Favorite corrosion resistant steel

W

Waterbug

Joined
Jul 27, 2004
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Hi folks just wanted to get a few opinions on your favorite steel for corrosion resistance that also incorporates decent toughness. I am not a newbie and have a nice collection of knives, and have been through many work knives. I am in the lake/wetland management profession and am very hard on a work knife. It has to be a clip-on folder and work in and around water on a daily basis, as well as do assorted chores such as (boat) prop weed cutting, vine cutting, cutting open bags of copper sulfate(very corrosive), cutting braided hose and or rope, and general sweat (it's FL). I am currently carrying a Spyderco spyderhawk which I love because it's blade design is very efficient for most of my tasks (plain edge), but the vg-10 requires daily abrasive cleaning for corrosion. This is not to say it is bad steel, as 154cm/ats-34 corrode under my conditions by lunchtime!
Obviously tool/high carbon steels are out. The 440/aus series seem to be very good for my applications. Any other suggestions? Any suggestions are welcome but I will probably not pay for some of the more exotic steels for a work knife (unless someone makes one that floats!) as I lose one on an average of every 2.5 years (and a lanyard is impractical for me).
Thanks in advance for not suggesting I do a search for this specific question! ;)
 
Word is that the next Spyderco to use the H1 steel (like the Salt and Pacific Salt) is a rescue style blade, which I find lends itself well for utility tasks (it's a sheepsfoot). A hawkbill may be in the future, but that's just speculation. In the meantime, a Salt (Delica sized) or Pacific Salt (Endura sized) is your best bet.

Word is that H1 steel is pretty much imprevious to corrosion because it uses nitrogen instead of carbon. The edge retention is a bit less than the VG-10 and other premium steels, but is still good, at least as good as 440A or AUS-6.
 
S30V is the best Stainless Steel, and is very corrosion resistance, and very durable.
 
Thanks, guys, the salt/ h1 is a great call, but I was concerned about it's edge retention. I can dull any steel during the course of the day but if it holds as well as 440a/aus6 it is definately servicable as a work knife. One vote for a hawkbill!
 
H1 won't rust, and it'd take alot of abuse & neglect to get 440C to rust.
 
Without hesitation- S30V from Crucible! I live in Singapore (hot and very humid), frequently go for fishing and jungle trips and S30V has in my experience the best overall performance- edge retention, it's tough and have great corrosion resistance. And in case any rust appear, I can just wipe it away with my finger and no spots left on the blade. However, a thin coating of silicon grease gives me the best protection.

But observe that I have a satin finish on the blade! I have one S30V knife coated with DLC- but that one rusts likes crazy in my environment! This since the Tungsten in the DLC coating, together with the steel and very humid environment creates a galvanic element. :eek:

Jorgen
 
Problem is, unless you are willing to get a knife that is not a traditional "steel" blade, you will somehow always be working against some sort of corrosion, staining. I've never worked with or used a knife with H1 steel. I value edge holding and cutting characteristics - the 440C / ATS34 range is a starting point for edge holding and stain resistance. 420HC is more stain resistant that 440 but has lesser edge holding. Blade finish is an issue - a near polished finish will resist corrosion better than a rough or blasted finish.

??Titanium / ceramic / cobalt alloy blades were designed especially to combat this very issue. Each have their pros and cons. Jason.
 
Camillus Talonite EDC.

"TALONITE is an exotic Cobalt-Chromium alloy designed for extreme high stress applications like saw tips, deep earth drills, and high-speed scraper blades.

The impressive cutting power of TALONITE is derived from its unique matrix of Cobalt and Chromium carbides in the primarily Cobalt carrier. TALONITE has been shown in laboratory tests to hold an edge longer than the best tool steels, but is easy to resharpen when it does eventually dull. TALONITE is also completely impervious to rust and is the perfect blade material for a marine environment."

maximus otter
 
I like 440C for corrosion resistance... especially if Paul Bos get to HT it. It's the best steel I've found that can be had in a reasonably priced custom. H1 is good in the production market, and talonite rules the custom world, IMHO, for corrosion resistant blades.
 
thanks for the mention of talonite....that's what I was going to say. Absolute best for saltwater corrosion resistance, which is different than just being "stainless".
 
According to CATRA tests, H1 has an edge retention comparable to AUS6 in PE, however, for some reason the edge retention quadruples for the Spyder edge, while for most steels (like S30V and VG-10) the edge retention only doubles. This property makes H1 in SE comparable in edge retention with S30V and VG-10.

This is as closely to what Sal Glesser said about H1 as I can reproduce.

I posted a question about the corrosion resistance of H1 on the Spyderco forum and the general consensus was that H1 quite plainly does not rust....period. Even if left an extended period of time in salt water. S30V doesn't even come close in corrosion resistance. Lastly, the Spyderco Salts have hardware (pins, locking lever, etc.) that are all specially treated for corrosion resistance.
 
I've been using the PE Pacific Salt for a few weeks now. Daily immersion in salt water and zero maintenance and I have not been able to make it rust. Edge holding is more than adequate for my needs. I cut up some salt encrusted nylon rope today and cutting performance didn't diminish noticeably after hacking through the rope for 10-20 minutes. The shaving edge was gone after this abuse of course but I was able to restore it easily.

Sounds like the SE Salt would be perfect for your needs.
 
Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone. I guess I'll have to give the pacific salt a try. I occasionally rotate and/or carry multible work knives anyway, and for about 50 bucks, what the hell. I almost bought a custom talonite at the knifemakers guild a couple of years ago but decided the price was prohibitive for my type of use.
For general outdoor work (camping, hunting) I have been using an old ek #5 bowie for over a decade, and it kicks much ass. I also have quite a few ek non-users in my collection. For skinning I use a custom in ats-34. I have a very nice rotation for weekend carry. ;)
 
One stop knife shop had Camillus Simonich designed mini-talons on sale and might still do. I'm happy to have scored one as it's nice to have it around all the time on neck carry and not think about the sweat and stuff. Cuts very well. For other steels I am using Mad Dog's XF-7 protectant / lube and its very effective for preventing moisture intrusion. You just have to keep after the using edge with preventive maintenance in general.
 
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