Anyone managed to rust S35VN?

H

Hermit_Knight

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Mar 19, 2018
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Hey all has anyone been able to rust this stuff? I’ve been using it in salt water and fish blood and with a simple wipe off I have had no rust issues so far.
 
I can cause rust any steel during the summer if I carry it in my pocket. My sweat is caustic and during the summer I sweat through jeans and even my belts on a daily basis.

Several days in a row in my jeans pocket that is soaked through with sweat (no, not wiped down, just tossed on the dresser at the end of the day) had my ZT 0909 break out in a small rash of rust spots about the size of pencil dots. They easily removed with a pencil eraser and didn't pit the finish. This has happened a few times. But, if it isn't prime sweat weather here (100F during the work day) and/or I am not working in the heat all day, no problems at all.

Although it seems to be rapidly falling out of fashion I like S35VN a lot. It holds and edge well and is much more weather/pocket resistant than most other steels for me.

Robert
 
I've had my Spyderco Military in S30V rust in my pocket from nothing but my sweat. Of course, it'd been exposed to the humidity for hours, has a fairly course finish, had not been oiled, and was only little speckles of rust that were removed with 0000 steel wool.
 
I've gotten really light spotting on S35VN and I've had S35VN discolor (stain), but I suspect that was more from surface contamination. I've also had light spotting on bead blasted parts of S35VN (like in the choils on WE knives), but almost any steel will spot when bead blasted.
 
Yes, I've seen it rust on multiple knives one of which is my custom demko ad15.
 
shinyedges said:
Yes, I've seen it rust on multiple knives one of which is my custom demko ad15.
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What conditions did that happen under?

You guys must either have insanely potent sweat or you’re leaving moisture on your blades for too long. S35 doesnt rust very easily.
 
Mick_1KRR said:
What conditions did that happen under?

You guys must either have insanely potent sweat or you’re leaving moisture on your blades for too long. S35 doesnt rust very easily.
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Corrosion resistance depends on so many factors that it will/can vary from company to company and knife to knife. No s35vn isn't a patina prone carbon steel. But my experience with it ( and s30v) from a variety of makers over the years is it will and does speckle with rust when exposed to corrosive environments/tasks like swimming. M390 on the other hand, WAY more corrosion resistant.
 
I tried to capture these rust spots, but it is difficult as they are small. It is visible rust (albeit not enough to really matter) and will not wash off or rub off or otherwise be removed. Small pits really.
20180911_100828.jpg
 
kwackster said:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/crk-sebenza-25-pivot-and-orange-juice.1456751/
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That is a somewhat misleading post, and suprised not much argument with it.

Note the ONLY places pitted are those in contact with the thrust washer bearings, not even one speck of pitting outside the ring of direct contact.

A perfect example of galvanic dissimilar corrosion with the citric acid a perfect electrolyte (an orange or lemon generates readable electricity all by itself when rolled and tested with a meter).

That is not rust. That is a lazy ignorant owner leaving an acid trapped between two different types of metal for an extended period of time.
 
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You are of course correct, it is indeed something different than rust.
I wouldn't classificy the owner as a moron though, but knives and their maintenance are definitely not his field of expertise.
 
I own a hinderer xm-18 in s35VN and it likes to rust when I have a damp sweaty pocket. It's never a lot and it always wipes off fairly easily, but it happens.

People on the Hinderer Facebook page have posted pictures of it too. Especially on the working finish models.
 
Old thread but for the record. After 8 hours in my pocket WE Blocao had spots of rust on flat side, I didn't even made picture, was to busy to clean it right now. I managed to remove it without ruining finish, with tooth paste on finger. I have pretty caustic sweat too I guess. It was 8 hours in pocket, close to body and at work I had 32°C. Also finish is beadblasted stonewash, so it's not the best combination. Last time I had such issue with D2 in Benchmade.
 
my AD15 has some freckles forming from basic pocket time. i dont even get really sweaty on a regular basis.

I do like the steel though. it's easier than I thought to get a sticky edge
 
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