Clear coating a blade?

J

JaredAR

Joined
Aug 10, 2006
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I bought a knife from a guy at work who makes them. (Link to a post at another forum here: http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/yabb/forum.pl?board=fir-knives;action=display;num=1231647550 )
This blade will rust if I don't keep it oiled and I don't want that to happen, yet I can't keep oil on it constantly. I tried it and the oil got absorbed by the towel I had it wrapped in. Short of spray painting it, how do I keep the rust off without constantly having oil all over it? I've never owned a decent knife before and I had to save just to buy this one. It's nothing like the 20 dollar Gerber I got at Lowe's. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Jared
 
Use clear nail polish, the stuff is basicly clear automotive paint which is way tougher then the epoxy coat you find on most blades.
Just steal a bottle of you girls nail polish and paint away. :D
 
The nail polish idea is excellent! Never thought of that one. Just remember the knife will not rust up before your eyes. I keep mine lightly oiled with food grade mineral oil. After use I use warm soapy water & dry well. Then I put a light coat of mineral oil on it. I am going to try the nail polish thing also.
 
macgregor22 said:
Use clear nail polish, the stuff is basicly clear automotive paint which is way tougher then the epoxy coat you find on most blades.
Just steal a bottle of you girls nail polish and paint away. :D
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Untrue statement. Nail polish is essentially an acrylic lacquer. It is not chemically crosslinked. That means it forms a film because each polymer molecule entwines around its neighbor. It dries solely through the evaporation of solvent.

Automotive paint IS chemically crosslinked. Each polymer molecule chemically reacts with its neighbor and it becomes theoretically one giant molecule. It cures through chemical reaction.

Automotive paint may or may not be more resilient than epoxy. There are a many different epoxies. Some are tougher than others. Many are tougher than automotive paint, depending on what the exposure conditions are. However, acrylic nail polish is not more resilient than two component epoxy.

Whether acrylic nail polish would actually serve to protect the blade I do not know. I haven't formulated a lacquer for 30 years.
 
Damn, everytime I post a chemist comes along and corrects me. :D

The nail polish works very well, I touch the blade up with it every once in awhile after use and I haven't noticed any surface rust when I go and get the blade.
Actually the only staining on the blade is on the edge were I must have frogot to oil the edge.
 
An interesting idea. I don't use a lot of large blades anymore, but I'll bear it in mind to try if I get the opportunity.
 
i've wondered about the nail polish idea myself....some of those products my girlfriend uses are darn sure industrial strength!

i can tell you this from personal experience: i tried to coat a generic 440 (supposedly) blade w/ the high heat automotive paint (meant for engine blocks).

i made sure it was totally free of grease. etc., using brake pad cleaner (strong stuff)....

i then baked it in the oven for the prescribed amount of time (you'll need good ventilation), and took great care to let it cure/dry.

results: it flaked off within a short period of time, and i ended up sanding it all off.

my suggestion is to buy a bottle/can of break-free and apply it every so often to exposed surfaces.

i can't believe that so many people have rust issues because i live in florida and it is humid as hell here almost year round...i apply a thin coat of break-free on my truck knife (recon tanto carbon v) every six months and have yet to see a speck of rust....
 
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You're right, looks have nothing to do with the utility of a knife. I bet its an amazing user. They sell gun cases that are coated in silicone, can you buy one thats for a pistol?
 
Paste car wax. You have to realize that if you want to carry and use a carbon steel knife, regular maintenance comes with the territory.
 
Galaktus said:
You have to realize that if you want to carry and use a carbon steel knife, regular maintenance comes with the territory.
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What he said - :thumbup: I'm unashamedly biased against finishes on blades. They have their purpose, I know, but I don't particularly care for them. So, take this for what it's worth:

storing in a silicon sleeve, and oiling after use, is a better option, I would think. After a few years, you can use a fine grade of emery cloth and polish the blade back to an overall consistent finish, if needed. If you coat the blade, you would still have to re-coat any area where the nail polish wears off, or the coloration won't match the rest of the blade; I also wonder what effect nail polish remover would have on the scales (buffalo horn?), adhesive under the scales, etc. I'm assuming here you'd have to "strip" the blade occasionally and recoat to keep the finish consistent.

For me, cleaning & oiling (I use 3-in-1 oil for sentimental reasons) is part of the fun of knife use.

thx - cpr

ps - I almost forgot - for long term storage, Renaissance wax works really well, too.
 
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I'll second what GALATAKUS AND ORCA8589 said. Owning a carbon steel blade does require some maintenance but it's not overwhelming. I just stire mine lightly oiled and out of the sheath.
 
Honestly, I don't plan on using this knife. I plan on putting it up. I only wanted it because my friend made it. That's why I need something other than oil to protect the blade. I like the idea of car wax, though. I think I'll use that. Thanks for the replies everyone. I actually plan on getting a nice folder to use when I hunt, and I've got my Gerber to carry daily.
Jared
 
Um. Hmmm. First and foremost: DO NOT PUT YOUR KNIFE IN THE OVEN. Seriously.

Secondly, I'd be very careful using any kind of clear coat on any knife that will be used for food prep. Personally, I think any knife should have no coating at all, but a clear coating makes it even more difficult to see the chips of paint you may be eating. Especially on a homemade job where you're trying to make a clear coat stick to bare polished steel.

Third, any coating is only going to diminish slicing ability by creating drag.

My suggestion is to either keep a light coat of mineral oil on it or just let the blade patina. By the way, what is the steel?

EDIT: Missed your last post, so feel free to ignore mine. I still wouldn't try to clear coat it.
 
It is very common in Japan for carbon steel kniemakers to coat their blade with a thin shellac to protect it from extreme humidity and when storing it in a leather sheath.
 
savagesicslayer said:
I'm thinking about getting these for my BRKT knives.How do they last?
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I bought 3 of them over a month ago.I'm still using the first one.It still has plenty of dry lubricant on it.They come in a resealable pouch.
The only thing I don't like about them is the strong chemical smell.It's hard to get the smell out of your hands.You really have to scrub with a lot of soap.

They work good though.
 
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