Best way to protect 5160 from rusting in humid areas?

S

SpyderJon

Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
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Hello all! I've decided to get a MMHW Bowie. I'm still trying to decide which model, but I have a question. We'll be moving to the Northeast this summer/fall, and its a fair bit more humid there then where we currently are. I don't want my money to go wasted, nor do I want to fail to give the knife its due. Thus, whats the best way to protect the blade from rusting in a humid area?

How does a parkerizing finish hold up to the elements? Would it be better to have the finish stripped off and maybe have the knife blued? I'm kinda confused, so I hope you can understand me!!

Thanks, again!

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
Blueing provides almost no corrosion protection.

Good protection:
renwax
quality paint
parkerizing

Excellent protection:
epoxy paint
electoless nickle plate
hard/industrial chrome plate
zinc plate
aluminum spray coating

Remember that all of these will need renwax or similar on the sharpened edge.
 
I use my own concoction of bee's wax and mineral spirits. Steve Bloom did a test and found that bee's wax was most efficient. And, of course, I'm cheap!
Lynn
 
Thanks for the suggestions! I've been told to get Rennaisance wax for some of my other knives, so I suppose I'll give that one a go. Where are the best places to find the stuff?

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
Buff the hell out of it and put lots of oil in the sheath. I like clove oil for this.
Oh yeah, and don't cut apples with it.
 
Thanks again for all the helpful advice! Is it best to buff with just a soft cloth (like an old t-shirt), or is there a special cloth that y'all use? I would imagine you wouldn't want to use something like a shammy, just because it would soak up the oil, but I'm new at this, so...
 
I was actually referring to a buffing wheel. You don't want to use that much elbow grease, your elbow wouldn't like it. If you don't have a buffer, just go with the oil or wax of your choice. I don't reccomend using both, they rarely mix well.
 
My simple test on 01 showed Briwax worked the best, followed by beeswax.
Renaissance wax came in fourth following a furniture paste wax who's brand name escapes me at the moment.
 
I looked at the Briwax, but couldn't tell which of the products I should be looking for. Is there a specific kind that I should be looking for? Where would be the best place to get it from? Thanks, again for all the help!

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
I think you're making too big of a deal out of it. Parkerizing is a better corrosion prohibitor than blueing. It has been the standard military finish for weapons for many years. The reason it works is because it acts as a sponge and soaks up oil. So, when you get the knife, put a good coat of oil over the knife's blade. You'll probably never have any trouble with rusting after that. The uncoated edge is another story. I recommend getting some Tuff Cloth and putting it on the edge periodically.

David
 
I have a couple of 5160 blades sitting on my night stand and they have been there for almost a year. They are polished and have been oiled with mineral oil and are oiled and wiped down with a chamois maybe every 2 months or so. They get handled daily and are not protected with a sheath or in a box or anything.

There is not a trace of rust on any of the blades.

Waxes and oils for steel protection are really a personal thing and everyone has a pet concoction....for me, plain old mineral oil works just fine.

Brian
 
This is a user right?
The parkarized finish should do fine.
A little WD40 before storage...
Remember to dry the knife before you put it down or away.
Never sheath a wet knife or put a knife in a wet sheath.
Oh yeah...
'Canned Air' is great for drying out kydex sheaths
:D

Edited to include:
"I'm no knifemaker, just a guy forgetting what forum he was in"
:o
 
I never found a perfectly satisfactory solution to keeping high carbon knives rust free in difficult conditions. Ren Wax is OK. Marine Tuff Cloth is about the same. Regular application of oil is good too, but you have to pick the right oil for the use [ ie, if you will be eating, make sure it isn't toxic and won't go rancid] Coatings do work, but the different permanent coatings are for those who know something about them to advise on, not me.
If you maintain the knife regularly, you shouldn't have much trouble. If not and corrosion is a big concern, you might be happier with more corrosion resistant material.
 
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