How to keep M4 from corroding or forming a patina?

had my gb for a couple months now and it has been used to cut food and fruit. it still looks like new though. i suppose its because i wipe it off afterward.
 
CrimsonTideShooter said:
I actually like the look of that also. It's almost like a black oxide coating, and in a way I guess it is. Did you take the knife apart to dip the blade?
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Yep I sure did. I just used some balsamic vinegar in the house. I happened very quickly to. I did it twice, letting it sit for about 5 minutes each time then polished it with fitz when I was done. After that, I hit the grind with a bit of mustard and then polished it. Pretty much have left it alone since then!
 
A.P.F. said:
I use Fluid Film on my Gayle Bradley and it is a perfect protectant. No patina and no rust. It is food safe as well.

fftestpanelslarge.jpg
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Does it do a good job of lubing the pivot?
 
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A.P.F. said:
Yes indeed and it doesn't collect crud.
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Sounds promising, but I wonder how it compares with a Marine Tuf Cloth. It more or less sounds like an oily wax, and that "will not dry out" sounds a little troubling like it would easily be wiped off or washed off.
 
I have never found a dry lube as good as any liquid lube when it comes to smoothing the action. I like to do both--use the dry lube after a new knife is broken in, then add a liquid lube as needed. The dry lube stays in place better and longer, while the liquid lube smooths the knife out.
 
Tri-Flow is a dry lube that is probably better than liquid lubrication agents for smoothing out blade action. Try it out, it's typically used for cyclists on their chains.
 
JNewell said:
Unlike Tuf-Glide. Fine on blades, not so great as a lube IMHO.
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Well, in all honesty, I use Blue Lube to lube my knives. Great stuff.

somber said:
Tri-Flow is a dry lube that is probably better than liquid lubrication agents for smoothing out blade action. Try it out, it's typically used for cyclists on their chains.
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Tri-Flow is an excellent lube as well. :thumbup:
 
I use, and have had good results, with Tri-Flow, but the one I've used for years is a liquid product (sort of like Break-Free).

somber said:
Tri-Flow is a dry lube that is probably better than liquid lubrication agents for smoothing out blade action. Try it out, it's typically used for cyclists on their chains.
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Blades said:
Cerakote?
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I like that on my flashlights, but I kind of get the feeling that it would roughen the opening if you have it in the pivot area.

An ideal solution would be to find someone to put a DLC coating on the blade. DLC + CPM-M4 = perfect knife
 
Noctis3880 said:
I like that on my flashlights, but I kind of get the feeling that it would roughen the opening if you have it in the pivot area.

An ideal solution would be to find someone to put a DLC coating on the blade. DLC + CPM-M4 = perfect knife
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Ahhh, okay. DLC then. There are people who will DLC. I forgot about DLC, thanks.
 
I got interested in DLC coatings a while back and started Google-ing DLC coatings. It turns out that just about everyone and his brother does this, and there are a lot of different specs and processes. I bailed on the project - too much information. :D

CrimsonTideShooter said:
Diamond-like carbon is relevant to my interests. Who does the dlc coatings?
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CrimsonTideShooter said:
Diamond-like carbon is relevant to my interests. Who does the dlc coatings?
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A re-post, but still relevent:

somber said:
It might cost a bit, but I think it would be wicked cool if you DLC/PVD coated it:

DLC - Diamond Like Carbon
PVD - Particle Vapor Deposition

DLC is better, but they each physically bind a protective layer into the metal.

Richter Precision

Contact info is on the site, can't hurt to give them a call, maybe they could do it for cheap (honestly, probably like $60USD for a custom service like that). You'll probably have to blunt the blade and then resharpen (obviously) when you get it back.
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8588072&postcount=5
 
A.P.F. said:
Well, in all honesty, I use Blue Lube to lube my knives. Great stuff.



Tri-Flow is an excellent lube as well. :thumbup:
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So I got some fluid film finally. Is it ok to spray all over the knife? (is that how you do it?)

Also, you are positive it's food safe?
 
I've found that keeping my blade relatively clean has been good enough to keep staining to a minimum. A few months of daily use has resulted in no signs of rust, and only the vaguest startings of a patina. I haven't even really been oiling it much, just a drop in the pivot every few weeks, and blowing the excess out with compressed air. So far, my experience has shown the cpm-m4 to be a fair bit less sensitive to the elements than the rest of my carbon steel knives.

That aside, the forced patina examples look great
 
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