cpm-3V? Help with info on corrosion prevention

Heartland_edc

Heartland_edc

Joined
May 4, 2015
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Let me start off by saying I'm more of a collector than a user. My knives get stored for long periods of time until I decide to sell or trade them. Most of what I have collected over the years is made from stainless, but I am about to be in possession (<--- doesn't that word look funny? I googled it to make sure I spelled it right.) of a folder made from 3V. I live in Kansas, and the climate can vary from somewhat humid to very dry. The inside of my house is always 68-70 degrees year round. Does anyone have any long term experience with 3V? Both in use and storage? Does it rust no matter how often you oil it? How often should I oil it? If I care for it properly will it last 10/50/100/1000 years? Keep in mind, the knife will never be carried or used for anything. It'll come out when I feel like playing with it or when I want to snap some pics or show it to friends, and then will most likely be kept in a drawer inside of it's case. I know that might bother some people, but that's how I like to enjoy this hobby. I have read through multiple threads and there is a decent amount of information on corrosion when 3V sees heavy use, but very little on storage. I might also add that this blade is not DLC, or NP3 coated. It will have a forced patina, but that's it. ANY information is appreciated (even if you're poking fun at me) ;)
 
I have a fixed blade in CPM3V. I also sometimes have sweaty hands that cause corrosion on my non-stainless knives if I don't wipe them down very carefully. I have had no issues at all with the 3V knife.

3V is considered a semi stainless steel, with similar corrosion resistance to D2. Anecdotal information from some of the people here is that it may be a bit more corrosion resistant than D2.

I think if you keep it clean and dry, and give it an occasional wipe down with some mineral oil, you're unlikely to have any issues.
 
I can't tell you how much that helps. Thank you. I have laid awake at night wondering if I should have gone with s35vn instead, but I had never owned 3v and decided to go for it. Your response has eased my stress levels :)
 
I wouldn't force a patina on it. Keep it oiled. In my case I use a paste wax and it looks like new for as long as I keep it that way. The thing to remember is to clean anything corrosive before waxing/ oiling then putting it up. I keep much rusty-er steels than 3V new looking and never "force" a patina and never have. I'd also recommend not storing it in a leather sheath. I use the packaging it came in for that.

Don't let non stainless designations fool you. They don't explode into balls of rust powder even when abused. With care they are unlimited in storage.

Joe
 
Well, I've got several fixed blades with 3V, and the pitting/staining is just out of control with every single one of them...I know it's sometimes referred to as semi-stainless, but in my experiences...and I'm referring to multiple knives from five completely different makers, it doesn't deserve even the "semi" in its description.

I'm totally messing with you brother...you seemed so damn happy/relieved in your above post, I just had to. I had to. Honestly, I've had much better luck with corrosion resistance in CPM-3V than I have with D2 - I really have had knives in D2 stain big time on me from two different companies - both European, for what that's worth. You'll be fine with the 3V, but I always coat my 3V blades, and simple steels as well, with either paste wax or Ren wax....I'm more a collector as well....works great for me, and I can tell a difference when I don't do this with my simple steels...with 3V, I've never had any issues with it all, even when I forget to wax the blades.
 
The Mastiff said:
I wouldn't force a patina on it. Keep it oiled. In my case I use a paste wax and it looks like new for as long as I keep it that way. The thing to remember is to clean anything corrosive before waxing/ oiling then putting it up. I keep much rusty-er steels than 3V new looking and never "force" a patina and never have. I'd also recommend not storing it in a leather sheath. I use the packaging it came in for that.

Don't let non stainless designations fool you. They don't explode into balls of rust powder even when abused. With care they are unlimited in storage.

Joe
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Thanks for the insight. I really appreciate it. The only problem is that the knife already has a patina on it. I had waited so long for a chance to get my hands on it that I jumped at the first opportunity in months when it became available. The info on paste wax is great to know though. Very helpful!
 
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VanDammet said:
Well, I've got several fixed blades with 3V, and the pitting/staining is just out of control with every single one of them...I know it's sometimes referred to as semi-stainless, but in my experiences...and I'm referring to multiple knives from five completely different makers, it doesn't deserve even the "semi" in its description.

I'm totally messing with you brother...you seemed so damn happy/relieved in your above post, I just had to. I had to. Honestly, I've had much better luck with corrosion resistance in CPM-3V than I have with D2 - I really have had knives in D2 stain big time on me from two different companies - both European, for what that's worth. You'll be fine with the 3V, but I always coat my 3V blades, and simple steels as well, with either paste wax or Ren wax....I'm more a collector as well....works great for me, and I can tell a difference when I don't do this with my simple steels...with 3V, I've never had any issues with it all, even when I forget to wax the blades.
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haha man... I literally had a small, growing panic attack as I read your first paragraph! Glad to know you've had great experiences as well. I will sleep much easier tonight. Dreams of 3V!
 
No worries with 3V and corrosion, I babied my 3V knives the same as my SS knives (not at all) and never had the slightest of issues with even a hint of corrosion or oxidization.

They where all EDC'd, so I am not sure if longer term storage changes in any way other than how you would store other types of steel.

Survive! Knives have a Video floating out there where they left an unfinished piece of 3V outside for a year, and it held up with zero issues other then some surface oxidization.
 
One of my most used knives is in 3V and I have had it around 4 years. The only time I have ever had an issue with it was cutting up a large ham covered in mustard and brown sugar. After cutting on it for maybe 20 minutes I let it sit on the counter for maybe another half hour. It has a light patina starting on it now. If you try even a little, it will be just fine.
 
Awesome to hear so much consistency! I am really excited to get this thing... Now it's back to drooling over YouTube videos :D
 
The patina might come off with a paste wax. It does a good job at micro polishing steel and makes knives look pretty good. Using a clean white soft cloth you will notice stuff coming off you can't even see on the blade. I very much recommend Rennisance wax for storing knives. Even the edge needs it. You will notice that edges dull slightly over time from just sitting. Different edge finishes will make a difference on that. Mostly it is too slight to really notice unless you are fanatical about your edges like some of us here.

Remember to "passivate" your steel before coating it for long storage. This includes stainless knives too. I treat them all the same way in fact as all will rust given the right conditions except maybe H1. All can stay unrusted for years given the right conditions.

Enjoy the 3V steel for it's wonderful attributes and don't worry. Just remember to give it the correct kind of care just as you should be doing with all your important possessions.

joe
 
Try some Frog Lube. I've used it on guns for years, and really liked it. I've seen a lot of guys test its corrosion protection qualities versus other lubricants and it always comes out on top or near the top. While recently making a CPM 10V knife, I was grinding it and dipping it in a bucket of water to keep it cool. The back side would rust in about 45 seconds while I was grinding the front. After I was mostly done, and took it home, I applied Frog Lube to it (heating the metal as they recommend in the instructions). I went back a couple days later and ground on it some more. The rust never came back.

It's good stuff, and it's non-toxic. I didn't think I would be too stoked about it being non-toxic, but it's actually really nice. It smells good and it doesn't matter if you get it everywhere. You can literally just rub it on with your fingers and rub the excess into your hands like lotion. It also slicks up folders really well. If you get some, get the paste for corrosion resistance. The liquid is nice for the pivot on folders.
 
Check out Sentry Solutions knife care kits. This product is far & away the best product if your worried about corrosion resistance, or lubrication for that matter. Goes on wet, and dries so you don't have oil soaking into your pockets & grit/dust sticking to your blades. I use this product for all my fire arms as well.
 
The Mastiff said:
I wouldn't force a patina on it. Keep it oiled. In my case I use a paste wax and it looks like new for as long as I keep it that way. The thing to remember is to clean anything corrosive before waxing/ oiling then putting it up. I keep much rusty-er steels than 3V new looking and never "force" a patina and never have. I'd also recommend not storing it in a leather sheath. I use the packaging it came in for that.

Don't let non stainless designations fool you. They don't explode into balls of rust powder even when abused. With care they are unlimited in storage.

Joe
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yep this^.

my own take. i live in the swamps with high relative humidity year round. i've used various oils, silicone products, other products and brands. including frog lube, sentry, and every other magic bullet out there. with poor results long term. in the end wax worked the best if the blade was prepped and cleaned properly.
 
You can use RIG [rust inhibiting grease] , then wrap in VPI paper [ surrounds the blade in rust inhibiting vapor ]
 
Heartland_edc said:
I can't tell you how much that helps. Thank you. I have laid awake at night wondering if I should have gone with s35vn instead, but I had never owned 3v and decided to go for it. Your response has eased my stress levels :)
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so you got a medford lol which one
 
In my experience:

- DLC makes no difference (other than looks)
- 3V is pretty stainless, similar to say Cruwear, CTS-XHP or ZDP189
- As part of this hobby, I've dis/re-assembled hundreds of used pocket knives, some > 20 years old. I've come across more rusted and even pitted liners (more than a dozen, all supposed to be stainless) than rusted blades (less than a handful).

So I recommend to apply mineral oil (and don't forget the liners), or even better store them dry, like you would store ammo, for instance.

Roland.
 
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