Is CPM-3V supposed to rust this quickly?

[kafolarbear]

Basically decided to test to see if I actually have CPM-3V knowing Bark River’s spotty history, I cleaned it with CLP, let it sit, then scrubbed the CLP off with soap, rinsed off the soap and let the tap water sit on the knife for an hour, these are the results. Now testing my gunny, also supposedly CPM-3V we’ll see how it does.

I understand CPM-3V is not a stainless steel, but I’ve heard several people call it “semi stainless”, and I was under the impression it’s not really normal to see so much oxidation after only an hour.

Edit: Here’s my gunny for comparison, same steel, same water after slightly more than an hour of exposure:

As you can see, it's nowhere near the same amount of oxidation as seen on the Bravo-1, especially missing the big clusters of oxidation seen near the tip of the gunny. The other side of the blade was spotless despite having water on it, as opposed to the Bravo-1 which suffered oxidation on both sides of the blade. Could it just be different qualities of heat treatment? Or is it more likely my Bravo-1 is mislabeled? Or am I just worrying over nothing?

 

[trevitrace]

In on one.

 

[DocJD]

If you want stainless , buy stainless .

 

[DocJD]

knowing Bark River’s spotty history

Why then would you proceed to buy from a maker you don't trust ?

 

[jbmonkey]

I haven't seen enough wet and time to answer...but whats caught my eye besides the question is the tip/point of that knife. whats going on with it? looks like a detent ball type shape at the end, but guess maybe its just coloring and optical illusion?

 

[kafolarbear]

I haven't seen enough wet and time to answer...but whats caught my eye besides the question is the tip/point of that knife. whats going on with it? looks like a detent ball type shape at the end, but guess maybe its just coloring and optical illusion?

No, I managed to smack the damn thing tip first into concrete while putting it through way more abuse than a knife should be reasonably expected to survive, so I chipped a good bit off the tip. Tried to repair it with limited success on a cheap $10 diamond stone, and have sharpened the whole knife several times since then, the tip is sharp again, if just slightly squared off.

 

[kafolarbear]

Why then would you proceed to buy from a maker you don't trust ?

Wasn't really aware of it until afterwards, and even then I dismissed it as exaggerations or selection bias, but then my BRK Gunny came with the most atrociously uneven grind I've seen so far on a knife and suddenly my confidence in Bark River's quality control plummeted. Don't get me wrong, this Bravo-1 is hands down my favorite knife and comes with me wherever I go, but I wouldn't put it past them to have accidentaly labeled A2 as CPM-3V, as they've admitted to in the past.

 

[DocJD]

Wasn't really aware of it until afterwards, and even then I dismissed it as exaggerations or selection bias, but then my BRK Gunny came with the most atrociously uneven grind I've seen so far on a knife and suddenly my confidence in Bark River's quality control plummeted. Don't get me wrong, this Bravo-1 is hands down my favorite knife and comes with me wherever I go, but I wouldn't put it past them to have accidentaly labeled A2 as CPM-3V, as they've admitted to in the past.

OK dokey then .

 

[CWL]

No, I managed to smack the damn thing tip first into concrete while putting it through way more abuse than a knife should be reasonably expected to survive, so I chipped a good bit off the tip.

So you have a knife that survives your admitted abuse, and yet you knock the brand's quality before you complain that a non-stainless blade has been purposely stained?

 

[353]

Basically decided to test to see if I actually have CPM-3V knowing Bark River’s spotty history, I cleaned it with CLP, let it sit, then scrubbed the CLP off with soap, rinsed off the soap and let the tap water sit on the knife for an hour, these are the results. Now testing my gunny, also supposedly CPM-3V we’ll see how it does.

I understand CPM-3V is not a stainless steel, but I’ve heard several people call it “semi stainless”, and I was under the impression it’s not really normal to see so much oxidation after only an hour.

Edit: Here’s my gunny for comparison, same steel, same water after slightly more than an hour of exposure:

As you can see, it's nowhere near the same amount of oxidation as seen on the Bravo-1, especially missing the big clusters of oxidation seen near the tip of the gunny. The other side of the blade was spotless despite having water on it, as opposed to the Bravo-1 which suffered oxidation on both sides of the blade. Could it just be different qualities of heat treatment? Or is it more likely my Bravo-1 is mislabeled? Or am I just worrying over nothing?

I did the same test, only I left it over night:

Only thing that happened was that the water dried out:

 

[The Grendels]

Now look what you've done. One minute me and my Bark River Bravo 1 3V are at my desk reading Blade Forums and the next thing I know it's running across the room, hopping into a drawer, and pulling it closed. It took hours before it would agree to come out, after a lot of promises that I'd never treat it bad. I also had to sign a contract stating I'll never baton with it and I have to buy it a custom leather sheath...

 

[Dergyll]

You know, I recently bought a CPM154 Kalahari Sportman that developed tiny rust spots (really deep rust spots) after cutting meat, hand washed, then hand-dried and left to sit.

My Bravo 1.5 3V I've beat on constantly, cut wood, cut food, left in the rain one time, no rust...in fact the finish still looks quite good even after a year of use.

The way the rust developed at random spots, I'm thinking maybe other metal bits got onto my blade while in the shop, which caused the rusting. I'm going to Flitz and keep using it and see what happens because CPM154 is a bit more stainless than 3V.

Take rust testing with a grain of salt. Just use your blade, clean it, etc.

 

[91bravo]

I accidentally left my CPK medium Chopper on a stump in the back yard for 2 or 3 days. No rust at all when I finally discovered it.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Congratulations on your A2 Bravo 1! Honestly, there are probably too many variables to tell with certainty from just a corrosion test, but that very uncertainty is a pretty compelling argument not to buy from BRK or, at minimum, not to pay more for an upgraded steel.

 

[K-Lastima]

Maybe too much salt in the water softener.

 

[kafolarbear]

So you have a knife that survives your admitted abuse, and yet you knock the brand's quality before you complain that a non-stainless blade has been purposely stained?

I mean, like I’ve said I really do love everything about the knife geometry and finish wise, but bark River has been known to mislabel A2 as 3V in the past. I’d assume that A2 would be able to handle the same abuse, but if a paid extra for 3V then I expect the steel to behave like 3V, and as Im seeing from some people here, they don’t have as much rust on their knife after a night with the same test.

 

[kafolarbear]

Maybe too much salt in the water softener.

Water softener? It’s New York tap, which is among the highest quality in the country, basically piped straight from the mountains to the faucet.

 

[jstn]

I've only had rust appear on 3V that was bead blasted and carried a few days in high humidity/sweat. Otherwise, I've found it to be very stain resistant. The bead blast really seems to increase susceptibility to rust over a satin or stonewashed finish.

 

[kafolarbear]

I did the same test, only I left it over night:

Only thing that happened was that the water dried out:

Interesting, in my mind that’s quite telling, although it could point to my tap water not being as pure I thought since my gunny also did develop a little bit of rust after an hour… unless I’m just unlucky as hell and got two mislabeled knives lmao.

 

[kafolarbear]

Congratulations on your A2 Bravo 1! Honestly, there are probably too many variables to tell with certainty from just a corrosion test, but that very uncertainty is a pretty compelling argument not to buy from BRK or, at minimum, not to pay more for an upgraded steel.

It’s honestly quite sad because I like their designs, their aesthetic scratches an itch for me, the knives just feel good in hand and after trying the convex grind, I find it difficult to go back to a knife with a secondary bevel. But their quality control is sadly sub par and you’re right, I shouldn’t have a seed of doubt in my mind about whether or not I’m getting what I paid for when I buy a knife from a company.