Carrying carbon?

B

Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
1,864
Well I think I may start throwing in some of my older slipjoints (mostly Imperials from the 60's, possibly earlier I dont know) into EDC rotation this summer, but I'm concerned about sweat and all that summer goodness affecting the steel. I'm quite athletic and often ride many miles a day on my bike, play disc golf or wrench on cars for hours on end, doubtlessly resulting in a fair sweat. I've had cheap stainless rust and pit on me so I'm worried even my deeply patina'd blades may have corrosion issues.

Now, I have no problem regularly oiling my blades with whatever I have available (probably anywhere from daily to weekly), but in my experience it takes but hours for cancer...errr rust to form. Anybody who carries carbon steel blades in their pockets have any issues? Obviously within reason I should be fine, but I'm worried about those 90F-100F days where just breathing makes you want to die; or those sudden summer showers.
 
I've never had problem carrying a carbon steel slipjoint. I also don't sweat very much so YMMV.
 
Years ago, when I was younger and less careful than I am now, I bought an Old Timer 80T stockman. It took only a couple of days for me to fall out of love with that knife. I couldn't keep the rust off of it. The first time I pulled it out of my pocket to cut something, the blades were red (as was the inside of my pocket). This was during the summer, which here in western Kansas means 100+ heat and 5 - 10% humidity, so sweat concentrates really fast, and you don't even realize you are sweating because it dries so fast.

To make a long story longer, that 80T is in my pocket right now, thanks to Flitz metal polish and a better understanding of carbon steel. ;)

With a little care, you shouldn't have any trouble carrying carbon steel, even in the summer.
 
I live in a VERY humid area and do lots of physical work. I've found that a good pocket sheath is the best way to keep the rust off my carbon steel slippies.

I carry a Case CV trapper regularly and a simple sheath, which adds almost no volume to the knife (it has to be made of soft, thin leather), has helped me keep the rust away during the hot and humid South American summers.
 
I carry nothing but carbon and I work construction/security. Rust has never been an issue, even when the temperature and humidity race for triple digits.
 
I usually lubricate and wipe everything down with Militec-1 every couple of weeks or so and don't have any problems with sweat and carbon knives. Tuf-Glide also works well (though I find Militec-1 to work a bit better as a lubricant).

You need to thoroughly clean the knife before you apply Militec-1 or Tuf-Glide the first time so they will bond with the metal surfaces for the best protection. I usually clean with moderately hot water and Dawn dishwashing soap, followed by a thorough rinse with hot water, followed by some 91% isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly dry and degrease the knife before I first apply Militec-1. After that the cleaning won't be necessary.
 
Do you guys put a patina on your knives? I did on mine, and they STILL rust all to crap. Maybe I have a high content in my sweat, and I usually spend most of the day wet, with the blade in a wet pocket, but my CV Soddie Jr., and my CV Trapper can't keep from rusting. I don't get it. Maybe I should try bluing the blade, with the stuff they use on guns. Would that be safe to use on a knife that I may occasionally use to prepare food?
 
Gun blue, if the blade is washed thoroughly after treatment, should be food-safe. You will remove the blue at the edge the first time you sharpen on a stone, or strop with abrasive, leaving an area that will still be vulnerable to rust.

I know it isn't traditional, but for your circumstances, I would be looking at a Spyderco Salt series knife for work.

I carried only stainless steel knives for twenty years after that 80T lost its edges to rust in my pocket before I could use it. If I was still working outdoors all day in all weather conditions like I was back then, I might still be sticking with stainless.
 
I've personally never had a problem carrying carbon steel blades, even though I rarely oil them. The only time I see any kind of staining is when I cut acidic foods. I've never encountered that destructive, bright orange rust on a knife that gets used regularly.

I think that some people just naturally have more acidic sweat than others, and that can make a big difference (along with the environment). I've heard that people with particularly acidic sweat have problems with things like metal framed glasses, wristwatches, and jewelry. There are occasionally posts on BFC where people complain that even the stainless steel bladed knives they carry corrode too easily, and I would suspect that acidic sweat might be to the culprit in some of those cases.
 
Buck268 said:
I've had cheap stainless rust and pit on me so I'm worried even my deeply patina'd blades may have corrosion issues.
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Just give it a try ..... if your carbon blades rust all to hell, switch over to stainless. Pretty simple :)

(For the record, I grew up in hot/humid South Florida and spent a lot of my youth toting a carbon steel Old Timer. Never had a problem with rust.)
 
I must admit I had to switch from gold to titanium frames on my glasses, as my skin dissolves gold much too quickly :D
 
I have had reasonable success carrying carbon slipjoints in the summer. Around here, it will get to 105-110, with humidity relatively low at around 20-25% (Not bad in comparison to upstate NY where I grew up and St Louis where I lived for a couple years). I do get pepper spots on the blades when I have been sweating hard, even blades that I have cold blued. But they are easy to remove.
 
ElCuchillo said:
Do you guys put a patina on your knives? I did on mine, and they STILL rust all to crap. Maybe I have a high content in my sweat, and I usually spend most of the day wet, with the blade in a wet pocket, but my CV Soddie Jr., and my CV Trapper can't keep from rusting. I don't get it. Maybe I should try bluing the blade, with the stuff they use on guns. Would that be safe to use on a knife that I may occasionally use to prepare food?
Click to expand...

Hey ElCuchillo,

In your speciallized environment you may have to go with a stainless blade like a sak, or something. When I was in the army and staitoned in San Antonio I carried a stainless Buck 301 stockman and a Victorinox huntsman. It was a humid hot area, and if we were working on a bridge building project or laying a pipeline, things were wet alot of the time. Some of the guys who carried carbon pocketknives switched over to stainless Bucks that were sold at the PX, or bought sak's at an off post sporting goods store.

Ya gotta go with what works for you!
 
I sweat like a redneck, don't use raincoats and have lived in hot humid regions. Carbon steel isn't as easy as "set it and forget it" :) but it's also not a pain.

Wipe it off on your jeans after use.

Oil it every day until you get a protective patina.

Look at it at the end of the day and fix any rust or pit.

Don't foget to oil the liners and backspring if these happen to be carbon steel as well.

You'll be fine.

But if you have your crazy times where knives are used, abused and put up wet...use stainless.
 
I live in Oregon and carry a lot of carbon knives. You've heard about the rain here, right? It's true. But my knives are fine. Just clean 'em and dry 'em after use.

If you're really worried about rust pick up some "Rust Free" from A.G. Russell and use that on the blades. It's a silicone product that keeps things, er, rust free.

-- Sam
 
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