Improper knife storage.

[averageguy]

I laid this bowie (middle knife) down on some cloth where it remained untouched for an extended period of time. This is what I found when I picked up the knife recently. I am of course a little upset.
I haven't experienced anything quite like this before. It's a hard scaly formation (rust?) I have rubbed it with mineral oil - no difference - not sure if I can do anything about it.
This knife is marked M-3 and I think this is the steel type used (uncommon).
It has a simple black coating of some kind.

I'll have to be more careful in the future. What is the proper material to lay your knives on?

 

[WadeF]

If it's M3 I believe that is a version of M2 with more carbon? I think it maybe more prone to rusting than M2. Do you ever wipe your blades down with something like a Tuff Cloth to prevent rust? Looks like you have some pricey knives there and you should be doing something to oil the blades to prevent rust. Was the blade or cloth possibly wet when you laid the knife there?

 

[Gollnick]

Try some Flitz polish to remove the rust. You may have to do this several times to remove the rust in layers.

 

[djolney]

I generally coat my tool steel blades with mineral oil, and then lay the knives on a surface that will not absorb moisture. No rust so far.

Now I understand why my Grand Father told me to never leave a knife wrapped in/laying on a cloth.

 

[averageguy]

I'm going to try the Flitz. I had wiped it down a couple of times in the past with mineral oil but not immediately before I stored it. The cloth affected a Marbles bowie as well - ugly streaks (staining) but this kind of corrosion is definitely different for me.

 

[Zforce]

Many soft fabrics such as velvet extensively utilised by collectors for exhibiting their 'pride & joys' are dyed using acidic chemical compunds. That is doubtlessly what caused this damage. Better to wrap the item in acid-free tissue paper or old well-washed fabric, preferably undyed. Soft cotton and linen fabric such as sheets, handkerchiefs or teatowels are generally suitable.
Beware too of the cardboard used by many manufacturers for 'shop sheaths' - wood (including woods often used to make cabinets for coins and medals, such as mahogany, chipboard and ordinary plywood) and ordinary cardboard are acidic, and can harm metals and fabrics. So check your knife box!! Best material is hoop pine plywood coated with THREE coats of polyurethane.
Acid-free tissue paper and card as well as boxes made of acid-free cardboard are available from specialist suppliers of library or conservation materials.

 

[averageguy]

"Acid-free tissue paper and card as well as boxes made of acid-free cardboard are available from specialist suppliers of library or conservation materials."

That sounds like the right idea - thanks.

 

[nelsonmc]

Long term storage for me means coating the blade with grease, using an acid free comic book bag over it, and putting it in a box. Sometimes I will use little Silica Gel packets, they absorb moisture very well, thats why you find them in the box of almost every tool or well any metal product you buy these days.

 

[Gollnick]

Many soft fabrics such as velvet extensively utilised by collectors for exhibiting their 'pride & joys' are dyed using acidic chemical compunds.

Fabric dyes can be a problem in another way too.

Years ago, I was shown a very pretty knife with ivory inserts on the handles. I was really liking this knife until I turned it over. The ivory on the other side was green.

The knife had been displayed for years in a display case with shelves covered with green felt. The felt was not colorfast and the ivory had absorbed the dye from the felt and was ruined.

Do a websearch and you can find sources for museum-grade fabrics and felts. This is the stuff to use.

The best approach, IMHO, for long-term storage is waxing with a product such as Ren Wax.

 

[srtungate]

... where it remained untouched for an extended period of time.

Hundreds of people with hundreds of different methods of storage, do this/don't do that, store it with this/store it with that, but the two most common pieces of advice are OIL it and PERIODIC MAINTENCE. When you make the commitment to purchase fine knives or tools you also must commit to a regular/scheduled maintenance regime! Rust isn't caused from or by storage, it's caused by poor maintenance. Rant off!