Maybe you can find a knife you enjoy with titanium liners. They cost more but you will be able to rest easy knowing that there are no rust spots beneath your scales.
 
I have quite a few knives with Ti Scales that I carry often, I like this little guy for office.

Cost wise, the 585 still retails for $150! That's not cheap by any means and to have it rust up like that its like looking at a cheap $15 gas station / dollar store no name folder. I have a $30 dollar China made Spyderco Ambitious that hold up better than this! That's what I'm trying to say.

I sent it off to Benchmade, will report back when I hear back from them.
 
The quality or price point of a knife makes no difference in the stain resistent qualities of the materials used ( aside the blade). A lot of factors can contribute to rust developing. Consistent high humidity, body chemistry, and other elements mixed with the two. I understand you are fristrated, but let's keep things in perspective. There was a guy on here a coulle hears ago that could rust the leather handle on a KaBar knife. His body chemistry was way on the acidic side of the pH scale. Stainless is also taken to mean it is less prone to staining, most people infer it means rust proof. There a few steals that ate truly rust proff, H1 is one of them,
 
Grab a hard-bristle sponge and give it a scrub.
You could probably even scrap that off with a fingernail, it looks like it is just surface.

STAIN LESS not STAIN PROOF
 
I explained this in my original post: "I did one side with Flitz, and still have small deep pitting holes", so it's not SURFACE! I know what stainless steel is people. Don't tell me it's normal/very common for $150 Benchmade to develop rust, post your rusted Benchmade pictures and show me how much you love your rusted Benchmade otherwise stay off this thread.
I posted this mainly to make you guys aware of the potential rust developing with your knives not to cry baby and not to be treated like I'm clueless.
Once rust starts it will always come back. I can grind it down but the scale won't fit properly after.
Like I said, I have a few Benchmades and Spydercos and Zero Tolerance and have never have this type of problem.
This one is only a year old, my 5 year old Delica with steel liner didn't have this problem. My el cheapo Spyderco Ambitious didn't have this problem. I have the Benchmade North Fork for about the same time and didn't rust but now I have to check all my Benchmades.
If it's a $20 knife I would have just chuck it into the trash can.
 
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It's not normal but it isn't out of the ordinary either. Depending on your environment, anything can rust. Just because you have other knives, made by other companies with other materiel does not mean this Benchmade is of low quality. It's the nature of any stainless material, just like standing in the sun can give you a sun burn... Sometimes, but not always...

Sheesh.
 
Having had many different knives apart from more than a few different companies, I can assure you that this isn't limited to benchmade. Unless a knife's liners are titanium they can develop rust. Usually I just see small spots of discoloration but some level of corrosion on the liners is fairly common on users.

Coat the liners with eezox or a similar rust inhibitor once in a while and it won't come back.

Here's the inside of a spyderco I just received last week. The previous owner had dyed the scales without disassembling the knife, as reccomended by another member. He had no idea there was rust because he never took it apart.

 
Thanks Steve, I thought you don't do Delicas?
Is that liner or scale? Only one I know of that can be taken apart is the Damascus Ti Delica
 
That's the inside of a manbug sprint. Liners, backspacer, spring, all covered with rust. I soaked it in eezox and then rubbed with scotchbrite. All but a few stubborn spots came off without much trouble.

Caring for the liners is a normal part of knife maintenance in my opinion. This is why I disagree with the folks who say you shouldn't take apart your knives.
 
I've had rusted liners on a Buck Vantage which I had clipped to a first aid kit in the game pouch of my bird vest. Those are 420J2 liners, I think, but wet environment and there you go ... liners are going to be prone to rust because water can wick under the scales and unlike water on the blade, it sits there and works on the steel.
 
spketch said:
Caring for the liners is a normal part of knife maintenance in my opinion. This is why I disagree with the folks who say you shouldn't take apart your knives.
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Well I had to find out the hard way, I tinker with my knives a lot, lubing, polishing, sharpening and what not, just never thought of regularly taking them apart to inspect for rust. I had every single one of them adjusted so the pivot tension are to my liking and then leave them be and just lube them and sharpening them and of course use them.
Thanks for the tip
 
wiredbeans said:
I explained this in my original post: "I did one side with Flitz, and still have small deep pitting holes", so it's not SURFACE! I know what stainless steel is people. Don't tell me it's normal/very common for $150 Benchmade to develop rust, post your rusted Benchmade pictures and show me how much you love your rusted Benchmade otherwise stay off this thread.
I posted this mainly to make you guys aware of the potential rust developing with your knives not to cry baby and not to be treated like I'm clueless.
Once rust starts it will always come back. I can grind it down but the scale won't fit properly after.
Like I said, I have a few Benchmades and Spydercos and Zero Tolerance and have never have this type of problem.
This one is only a year old, my 5 year old Delica with steel liner didn't have this problem. My el cheapo Spyderco Ambitious didn't have this problem. I have the Benchmade North Fork for about the same time and didn't rust but now I have to check all my Benchmades.
If it's a $20 knife I would have just chuck it into the trash can.
Click to expand...

Relax guy, no need to get so neurotic. Your post was written as if you did NOT know what stainless meant and sounded like a panic induced rant. This is a discussion forum. Yes, it bears repeating over and over because no matter how many times it's said, people still get confused and still have questions over what "stainless" means. Maybe be clearer next time. NO one called you a cry baby or clueless. Just FYI, when the ZT 0550 came out, A LOT of them had rusted liners under the G10. No one person knows it all, so try no to take everything so personal. Mkay?
 
As an owner of a 585,I have found rust on the 420 SS liners which happen to be surface rust which easily wipe of with a bit of oil and a rag.There is another option,you could get one of those 1" round Dremel SS or carbon steel brushes for a rotary tool to remove the rust that was not easily removed.
 
That poor folder fell victim to a previous owner with sweaty mitts. However, it looks as though the knife was well-used as intended.

Benchmade used 410 stainless for liners back in the day, switched to 420J2 sometime in the 2000's, and has recently (in the past 2 years) switched back to 410. Some liners are black oxide coated and some are not, and both can develop rust. I've always noticed a light layer of a thin lube between the G10 scales and the liners from the factory on BM's, and as such I try to maintain this when I service my carry blades once or twice a year. That light layer of lube definitely helps prevent the oxidation that acidic exposures can cause.

Sorry she's got some rust, but as with methods mentioned, it can be cleaned up. I'd try removing all hardware, laying the naked liner flat on some 600 grit sandpaper, and going to town laterally, applying a satin finish until the rust is abraded away. Then applying light lube and re-assembling.
 
RevDevil said:
Relax guy, no need to get so neurotic. Your post was written as if you did NOT know what stainless meant and sounded like a panic induced rant. This is a discussion forum. Yes, it bears repeating over and over because no matter how many times it's said, people still get confused and still have questions over what "stainless" means. Maybe be clearer next time. NO one called you a cry baby or clueless. Just FYI, when the ZT 0550 came out, A LOT of them had rusted liners under the G10. No one person knows it all, so try no to take everything so personal. Mkay?
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Well said, thanks. I was just having a bad day at work...
 
damn man that sucks! Ive got a LOT of knives but the only rust Ive seen is beneath the scales of some of my Kershaws. Used BM Blue Lube Cleanser and some 0000 steel wool and it came off pretty quick though. My luck with BM's customer service has been pretty good though it would not surprise me if the exchanged the liners for you. They change the blades on my 3 710's whenever there is even a stain or hint of rust on the blades. YMMV good luck
 
wiredbeans said:
Well said, thanks. I was just having a bad day at work...
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Bad days at work suck...as does corrosion.I over oil my blades because lint attraction is not as bad as rust...for me at least!
Lots of us are having bad days at work...the economy is not what it was when I was born in 61.

I hope you have a better day and use lots of oil!
 
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