Blued Steel

[BChou-E29]

I just want to pose a quick question in the blade material department. I am selecting a material type and I was weighing my options. I've heard 1095 is incredibly hard but has poor rust resistance. I was wondering if blued 1095 steel would have a comparable rust resistance to say, 154CM?

 

[SGTCap]

I wouldnt call my blued guns particularly rust resistant.

 

[navihawk]

Bluing it is rusting it in a way. you are oxidizing the blade. may help it a bit, but you still have to care for it.

 

[knarfeng]

I just want to pose a quick question in the blade material department. I am selecting a material type and I was weighing my options. I've heard 1095 is incredibly hard but has poor rust resistance. I was wondering if blued 1095 steel would have a comparable rust resistance to say, 154CM?

Not even close.

 

[hardheart]

if you rust blue, then when the blade does rust, just boil it again

 

[Cisco Kid]

I wouldnt call my blued guns particularly rust resistant.

Yeah! What he said.

 

[BChou-E29]

Bluing it is rusting it in a way. you are oxidizing the blade. may help it a bit, but you still have to care for it.

That's true, I understand no finish will replace proper care. But if I'm backpacking I don't know if I'll be able to maintain optimal conditions for my knife. However, it sounds like bluing wouldn't be my best course of action

 

[chipped]

Just keep it oiled and wipe it down after it gets wet or food on it. Other than that, if you haven't used it in a while touch it up before you use it and you should be fine.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Or, have it hard chromed.

 

[navihawk]

carry a little lunch bag with a mineral oil soaked cloth. That way you can use it for food also. Bluing will help.

 

[rwiggins]

Just wax the blade. I use Renaissance wax, but have had excellent results with regular automotive paste wax. My blades don't rust and when carrying them in the field, a little rag with mineral oil keeps them in top condition. You would be surprised at how resilient the wax is. And all my blades are 10XX series steel except for a couple of O-1 and D2 steel blades. I'm just not a huge fan of stainless. Now, if I lived in a salty environment, I would have to rethink things, lol.

 

[Cisco Kid]

Or, have it hard chromed.

LOL, you made me spill some coffee on my lap.

 

[BChou-E29]

I see... I think I'm going to stick with a 10xx series steel. Thanks all for the helpful advice!

 

[navihawk]

Anyone have a good procedure for bluing other that gun blue?I tried bluing 1095. the backsprings came out nice and even but the blades were spotty.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I'm serious about the hard chrome.
Even nickel plating will keep the rust away, but nickel scratches easier than chrome.

 

[navihawk]

There is another coating called dicronite.It's a dry lubricant 5 microns that will resist rust.