Is M4 a Rust Monster

TotalDbag

TotalDbag

Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
7,165
I'm going to say no. Here's why.

After 2 and a half hours in the water. Half of which it was in the salty ocean.

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The only rust on the knife is near the tip on this side.
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I was expecting rust to cover the edge, blade tang, and logos, but I guess not.
 
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Never had a problem with M4 and corrosion.

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But mine has not seen too much salt water.





Big Mike
 
you will not with a coated blade.

i got the spyderco swick i think non coated one day with body sweat it is pitted,and the spy manix i will not pack in the summer.
 
THE PUNISHER said:
you will not with a coated blade.

i got the spyderco swick i think non coated one day with body sweat it is pitted,and the spy manix i will not pack in the summer.
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I know, which is why I said this.
"I was expecting rust to cover the edge, blade tang, and logos, but I guess not."
I'll update this thread as my beach vacation continues. It's nice and humid, and the air is full of salt.
 
Same with my Benchmade 810 Contego with CPM-M4 and black Cerakote™ (62-64HRC) blade. It's a tank. The Cerakote is also on the non-black versions for extra protection against the elements. Mine has seen sweat and salt water / moisture since I live only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.

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When M4 rusts, it pits. High carbide steels tend to do this instead of light surface rusting it seems.

But M4 has enough Chromium to keep rust at bay in bad conditions for enough time to not be too problematic, same thing with 3V.

M4 is just a great all around performer. Tough and wear resistant. Plus its edge stability at that high hardness means you can run it thin.
 
I live in Miami, where for most of the year there is 90% or more humidity and it is salty. Car batteries die down here much faster than anywere else in the US. If that doesn't make sense, google salt+moisture+heat+batteries, it kills them quick. Either way, I have one of the GP M4 Mini-Grips that was recently released, a Gayle Bradley and an 810 Contego. To make matters worse, I'm origianlly from St. Paul MN. so any weather above 70 F. makes me sweat like a fat man.

That being said, I regularly EDC all of these knives, while wearing jeans, in the Miami heat, and I've never had a problem with rust. Periodically throughout the day, I will pull out my knife to use it and notice that the blade is all "sweated up". I'll wipe it off on my jeans, use it, slip it back in my pocket and keep going, no problems.
 
m4 is about as rust resistant as any non stainless I've handled. I've left it in a pile of wet clothes overnight with no issue besides a light peppering which literally might take fifteen seconds to remove with an eraser.

used to live clipped inside my waistband for a ten mile bicycle commute to work, followed by labor out in the elements. that means rain in the winter and sweat in the summer.

great steel.
 
My Gayle Bradley gets rusty very easily. I stopped carrying it in large part because of that. Have never had too much trouble with 3V rusting (although I've never had it in a pocketknife), interesting someone compares the two.
 
Burke said:
My Gayle Bradley gets rusty very easily. I stopped carrying it in large part because of that. Have never had too much trouble with 3V rusting (although I've never had it in a pocketknife), interesting someone compares the two.
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I'll take your Bradley off your hands for you. And since I'm a nice guy, I'll do it for free ;)
 
Burke said:
My Gayle Bradley gets rusty very easily. I stopped carrying it in large part because of that. Have never had too much trouble with 3V rusting (although I've never had it in a pocketknife), interesting someone compares the two.
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o i know,traded my spy brad off for the non coated blade,it bout pitted one hot sweaty day.

still i have a m4 manix i am afraid to pack,it gets a little love in the winter months.
 
Funnel cake is delicious, but the plastic knives I was given suck. How do I resolve the issue you may ask?

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