Dri-Cote vs wear

Cliff Stamp · Oct 11, 2000

This is a similar test on Dri-Cote as performed on several other products :

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001904.html

I cleaned the blade and it was close to NIB, it had been used a few times, but never seriously and there was no visible rusting including a quick sweep under 10X magnification.

I marked out a section near the tip and applied the spray to the area and made a few passes along the flats and perpendicular to the spine and edge. It goes on clear and coats well. I then did about 250 cuts on light grasses and hay. Next I applied a salt water solution to the blade and left it out overnight.

The next day the blade showed signs of rusting on the front and back and the rust went through the section that had the Dri-Cote applied no differently than any other part of the blade, with a heavy coat of rust running completely along the edge and spine and spots on the flats:

This product was advertized as having many features including being a rust protector and being very wear resistant. It is however mainly something used on wood working tools to make smoother cuts.

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 10-11-2000).]

db · Oct 11, 2000

Have you tried boiled lynnseed oil?
LOL most spell it Linseed

[This message has been edited by db (edited 10-16-2000).]

Cliff Stamp · Oct 16, 2000

No, but I'll see if I can't get a hold of some to try out. The main problem now is that there is a severe lack of light vegetation to cut, I may have to simulate the wear.

I did some work yesterday to see if the Dri-Cote offers any gain in cutting ability because of the lubrication. I did some runs whittling wood and noticed no performance gain in terms of amount of strokes needed to point a stake. I could feel the blade cutting a little smoother, but it didn't allow me to cut deeper which is surprising. I will have to look at that again.

However in regards to chopping, it made a significant difference. It did not give a performance gain in terms of the number of chops, but it did reduce binding so I could chop at a smoother rate. I don't know how long it would last, not very I would assume as the can says to reapply after every few cuts, but it is something that is worth having a look at anyway.

-Cliff

db · Oct 16, 2000

Any hardware store will have Linseed oil. Should be easy to find.