Carrying a SAK While Running- Rust?

M

Minnesotapride88

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Oct 25, 2011
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For some time now, I've been carrying a Spyderco Salt I while running/working out, but I'm thinking about retiring it. I really don't need a blade that big while running. Plus, as far as SD goes, I don't really think defending myself with a knife will do a whole lot of good.

Instead, I've been thinking about carrying a simple Vic Recruit. It's got a nice slicer on it for anything I need it for (popping blisters, cutting frayed laces, etc.), and I could use the tweezers on it for splinters and any ticks that try burrowing into my legs. I've carried SAKs for years with no rust problems, but I'll be running a lot this summer to prepare for a marathon, so it's going to be exposed to a lot of salty sweat, which worries me.

Has anybody else carried one for this purpose, and did you have any rust problems? It's a cheap knife, but I like to take care of my stuff.
 
Don't worry about rust. The worst rust I've ever seen on a swiss army knife were a load of little specs about a tenth of a mm big, and I found that one on the beach. Besides, they cost just 30 Euro, so it's not really worth wasting worries on.
 
Keep your SAK in a little pouch, condom or whatever and you will have peace of mind. You could chop off the toe section of an old sock and use that for a nice fit.
I have had a couple of SAKs which rusted badly, because they were left outdoors, but they won't rust so easily if you care for them, i.e. dry it off after running, for instance.
 
I dont know if I would get a SAK but what about a Spyderco Dragonfly 2 H1? It is small enough to carry but big enough to use if you need it and I am not really talking about defense but more like usefulness if something comes up. As I am sure you know, it is the baby brother of the Salt 1.

I just picked one up for the same reason as well as just being out at the beach or just outside in shorts all day! Just a thought!
 
I like the idea. Not that I can run anymore, but wandering around indoors or out, a SAK with a few blades is always handy. They really are about as rustproof as you'll find. When you get home, shake the sweat off it, maybe open the blades to towel them off, maybe rub a little mineral oil on them, and let it air dry.
 
You won't have any rust problems.

But I think I'd stick with the Spydie in your case. That, or supplement the SAK with a small pepper spray canister. Maybe I'm paranoid, but runners seem especially vulnerable to muggings to me.
 
Yeah I always carry pepper spray when I go running. I also carry a one-handed locking folder and a Streamlight Stinger to make sure that cars can see me at night.

The awl or corkscrew on a Vic actually makes a pretty good ad hoc weapon too.
 
Every knife I carried when I ran rusted to some extent, even the dive knives, though I dried them out at the end of the run. The sweat just gets down into the guts of a folder and you can't get it out. I never tried a SAK, however. I run in Florida in the woods and get very wet. Now I carry only Spyderco Salts, a Pacific Salt if a folder, and they don't rust. I recommed you stick with the Salt 1, it's a good knife and not very heavy. If you really want to downsize, then there are smaller Salts. I'm embarrassed to say I never carried anything as small as a Salt 1, and with larger knives you have to be careful where you locate them so they don't bang on you. The Salt series is all pretty light, don't have really sharp places, and are nice to run with. Enjoy your runs!
 
Smaug said:
Maybe I'm paranoid, but runners seem especially vulnerable to muggings to me.
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Who is going to mug a runner? All I have on me when I am running is my truck key and maybe a Kershaw Skyline. Not much of a score.
I guess I would be a little more paranoid if I were running on streets of Chicago. ;)
My Skyline has been clipped on my waist band for many 10+ mile trail runs and no rust. I believe a SAK to be just as corrosion resistant so I would not worry one bit about it.
Are you carrying you knife in a key pocket in your running shorts?
Or do you actually have pockets on your shorts?
 
ToneGrail said:
The awl or corkscrew on a Vic actually makes a pretty good ad hoc weapon too.
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Just an advisory: military personnel in Vietnamese cities during the war were strictly prohibited from carrying arms off duty in town, so many of them went about with SAK Tinkers to ward off snatch and grab thieves, of which there were very many. The idea was to wrap your fist around the SAK with the awl protruding from between your fingers. Contact would cause enough pain to discourage any potential assailant, or at least that was the theory. Although I haven't had the personal experience myself, others who have told me the technique worked most of the time, but they had wound up with serious lacerations on their hands from the weaponized SAK awls.

Keeping in mind that the SAK awl is quite sharp and not locked in place, you can see the potential for injury :eek: .
 
znapschatz said:
Just an advisory: military personnel in Vietnamese cities during the war were strictly prohibited from carrying arms off duty in town, so many of them went about with SAK Tinkers to ward off snatch and grab thieves, of which there were very many. The idea was to wrap your fist around the SAK with the awl protruding from between your fingers. Contact would cause enough pain to discourage any potential assailant, or at least that was the theory. Although I haven't had the personal experience myself, others who have told me the technique worked most of the time, but they had wound up with serious lacerations on their hands from the weaponized SAK awls.

Keeping in mind that the SAK awl is quite sharp and not locked in place, you can see the potential for injury :eek: .
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That's why you have the phillips driver sticking out from between your fingers and use it like a impact tool.

Yeah, I was there and learned not to use the awl. Couple bandaids fixed it, but I never made that mistake again. With the phillips driver, you may bruise the side of your finger, but it will hurt the other guy way worse. Experience is a great teacher.

Carl.
 
i've yet to see a single spot of rust on any of my SAKs, of which some have been passed down from my grandfather to my father to me, surviving three military careers and being regularly used for over sixty years now. i'm afraid those alox scaled beasts will be there to see the end of mankind before even thinking about catching some rust.
 
I haven't seen rust on mine too and several of them have been with me on trips along the coast and at sea. I wouldn't worry about rust.
 
RUNIT said:
Who is going to mug a runner?
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You would be surprised. There have been a lot of black on white attacks since lately since the Trevor Martin incident. Here in Baltimore, you can get attacked for things other than your wallet. Lots of rape and hate crime going on here.
 
jackknife said:
That's why you have the phillips driver sticking out from between your fingers and use it like a impact tool.

Yeah, I was there and learned not to use the awl. Couple bandaids fixed it, but I never made that mistake again. With the phillips driver, you may bruise the side of your finger, but it will hurt the other guy way worse. Experience is a great teacher.

Carl.
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Thanks for your input. That's kind of what I thought.
 
jackknife said:
That's why you have the phillips driver sticking out from between your fingers and use it like a impact tool.

Yeah, I was there and learned not to use the awl. Couple bandaids fixed it, but I never made that mistake again. With the phillips driver, you may bruise the side of your finger, but it will hurt the other guy way worse. Experience is a great teacher.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Sounds like there could be a great story in there somewhere, hint hint. :-)
 
Back on topic... I used to run, but never carried a knife while doing so. Couldn't stand to have an extra anything in my pockets. That was in the days before I knew anything about knives, let alone Spyderco, so maybe I would do it differently today (if my knees would only let me :( ).
Still, I can't imagine any modern stainless steel that would rust under those conditions, especially with minimal care.

Now, with that worry taken care of, don't you feel much better? :D
 
Depending on where I run usually carry atleast one knife when I run. When I run on base I carry my boker subcom clipped inside the waist band of my underarmor underwear, so its right against my skin. Infact I often carry this knife there as a last ditch backup. I have never had an issue. When I run on road in town I usually carry either my Spyderco Paramilitary or the Manix 2. Again never had an issue with rust. When I run the trail I usually keep my Victorinox OHT in my camelbak and one of the aforementioned Spydercos handy for fast access. Rust has never been an issue with any of these knives, I just wipe them down when I am done.
 
I wouldn't worry about rust so much. I did however cut some limes with my Farmer last night, and didn't wipe it off well enough. The blade was stiff this morning when I awoke..I added some vegi oil, and it worked itself out. Usually just tap water is all I clean my SAK's with, and maybe a dot of oil (edible oil) from time to time. They are pretty tough.
 
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