Carbon steel and saltwater

T

Thetimefarm

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Would any of you carry a carbon steel knife near the ocean or on a boat where it could, and probably would get saltwater on it? I mean obviously if you spend a lot of time in or around the water SS is the only way to go, but for the occasional 1 or 2 day trip around the coast would it be ok?
 
I've spent many a summer fishing off the shore and jetties with carbon blades and they're none the worse for wear...patina yes though still perfect...simply remember to wash and dry after use.
 
I was in Florida last week and carried carbon the majority of the time. I carried a fixed blade in o1 on a couple fishing trips. The last of which was some surf fishing where I got in waist deep a few times submerging it along with the leather sheath. Whenever I got back to the condo I would wash whatever I was carrying with some fresh water and never had a single issue.
With some common since and slight maintenance carbon steel is fine around salt water, however, if I lived down there and did the majority of my fishing in it I would probably carry stainless more often.
 
Why yes I would, I'd probably put a light coat of oil on it first, then wipe it down after use. I would also bring one with a smooth finish as opposed to one that may have been blasted and is porous.
Some even put a patina on it to give it added protection.
 
Coastal Washington State. Have been for life.. (except a stint in the Navy, when I was still West Coast).

Love carbon steel stuff... worked the salty coast my whole life... port districts, water plants... wet and briny is the order of the day.

Never had a problem.
 
Velitrius said:
Coastal Washington State. Have been for life.. (except a stint in the Navy, when I was still West Coast).

Love carbon steel stuff... worked the salty coast my whole life... port districts, water plants... wet and briny is the order of the day.

Never had a problem.
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Same here, I grew up near the coast in the PNW and I've never had problems. Oil the blade in the morning, wipe down the blade and make sure it's dry and clean before you put the knife back in your pocket or back in its sheath and it'll be fine. It'll patina over time, but I personally love the look of patina and it's protective against pitting and such.
 
Thanks for all the replies, gives me a bit more confidence being around saltwater. Especially knowing my clumsy nature which means I tend to end up in the water more than I'd like to admit.
 
I would use a carbon steel blade without hesitation. I'd use a very good oil on it first, something with a very clingy film like Eezox would work well. Maybe even something waxy like a bit of turtle wax or something to create a barrier. Wouldn't take more than a minute or two to apply a solid coat of something to protect the knife. Then i'd have fun and not worry about the knife, and just clean it up when i get back.

Blood is very corrosive to steel and people use carbon steel hunting knives all the time. Just clean it when you're done rather than letting it sit and you'll be just ducky.
 
I've never used it, but Tuff-Glide makes a special "Marine" formula for these conditions. FWIW, I've used their original formula for years now, and I've never had issues with rust.

1 drop on each side of the pivot, and a few drops to coat the blade and you're good to go:thumbup:
 
Hey, Thetimefarm,

Unless you swear on a stack of bibles to wash, dry, and oil the knife every day, I won't sell you one. The people who are on this forum are knifenuts, so they take care of their equipment. Most people, I would guess 80%, don't take of their knives worth a damm. There is a reason Spyderco, probably the largest marine knife maker in the world, makes their knives out of H3 or some other high end Stainless Steel. There is a reason I only make knives out of S35VN, M390, and Elmax, all high end Stainless Steels.

Please, all you carbon steel knife users, don't bother sending me nastygrams telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm an ex sailor and I can guarantee you that 99% of sailors and boaters do not take care of their knives. Most of them don't even keep them sharp!!!

Tim
 
tim37a said:
Hey, Thetimefarm,

Unless you swear on a stack of bibles to wash, dry, and oil the knife every day, I won't sell you one. The people who are on this forum are knifenuts, so they take care of their equipment. Most people, I would guess 80%, don't take of their knives worth a damm. There is a reason Spyderco, probably the largest marine knife maker in the world, makes their knives out of H3 or some other high end Stainless Steel. There is a reason I only make knives out of S35VN, M390, and Elmax, all high end Stainless Steels.

Please, all you carbon steel knife users, don't bother sending me nastygrams telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm an ex sailor and I can guarantee you that 99% of sailors and boaters do not take care of their knives. Most of them don't even keep them sharp!!!

Tim
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1) It's his money and he can spend it how he wants...

2) It's called H-1, so no, you don't know what you're talking about...

3) Your experience as a sailor is universal to every sailor in the world? What if op is in the 1% that do take care of their knives?

4) You won't sell op a knife because your knowledge is superior to his? Well then, I'll be sure to never buy a knife from you...
 
All of my chef knives are high reactive carbon (japanese carbon), and I've been on a fishing boat with my dad a few times and never did I oil or do anything special to my knives.

as long as it's dried after use, no issue.

I have bought camellia oil too, thinking my carbons needed it. I gave the oil away.
 
I had a carbon steel knife destroyed because it was left in the sheath for a week after being soaked in saltwater. It's amazing how fast pitting can occur under the right circumstances. If you can be absolutely certain to do a freshwater wash after use or at least daily and fully dried, no problem at all using a carbon steel knife. But those of us who use a knife on fish/bait whatever at sea don't want oils and other protectants on the blade. So the solution is to just take extreme care. Otherwise I'd use an Aus6 blade or H1 as they are much more forgiving if you forget or just can't get around to the washing and drying very soon.
 
I live in NJ and I surf fish (ocean) and fly fish the back bays for stripers. I carried a Becker BK11 regularly and just recently switched to a JK small fixed blade in O1.

A salt water environment is fine as long as you take care of your stuff.
 
tim37a said:
Hey, Thetimefarm,

Unless you swear on a stack of bibles to wash, dry, and oil the knife every day, I won't sell you one. The people who are on this forum are knifenuts, so they take care of their equipment. Most people, I would guess 80%, don't take of their knives worth a damm. There is a reason Spyderco, probably the largest marine knife maker in the world, makes their knives out of H3 or some other high end Stainless Steel. There is a reason I only make knives out of S35VN, M390, and Elmax, all high end Stainless Steels.

Please, all you carbon steel knife users, don't bother sending me nastygrams telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm an ex sailor and I can guarantee you that 99% of sailors and boaters do not take care of their knives. Most of them don't even keep them sharp!!!

Tim
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This seems a bit over dramatic. I don't see why you are taking it so personal. Did I miss the part where someone called you out specifically?
As a maker you are allowed to use and not use certain materials as you see fit, no explanation required. I'm just trying to understand why you are getting so hostile when everyone else has remained quite civil.
 
The entire world was sailed and explored using carbon steel knives and tools.

The wreck of the Titanic is still recognizable after over a century in the briny deep.

Though I have a Pacific Salt in H-1 for those times I go out on the water and don't want to think about maintaining my knife, I haven't hesitated to take carbon steel ones out if I have felt like caring for it. Everyone has outlined the basic steps you have to take for a drama free carbon outing on the water. The only thing I can add is that if you mistakenly forget a Case warncliffe folder in carbon in your wet pocket, have some compressed air or other method handy to thoroughly dry it out. I wrecked one by not getting salt water rinsed and effectively dried out of every nook and cranny of the pivots.
 
The don't make things like the used to. But when it comes to knives, I think we are better off. Even todays standard steels from places like china. Are more refined with less inclusions that cause easy rusting, pitting, and breakage. And if you are still worried about your knife. Buy a simple cheep stainless steel knife and forgo the stress.
 
tim37a said:
Unless you swear on a stack of bibles to wash, dry, and oil the knife every day, I won't sell you one. The people who are on this forum are knifenuts, so they take care of their equipment. Most people, I would guess 80%, don't take of their knives worth a damm.
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Wow. Well, I guess I won't be buying from you anyway.

Since he specifically asked about care, I think it's reasonable to conclude that he's interested in taking care of it. Most of us seem to agree that this doesn't involve storing it immersed in Ballistol when not in use. I grew up on the West Coast of the United States and now live about 10km from the North Sea; I've never had a problem with carbon steels around saltwater, given the normal maintenance you'd give any carbon steel blade.

I'm an ex sailor and I can guarantee you that 99% of sailors and boaters do not take care of their knives. Most of them don't even keep them sharp!!!
Click to expand...

Were you perhaps a sailor in the sense that you served in the Navy (in which case, thank you for your service), or are you talking about actual rigged boats? Because I'm not a sailor in either sense, but my experience with the latter is that they use very different types of knives, which definitely aren't made from stainless supersteels and will invariably wear out and need replacement—just like their marlin spikes and all their other various tools. Columbus and Magellan didn't have the benefit of Elmax (or "H3," whatever that is), and they managed to get the job done just fine.

Sorry, I guess that did come out as something of a "nastygram." Because I'm not convinced you do know what you're talking about, and I certainly don't like your attitude toward someone who asked a perfectly reasonable question. (And has otherwise been getting perfectly reasonable answers.)
 
Sorry , guys - guess my reply did sound a bit opinionated. I sailed actual rigged boats on SF Bay for a few years. I haven't looked at Spyderco's literature for quite a while so I made a mistake between H1 and H3 - won't try to be so specific next time. I said the people on this forum take care of their knives, so why are you sending me nasty grams telling me how you take care of your knives? I made 2 knives for sailors out of 440C a few years ago. The knives were passivated to remove any carbon particles and buffed to a mirror finish (both of which should be done for a knife for salt water use). I told the buyers not to store them on the boat in a leather sheath and to wipe them down with BoeShield periodically. Six months later the first buyer brought his knife back because it was rusty. Nine months later the second buyer brought his back because it was rusty. Turned out both buyers stored their knife in a leather sheath and never wiped them down with anything. I gave them their money back and have, ever since, included a short paper on "the care and feeding of your knife" with every knife that goes out the door. So yes, Corrosion and care of a knife is a hot button for me, as a knife maker.
 
Carbon steel melts in salt water. That's why the pirates were always having banana fights.
 
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