I'm a little hesitant on buying a case cv blade.

L

lightskyam

Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Messages
163
Basically the only reason I'm not ready to buy a swayback jack, which i've had my eye on for a while, is the maintenance factor. After every use you have to oil it, which if I'm out and about and don't happen to have any oil, the blade goes to sh*t real fast.
 
Unless you don't care for it at all, a patina will show up. If you just neglect it, rust will form. Even then rust is easy to clean up.
 
You can get the Swayback Jack in several handle styles in with stainless steel blades. I carry several Case knives with CV blades and I haven't found maintenance to be a very big chore. A decent metal polish like Simichrome can remove patina from CV blades if that's your concern. I use some silicone spray every once in a while to lubricate and protect the blades, Kel brand in a spray can.
 
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Railsplitter said:
+1 I particularly like the Bermuda Green Bone.
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Same here :rolleyes:

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Yet, I don't think maintenance on CV blades would be such great trouble.

Fausto
:cool:
 
lightskyam said:
After every use you have to oil it, which if I'm out and about and don't happen to have any oil, the blade goes to sh*t real fast.
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I don't oil my carbon blades immediately after every use. Maybe at the end of the day if I'm using it frequently. Can you define "goes to sh*t real fast?" Meaning you are seeing the development of patina, or is it actual rust? Do you live in a really wet environment?
 
lightskyam said:
Basically the only reason I'm not ready to buy a swayback jack, which i've had my eye on for a while, is the maintenance factor. After every use you have to oil it, which if I'm out and about and don't happen to have any oil, the blade goes to sh*t real fast.
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If you treat the blade similarly to one that you would use for prepping food, it'll be fine. In other words, just wipe the blade down with a clean rag/paper towel after use. If you happen to have some Windex or isopropyl alcohol at hand, both work very well for a quick clean-up of water/grime/salts/acids/finger oils/etc that might otherwise contribute to rust. That's what I've done with my knives, at least once each day before putting the knife away, and after use if the Windex/alcohol is at hand. Otherwise, just wipe it off to keep it relatively free of crud and moisture. I've yet to feel the need to oil any of my blades, and I don't ordinarily do it at all on knives that get used regularly. If putting a knife away for a long period of time, some oil on the blade doesn't hurt.

Carbon and CV blades are much easier to take care of than most would assume. I used to have the same reservations about carbon steel that you have, but I don't worry about it anymore. The black/grey patina that develops on them doesn't hurt the steel at all, and will even slow the onset of red rust a bit.


David
 
I live in Scotland where rain is inevitable so it's pretty wet. I carry a carbon steel pocket knife everyday and oil it maybe once a week. It has a nice patina and looks used but it doesn't have rust. I can't be arsed with messing about all the time cleaning and doing all sorts with them so I just dose them with WD40 and honestly, they're fine. If you want to keep em perfect, simply don't use them. I'd go for CV over stainless every time. (Except for boat work)

P
 
neilrazer said:
After someone (an old-timer here?) pointed it out to me, I've found that a little oil from the side of my nose is enough to wipe on a blade in a pinch.
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Skin oil isn't very good for carbon blades.

If you let a Patina develop you really don't have to worry about the blade that much. I went out of town for the weekend and used my knife to cut cheese and sausage at a winery. I wiped the blade off with a handkerchief and that was all the care it got until I made it home about a day and a half later. The only thing that happened was the blade darkened a bit.
 
lightskyam said:
once you develop a nice patina, do you still have to worry about rust?
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Not really "worry". Just make sure to wipe it down with an oily rag every so often and you will be fine. The only time I would really worry is with acidic foods or if you live near the beach.
 
If you are really hesitant about a carbon blade pick up a peasant knife or an opinel so you can get a good feel for it without spending a lot of money.

I personally love watching the way patinas develop differently depending on the use the blade gets.
 
I have always lived around saltwater and I would say 90% of my knives are carbon, some I've had for 35 years and done zero maintenance as far as trying to prevent rust, the only one that developed any pit marks and rust spots is a stainless Case from 1980. I use carbon around wet environments all the time with no issues. Many whalers, fishermen, sailors, frontiersmen, soldiers, tradesmen etc. have used carbon for centuries in much more hostile environments than we do today, I wouldn't worry.

Pete
 
Stich2442 said:
I have always lived around saltwater and I would say 90% of my knives are carbon, some I've had for 35 years and done zero maintenance as far as trying to prevent rust, the only one that developed any pit marks and rust spots is a stainless Case from 1980. I use carbon around wet environments all the time with no issues. Many whalers, fishermen, sailors, frontiersmen, soldiers, tradesmen etc. have used carbon for centuries in much more hostile environments than we do today, I wouldn't worry.

Pete
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I lived in the South Carolina low country for a few years with absolutely no problems but after a couple weeks in Daytona Beach FL I developed rust spots on a D2 knife. It was easy to clean up and keep from rusting again but I was shocked at how quickly it started to rust.

Of course after living in Florida for a little bit I found out no matter how "stainless" it is everything rusts down there if you don't care for it. There wasn't a month that went by that I wasn't over at my Grandmothers replacing or fixing something that the salt air had just eaten away.
 
I have my grandfather's old carbon case knife that he carried for years, and when he died, I got the knife and packed it away without any type of preparation. Move forward 35 years, and I "found" the knife when rummaging through some old boxes. The blades had a light patina on them, and NO rust. It was still very sharp, and could have been carried by me for a month or longer without needing any attention. I cleaned it up and lightly wiped it down with an oily (Hoppes # 9) rag and it now sits on a shelf with my other knife collection waiting its turn to be carried. My grandfather lived on the Texas Gulf coast, and spent a lot of time on the local bay dragging nets for shrimp for our family. A past time he genuinely enjoyed.
Bottom line is that these blades need no constant attention, only some common sense care of wiping them down when used for cutting anything with moisture or sticky stuff. Store them in a dry and well ventilated place and they will last you and your grand kids a lifetime of loyal service.

Blessings,

Omar
 
I live in a very humid environment, and have many carbon steel blades. They don't really need anything special, just don't abuse them! Almost any steel will rust is completely neglected.
Plus, the cv steel is far better IMO than case stainless.
 
I like the CV. I had a stainless SBJ in bermuda green as shown. Gave it to my best friend. It was/is a VERY nice knife. I'm glad he has it though, I promise. :rolleyes:
 
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