Infi Dive Knife

HJK said:
Submerging nails,or even knives, in a static test bears very little relationship to reality where you are using the knife. No applied coating can stand up to hard use. That's not my experience alone.
In normal hard use you have plenty of time to clean, dry and oil your knives. But not if you are in seriously adverse conditions or on the move. You can be stuck for 30 hours in ice in a kayak in the Kane Basin or make a dumb mistake, leave your knife in the wet overnight on the Nahanni and watch the Carbon V literally pit overnight.
The coatings are great for show knives. I prefer Ren Wax and the lighter Tuffcloth for my fancy blades. But I tried everything and was always disappointed for my users. Especially surprising was that Marine Tuff cloth didn't really work at all to protect the knives I wanted to lash to my pfd in saltwater. I asked, I think here on BFF, and it was suggested, reasonably I thought, that I applied it too cold. So I also tried warming the knives before applying, and I used th concentrate that impregnates Marine Tuff Cloth, and.... No real difference. Maybe it was abrading against my pfd, or my clothes when I wore it as a necker, but the idea of it bonding on a microscopic level didn't play out for me. I use a light oil and my knives don't rust, but I don't take as many unplanned swims anymore either.
I've used my Busses in very wet conditions with a lot of chopping and hard use, and they stood up really well. Even if a spot does develop, it is very easy to clean and is superficial, not like my old trailmaster.
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand the first point. But would you agree that some form protectant is still a whole lot better than none at all?

Regarding CarbonV I am not sure about its corrosion resistance. But I would bet that it would rust a whole lot faster than INFI or even other not so corrossion resistant stainless. If I remember right...CarbonV is very much like carbon steels like 1095, 5160, 52100 which are very poor in the corrossion resistance department. They would not be my first choice for salt water use with or without protectants.
 
Ban said:
That is true to point. A good protectant would not come off that easily unless the knife was used really hard which I really don't see happening during a dive. Even then... protectants are just that...they are not 100percent but drastically helps with corrossion. I don't think having a tuff cloth in your gear bag is all that unreasonable. It only takes a second or two to wipe down a knife before and after use. I still think that the combination of tuff cloth and high corrossion resistance of INFI makes Busses a reasonable dive knife.
Click to expand...
i'd rather have a strong sharp knife with a patina than a shiny piece of crap anyway.
 
Ban said:
Yes, I understand the first point. But would you agree that some form protectant is still a whole lot better than none at all?
Click to expand...
Absolutely yes.
Ban said:
Regarding CarbonV I am not sure about its corrosion resistance. But I would bet that it would rust a whole lot faster than INFI or even other not so corrossion resistant stainless. If I remember right...CarbonV is very much like carbon steels like 1095, 5160, 52100 which are very poor in the corrossion resistance department. They would not be my first choice for salt water use with or without protectants.
Click to expand...
I believe the formula for Carbon V has changed over time, at least that was the consensus here years ago when we debated the relative merits of Cold Steel versus Busse. IMHO, there is no comparison. Busse, especially Infi Busses, the only ones I know, are superb knives and far superior, even in corrosion resistance. The excellent steels you've mentioned, like O1 and CPM 3V certainly corrode, but they are great steels in most every other way. The baked on coatings help a grea deal, of course (my old Trailmaster had no baked on coating, it wasn't offered at the time) except of course they don't protect the edges and they too can wear off.
The problem might be worse for surface dwellers like me than for divers. Someone once pointed out that immersing a knife and keeping it immersed is probebly easier on a knife in terms of corrosion than getting it wet and dirty up here on the surface where air can also get at it more easily, but not being a diver or having Cliff Stamp to argue the point I can't be sure ;)
 
HJK said:
Absolutely yes. I believe the formula for Carbon V has changed over time, at least that was the consensus here years ago when we debated the relative merits of Cold Steel versus Busse. IMHO, there is no comparison. Busse, especially Infi Busses, the only ones I know, are superb knives and far superior, even in corrosion resistance. The excellent steels you've mentioned, like O1 and CPM 3V certainly corrode, but they are great steels in most every other way. The baked on coatings help a grea deal, of course (my old Trailmaster had no baked on coating, it wasn't offered at the time) except of course they don't protect the edges and they too can wear off.
The problem might be worse for surface dwellers like me than for divers. Someone once pointed out that immersing a knife and keeping it immersed is probebly easier on a knife in terms of corrosion than getting it wet and dirty up here on the surface where air can also get at it more easily, but not being a diver or having Cliff Stamp to argue the point I can't be sure ;)
Click to expand...

That is a interesting point. I am not sure if it is true but it sure sounds plausible :D

1095, 5160, 52100, 01, and 3V are all great steels. As a matter of fact 3V is one of my favorites after INFI.
 
INFI don't swim :D i havn't put my INFI in salt water but if it rusts in normal water than salt water is going to be pretty bad for it.

EDIT: didn't realize this was a 4 page thread. someone probably said what i said already :D
 
I've taken my Cultellus fishing and cleaned/gutted several fish with it. I've also eaten plenty of meat with it :p. It's been used extensively in the kitchen and has has a little EDC carry....love that little knife...I haven't had ANY problems with corrosion and it's been put away in a leather sheath both wet and dirty with no rust yet...there was some light orange stuff that wiped off and left no markings...and some VERY light patina/staining, but no rust. I think a fine polished finish has something to do with rust resistance and ease of cleaning as I've had a couple double cut Busse's that developed the orangish rust type stuff rather easily...and also had a knife I stripped overnight with some gel stripper and it rusted while outside...was nothing a couple sweeps with sand paper didn't remove though...a scrubbing pad probably would have done the trick. I've had stainless steel knvies that have developed corrosion easier than INFI, so I wouldn't be too worried about diving with your Busse.

I don't dive with one for the sole reason that I like the design of the Benchmade and the bright scales....with the added benefit that if I loose it, it's easily replaced....whereas the Busse isn't. Plus being able to pry with a flat tip is nice and the added benefit of being able to easily cut line with the serrations...benchmade serrations are nice....I've thinned them out on my Benchmades and they're even more aggressive. They're not as tough, but then again, serrations are meant for fibrous materials....it's nice to have it travel through effortlessly.
 
Which benchmade do you use Pbub? Is it a folder?

I've had a lot of good suggestions about where to go to look for folding Dive knives...still hoping people will do the work for me and just post the best ones. My friend won't be coming back to the States until next Febuary...so I have a while to pick out something good for him.

--BubbaThud
 
Bubba---A 4" blade, titanium dive knife from Boker called the Submariner, is awesome. I use this one on dry land, too. Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top