Carbon Traditionals + Salt Water, How To Manage?

[Trout Hound]

Howdy Y’all,

Ok, so this is something I’ve been wondering about for awhile. Before the advent of modern stainless alloys, centuries of folks obviously managed to maintain carbon steel knives and tools used in and around salt water. So, I’m hoping to learn from some of you who have more experience, what type of care routine works best for this?

For example, I think about the Marines in WWII who sometimes ended up neck deep in the surf, or worse, during amphibious assault campaigns. They had carbon steel knives, in wet leather sheaths, and they certainly had much more pressing concerns when they got ashore than cleaning gear. How did they deal with this?

I would think that forcing a patina would help a lot, and that keeping the blade dry would be of utmost importance. Still, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly salt water, and even salt air, can utterly destroy so many materials, especially steel.

So, if I wanted to take a carbon steel Mora on a saltwater fishing trip, what would I need to do to keep it from rusting? For that matter, how would the wooden handle fare?

I’m quite aware that modern materials mitigate these concerns, but people obviously found ways to maintain these materials under these conditions in the past, and I’m just wondering how they did it.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Goose 7279]

Checkout seal1 clp in the paste and liquid i bought it at knifeswapper store Collector Knives. It has pretty much blown everything else away besides keeping blades drenched in oil. The clp leaves a nice like wax layer to the touch. But i dont think its food safe.

 

[knifeswapper]

Checkout seal1 clp in the paste and liquid i bought it at knifeswapper store Collector Knives. It has pretty much blown everything else away besides keeping blades drenched in oil. The clp leaves a nice like wax layer to the touch. But i dont think its food safe.

It's good stuff - and food safe. But they do say not to drink it

 

[Goose 7279]

Haha thanks mike i wasn't sure but now i can enjoy it as long as i got a designated driver of course.

 

[Blacksprucy]

Checkout seal1 clp in the paste and liquid i bought it at knifeswapper store Collector Knives. It has pretty much blown everything else away besides keeping blades drenched in oil. The clp leaves a nice like wax layer to the touch. But i dont think its food safe.

I second this recommendations about Seal1 CLP. I have been using the liquid form and it is better than anything I have used to date for rust protection.

 

[Pomsbz]

What's the difference between the liquid and paste? This sounds like an interesting product.

 

[supratentorial]

The ocean was a stones throw from the door of my rental home for several years. During elver season, folks were literally in my back yard (beach is public property even when the surrounding area is private). Stuff does tend to weather fairly quickly by the ocean. I used to joke that Pottery barn got the "distressed wood" finish by leaving the furniture in my yard for a week. I was on the water every day of year with dogs who were either swimming or slipping around on the ice. I also sailed some. Phones went in a zip lock on the sailboat. Could have put knives in a zip lock too but didn't. I wasn't IN the water much though. I tried to keep things dry and wiped blades down with mineral oil. I'm sure that my grandfather took good care of his stuff during the war. There was less time spent photographing and tweeting about guns/knives back then. People relied on them and took good care of them because of it. Also, many didn't have much and appreciated what little they had. The number one way to keep knives from rusting is to use them. It's the putting away wet that usually does the damage. Good question and I'm looking forward to everyones tips.

 

[Arathol]

For example, I think about the Marines in WWII who sometimes ended up neck deep in the surf, or worse, during amphibious assault campaigns. They had carbon steel knives, in wet leather sheaths, and they certainly had much more pressing concerns when they got ashore than cleaning gear. How did they deal with this?

Cosmoline, and lots of it.

 

[screened porch]

Our saltwater-fishing ancestors would stick a new knife in a potato before taking it out on the boat. Potatoes give an even black patina overnight.

 

[Will Power]

When I got hold of some surplus knives once they were coated with some evil smelling grease but they showed no signs of rust, the grease which looked like the stuff you put on cars decades ago was hell to get off but it did the trick. I think this may have been the strategy.

I don't know much about guns but in WW1 and 2 all armies were in very wet or sea conditions but they must've proofed the rifles against such eventualities.

 

[JB in SC]

The US military parkerized everything in WW II.

 

[afishhunter]

Forced patina back in the day would be my guess.
I suspect those nice shiny, knives, daggers, and swords in the pirate movies are naught but another example of Hollywood's imagination. Heck, the swords and daggers might have been blued or browned, like their firearms were.
The Mora's wood handle should not give you any problems. If you are really worried about it, you can put a coat or two of Shellac, or Varnish, or even wax on, before taking it out.

 

[Horsewright]

Sometimes even us desert rats will go play at the coast:

This will include some very expensive metal things getting wet:

This Sheffield bowie was carried shipboard by the wife's grandfather in the USN throughout WW2.

The stitching gave way and he re stitched the sheath with aluminum wire.

Our bits and spurs do have a forced patina on them. The steel will be blued, browned or French Grey depending on the maker. We just rinse em off and dry em. But think about the bits, they go into a wet horses mouth daily. We then just dunk em in the water trough and hang em up to dry before we put em away. That bit above will way out last me, it was my 50th birthday present. It will go to my son and then to his son and so on. Rinse em off and dry.

Big believer in the CLPs by the way. Using one called Frog Lube these days. It just flat works.

 

[lambertiana]

The number one way to keep knives from rusting is to use them. It's the putting away wet that usually does the damage.

This reminds me of the time we took the scouts on a deep sea fishing trip about 15 years ago. After everyone caught their limit and we started heading back in, one of the crew on the chartered boat fileted all of the fish. He was using a thin carbon steel filet knife. I can't think of an environment more conducive to rust, being exposed to saltwater and fish constantly. But the blades did not have any rust. They had a very dark gray patina. I should have asked them if they did anything special besides rinsing them off and drying them after use. I suspect that is all they did.

 

[Railsplitter]

What's the difference between the liquid and paste? This sounds like an interesting product.

I can't answer your question as I have been wondering the same thing. Mike sent me the sample tube pictured below and upon using it, I thought it was the paste. Then I ordered a bottle of the liquid and it has the same consistency as the stuff in the sample tube.

The liquid is not runny at all straight out of the bottle. Maybe the same consistency as pudding. When using it on a heated surface it melts down pretty fast.

I like Seal1 too and you can add me to those who recommend it.