Carbon blades and rust

U

Ultraman

Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
1,083
Hi everyone.
In order to ward off rust on carbon steel blades, what needs to be done? Any or all of the following?
1. Keeping the blade dry
2. Applying a light coat of oil
3. Allowing a patina to form naturally
4. Making a patina or coating (lemon juice, bluing?)

Anything else I missed? What would you recommend? Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!
 
The best way I've found to keep rust off of carbon blades is to keep them clean and use them. The use keeps everything working the way it was meant to.

SDS
 
I've never done anything special to keep my knives from rusting. Even living in the Arkansas sauna-like heat and humidity and working outdoors for years, I've never had a blade rust.

But yes, you can keep a light coat of oil on the blade. And keeping it dry, more importantly allowing it to dry should it get wet, is important. A patina will build naturally over time, but you can speed up the process if you wish.
 
Rust on a carbon steel blade is just part of the natural aging of the steel. I'm talking about the normal discoloration that occurs over time, not actual pitting type rust. There is no excuse for a blade owner to allow a carbon steel blade to rust. Even average care will prevent rust damage. Note that I don't consider staining to be damage.

There is nothing wrong with this discoloration or staining that occurs with carbon steel, in fact, I have always thought that there was something unnatural about the lack of staining on stain-less type blades.
 
Ultraman said:
Hi everyone.
In order to ward off rust on carbon steel blades, what needs to be done? Any or all of the following?
1. Keeping the blade dry
2. Applying a light coat of oil
3. Allowing a patina to form naturally
4. Making a patina or coating (lemon juice, bluing?)

Anything else I missed? What would you recommend? Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You got your base covered with all four!

I dry the blade and buff the blade with a cotton rag. this warms up the blade to make it bone dry and shines the patina to lovely colors.
I only oil the blade if I am putting the knife away, as I often use my knives on food.
I let a natural patina form as this shows where the blade is used. Any kitchen use will form a patina fast.
If you want to make a patina, first clean the blade from any grease with rubbing alchol.
 
So many knife users can't remember a time before stainless steel blades and having no experience with high carbon steel blades assume that they will rust to dust if not carefully handled/maintained.Here's the story on three WW-2 era knives I am familiar with.
1.) Dad's Ka-Bar - got it from a Marine in the South Pacific . handled,used and in civilian life used to dress a number of deer. Finish pretty much worn off - only thing really wrong with it is the leather washers have begun to dry out and shrink. Has discolorations aplenty and what i call healed rust spots - they haven't gotten any bigger in the 50 years I've been watching it.This is a KaBar Ka-Bar - I believe these are all 1095 steel?
2.) Cataragus Navy fixed blade knife. One of my Uncles picked this up towards the end of the war in the Philipines. Rehandeled with cast aluminum spacers/washers made from aircraft windscreen. Knife has some fairly obvious pitting - again - I'd call 'em healed rust spots - during the 45 years or so that I have used this knife - it's never gotten worse. No finish on blade ( don't think there ever was) - no idea what steel?
3.) Samurai sword. Friend's father sent this back from the Pacific towards the end of WW-2 - it hung in the front window of his uncles butcher shop for a year or so - was touched by half the neighborhood - who all marveled at the incredible sharpness of the blade edge. Not cleaned or oiled - significant pitting and damage to the edge and blade as a result of this mishandling. Once cleaned and oiled this had stopped - but the damage was done.
Pocket knives to me are a different story - I had all carbon steel folders - would have to soak 'em in Coke overnight and then oil the daylights out of 'em (BTW - not treatment I would recommend today) - because they would literally rust shut from summertime sweat. REALLY appreciate stainless pocket knives.
To sum up - unless you sail the salt sea for a living - it's pretty hard to abuse carbon steel blades to the point where they are no longer functional . Rust is a lot scarier on a 55 Chevy.
 
you can treat that kabar leather scales with Obenuaf LP (the paste, NOT the liquid) . I highly recommend it!
 
Thanks for the responses, I read 'em all and will retain them.
One thing that's sunk in is that I would like to prevent any rust from happening. Even if it had healed rust spots, I probably would have neurotic thoughts of taking them out, and that would probably mean removing more blade material.
I'm expecting a Douk-Douk soon, so I think I will try to be more conscientious about cleaning, drying and buffing it after "wet" use.
 
Car wax. Hardwood floor paste wax. Renaissance wax. Bees wax.

Did I forget to suggest wax on exposed metal to prevent rusting?
 
I live in a high humidity environment and after trying many things have found FLITZ metal polish to work best.

The biggest danger to carbon steel knives comes from using 'em to prep food or dress meat and forgetting to clean them afterward (personal experience).

Other problems can arise from sap if cutting green trees/plants. In this scenario I have found a wet wipe (or variation thereof) is the best thing for removing the sap residue.

I then dry it and polish it with FLITZ. This both polishes the steel and leaves a rust inhibiting layer on the knife.

Finally, do not store carbon steel blades in their sheaths. Wrap 'em in a rag or bandanna or store em in a knife or gun rug, preferably one that has some oil soaked into it.
 
Using the knife every day keeps the rust goblin away!

A.G.Russell make a rust inhibitor product for those who wish to store knives.

Cut up anything from the onion family and you get a fabulous blue patina naturally...
 
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