Dealing with a carbon steel blade? Rust?

other memory

other memory

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I just had a 1095 blade reprofiled. I also had a sheath made for the knife. I'm aware carbon steal knives shouldn't be stored in sheaths because they will rust. After picking up the knife and sheath I put the knife in the sheath. It was in the sheath for about 5 hours before I got home. When I pulled the knife out there was rust on the blade.

My question is, is this to be expected from here on out? How am I supposed to carry the knife around for an entire weekend hike, in the damp woods, and prevent rust? 5 hours is hardly a long time for a knife to be inside of a sheath.

Also, I immediately sanded the rust off and put WD40 on the blade. Tonight I'll wipe that off and recoat it with Ballistol. I might be seeing pits, very tiny. I'm not sure. Any tell tale signs I should be aware of?

Any tips or recommendations how I can avoid fast rusting like this? Or is this how it is with carbon steel knives?
 
i dont have much a problem with rust on my knives and i love carbon steel quick swipe on my pants and im good to go, if im prolonged in the field maybe ill use some gun oil on it. as for the leather sheath go kydex =) just for ease i love leather but it can be a pain
 
I prefer plain mineral oil, because it doesn't stink, doesn't rot your leather, and is food-safe.
 
Don't worry about rust so much, I tend to put in the same category as a suntan on my skin.

Moose
 
I've found that the best way to avoid rust on my 1095 blades is to use them!

After use, I clean them up and wipe them down with an old towel I keep in a zip-lock bag that has lots of different lubes on it. Then wipe dry and put them away for the next time.

For me, part of the whole knife hobby is maintenance, sharpening, etc.. So - it's a pleasure to grab a couple of knives on a boring day, maybe cut up a box or 2 with them then strop them a bit or lightly sharpen (if needed), wipe them down with a little lube etc.. YMMV :)
 
Ballistol is a good lube/rust preventive and is not toxic according to the dealer I got mine from.

RKH
 
Just get a patina on it and it should be good to go. Patinas are basically a good form of rust that prevents the bad kind of rust (red rust) from forming. My SK5 ZK War sword was semi prone to rust, then I put a patina on it, and its been fine since then.

I've honestly not had a problem with any of my carbon steel blades (which is most of them), even after a few months of not using them, and storing them in their GRN (plastic) sheaths.

Quick question though, was the sheath wet at all?
 
What I'm getting out of this thread is carbon steel knives will rust if taken out into the field. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. Who constantly uses their knives while in the field? They will sit inside of a sheath until they are ready to be used. Now I see why kydex is popular in some circumstances. However, that stuff has its own set of issues.
 
Yes, carbon steel knives will rust. There are things you can do to reduce that chance to not much.

Patinas keep bad rust from forming, by a form of rust itself. It sounds like its bad, but its not, its that dark brown color you see on old knives. Patinas naturally form over time from using the knife (especially food prep), and protect it pretty dang well.

Polishing your knife to an almost mirror finish will actually help reduce the chance of rust as well. This is because the surface area is being reduced, leaving less available to form rust.

Keeping your knife oiled, and the sheath dry will help out a lot.

Personally, I've never had any of my carbon steel blades rust.
 
Who made the sheath and what type of leather was used?

It sounds to me like the knife steel had a reaction with the leather.

Vegetable tanned leather should be used for sheaths, as it does not promote the surface corrosion other leathers can.

I have several leather sheaths that are fine sheaths except that cause the kind of short term corrosion you describe.




Big Mike
 
Big Mike said:
It sounds to me like the knife steel had a reaction with the leather.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think it's the oils from the 2 day old new sheath. I have 2 other 1095 knives that have kydex sheaths. Those knives have seen an equivalent amount of use as the knife in question. They are forming patinas. No rust issues. Though the kydex rubs on the handles every time you take the knife in and out of the sheath.

Nothing is perfect.
 
alfred mcdougal said:
I knew they would rust. But not this fast and this much.
Click to expand...

Like the other guys said, patina it and keep a light coat of oil on it. I typically wash my carbon steel knives at night with a toothbrush and soap, resharpen/strop if needed then oil it up with mineral oil. I don't have any rust problems using this method.

If I'm out in the field I just wipe it off on my pants and apply a coat of oil at night. Gives ya something to do around the campfire. :p
 
Is there anything special with night cleaning? Some night mojo or something?
 
Last edited:
Just trying to interject a little "off topic" levity into the thread - cuz I'm in a good mood. I did notice you mentioned at night around the campfire. Sounds nice man! :thumbup:
 
cziv said:
Just trying to interject a little "off topic" levity into the thread - cuz I'm in a good mood. I did notice you mentioned at night around the campfire. Sounds nice man! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I feel yah, bud. Might as well carry a carbon steel blade, give yourself at least a little something at night. Especially if you're alone.
 
You should know the difference between patina and rust. Patina is the black oxide and the red rust can cause pitting on the blade. If it is red rust, it should be removed. I use to take metal polish and clean the rust spots out of it. Use some water to remove that compound.

If the patina looks like this

IMG_2157.jpg


I wouldn´t remove it. It protects the blade from the red rust. The black one is the good one :)
 
You guys REALLY need to check this stuff out. I sprayed some on one of my carbon steel blades, wiped it down & left it outside for 2 weeks through 2 rainstorms & nightly dew. No rust at all. I use it on a LOT of things. My truck is undercoated with it. Fluid Film

100_0506.jpg


Check out the 8 time lapse pics here. (that is salt or calcium chloride he sprinkled on to help it rust)

http://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-F...serID=18765928&SessionID=zVY0ayeT5zLTAotzO4W9
 
I'll second "Fluid Film". I use it on all my carbon steel blades, my guns and also my leather boots. Awesome stuff.
 
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