Considering rust. Upgrading

Skar said:
...I think I'm going with Ontario RAT knife that's D2 steel - And - bear ops rancor 2 s30v steel...
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I have a RAT 1 in D2. It is an amazing knife for the money.
Considered one of the best budget knives on the market.
You get a lot of features for the money.
 
I agree, the ruike hussar is an amazing shape, I keep meaning to get one but haven't got around to it somehow.
I already have the same steel in their fixed blade - the 'jaeger' or jager - 14c28n is just all around great imho
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D2 is good stuff, cuts great and likes a toothy edge. Mine rust, but I live in a warm environment surrounded by saltwater.

14c28n is a great steel as well, one of my favorites for EDC folders. Loves to take a polished edge and is pretty tough.
 
anthonycastorena2014 said:
I am in Texas and if I carry D2 it will spot. If I sweat it will spot. Great steel but not necessarily stainless. You would have to oil or wax it.
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Same here. During the summer I sweat all the way through my jeans nearly every day out on the job site. I get little dots of rust pretty frequently, but they sometimes come off with my fingernail. If not, a pencil eraser takes care of it. I like D2 and have it on a couple of Kershaws and my old Queen "sodbuster". With a minimum of care, it performs great.

Lots of other good utility steels and knives mentioned here on this thread.

Robert
 
I love the Renaissance we've been seeing in Chinese budget knives but I've been a little sad to see D2 dominate the market. I think it's a great alternative to 8Cr13Mov at prices where that matters. (8Cr13Mov is mediocre on both edge retention and corrosion resistance.) In general though, there are just more stainless steels that I'd rather be seeing in these new designs. Here are some alternatives:

12C27 has already been mentioned. I've had positive experiences with 12C27. From my stainless Mora to my Bestech Spike, it's an all-round decent budget steel.

14C28N is a more advanced Sandvik steel that uses nitrogen. Like the other people who've mentioned it here, I really like 14C28N. I've had a few American-made Kershaws and a Ruike knife in this steel. It's been a solid performer.

9Cr18Mov is very stainless but edge retention depends a lot on the company using it. From companies like Schrade or Gerber, don't bother. From companies like Civivi or Real Steel, it's good to go. Civivi offers excellent quality for $40-something. I have no reservations about recommending any of these:

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--CIVIVI--3293#/filter:blade_material:9Cr18MoV

Acuto 440 is a Japanese steel with good corrosion resistance. Kizer uses it in their budget brand, Tangram. I have a couple of their knives and performance seems on par with 14C28N. While not exactly a Wharncliffe, the Tangram Santa Fe is a really nice knife for around $25.


In the $50-75 zone, you can start getting into VG-10 or N690. Both are very good and have excellent corrosion resistance. Since you are looking for "entry level", I wanted to focus on some less expensive options that will serve you well.
 
I only kave 3 knives, and they are in: D2, SK-5 and 52100.

None of these ever rusted on me, but I didn't oil D2 at all.
 
Pomsbz said:
My Queen D2 blade would spot and pit from the salt in salami for example or from not drying very well after washing up prior to tossing back into the pocket. This was negated in the main by creating a strong patina but in the end I just gave up.
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I think I have various luck with D2, mostly depend on the environment it is being stored in and what I use it for.

If rust is an issue, may I suggest an interesting alternative and take a look at some entry level Victorinox models? Tinker/Spartan, those are great EDC knives and for many years I carried them in pocket through many sweaty summers, rust has never been a problem.
 
comis said:
I think I have various luck with D2, mostly depend on the environment it is being stored in and what I use it for.

If rust is an issue, may I suggest an interesting alternative and take a look at some entry level Victorinox models? Tinker/Spartan, those are great EDC knives and for many years I carried them in pocket through many sweaty summers, rust has never been a problem.
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I am surprised with the Swiss Army knife suggestion. However, you are 100% correct about the rust resistance of the steel that they use.

I once found a SAK in a pack that had been used at the beach. There was sand in the pack and the knife had sand in every space and corner you could find. I think it might even been between the liners and plastic scales. I don’t remember for sure though.

The impressive thing was that I couldn’t find any rust.

I own one SAK that has some pitting on the flat of the blade from blood that was not cleaned off but, I don’t remember ever finding rust on any Victorinox knife I have ever owned.
 
comis said:
I think I have various luck with D2, mostly depend on the environment it is being stored in and what I use it for.

If rust is an issue, may I suggest an interesting alternative and take a look at some entry level Victorinox models? Tinker/Spartan, those are great EDC knives and for many years I carried them in pocket through many sweaty summers, rust has never been a problem.
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That's exactly what I did :D I carry a Spartan as my EDC.
 
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