You can get rust on acid etched knives just like you would another finish. I would expect it to corrode more easily than stonewashed finishes without the acid etch step.
I think whether it will wear depends on how it was done.
On the bolded statement, you are incorrect. Acid etching a steel blade creates an artificial patina that will keep the steel protected, and will prevent unintentional rust. It wears very well because it is a steel oxide, and the stonewash on top of it smooths out the surface, depending on who does the finish and how long they do it, which creates a smoother surface than just the acid wash by itslef, and allows for a good life of the finish, while still protecting the blade.
You are right that you can still get steel to rust if it has an acid stonewash finish and that the wear will depend on how well it is done, but it will be much more resistant than the same steel that has simply been stonewashed, as long as the acid-stonewash is done well, and I know for a fact that Josh does very good work. I have every bit of faith that he will make a finish that will wear very well, and will function the way that it is meant to.
An acid etched blade forces a patina that works similar to a coating. Its not as durable but you are less likely to develop the bad kinds of corrosion with an acid etch. Less then say a bead blast. Of course it really depends on the alloy.
Yep. Pretty much any steel that is acid stonewshed will hold up better than if it were only stonewashed though, and certainly better than if it had a bead balsted finish, as that promotes corrosion more than almost anything as far as standard finishes are concerned.
Some alloys don't even really allow you to acid wash them, and those are the ones that you are never really going to get corrosion on anyway, so there's little to no point. Examples of that would be Z-FiNit, Vanax 35, and non-corroding steels like H1. If you put Z-FiNit in an acid wash for several hours, it will hardly even effect the color of the steel surface, much less actually form a layer of patina.
On a carbon steel blade or something similar, a good acid stonewash can allow for very good corrosion resistance, but generally it is safer to do on steels like 3V, 4V, and maybe M4, rather than something that is more prone to corrosion, like 1095, because you have to be extremely careful not to let the acid damage the blade itself or stay on the blade more than a very short time, as it will work
too well in some cases.
