K390 - less stain resistant than people claim.

They have this new thing called "stainless steel".

😜

Seriously, I don't get the allure of non-stainless EDC gear. I know, my grandpappy used carbon steel. My daddy used carbon steel. Hell, I've used carbon steel on occasion. I'm always left with the question of "why". Sure, those carbon steels might be tough or sharpen up nicely, but the same can be said of 14C28N. 🤷‍♂️

Even semi-stainless like D2 only shows up in my pocket due to the sheer number of knife designs that use it. Three seasons out of the year, that D2 holds up just fine with minimal maintenance. Then summer hits and the combination of 90F and 90% humidity makes sweat a fact of life. Steels like D2 and XHP instantly lose their charm. Even AUS-8 will occasionally spot in my pocket.

The magic number for me on Larrin's ratings chart seems to be 7.5. Starting with steels like VG-10, S30V, and S35VN; I just don't have issues anymore. I still do basic maintenance, cleaning and oiling as needed, but even with a little neglect; such steels never seem to rust in my pocket. Moving up to stuff like 14C28N, N690, or even MagnaCut is just gravy. :)
 
Hell, I thought 390 was "stainless". That just goes to show you how ignorant I am when it comes to the myriad of steels offered in folders.


My little 390 Delica has held-up pretty well. However, admittedly, I haven't had it that long, and haven't used it to cut-up "fireside" food like I have my Buck 110 Slim Selects...



20230827_035043 (BF).jpg



For me, Buck's 420HC is my "benchmark" for stainless steels. I've left my Buck 110s soaking in a "camp cup" full of water, overnight, and hit 'em with some water and "Dawn" the next morning...and NEVER had any issues with staining or pitting. 1693127586220.png
 
Chronovore said:
They have this new thing called "stainless steel".

😜

Seriously, I don't get the allure of non-stainless EDC gear. I know, my grandpappy used carbon steel. My daddy used carbon steel. Hell, I've used carbon steel on occasion. I'm always left with the question of "why". Sure, those carbon steels might be tough or sharpen up nicely, but the same can be said of 14C28N. 🤷‍♂️

Even semi-stainless like D2 only shows up in my pocket due to the sheer number of knife designs that use it. Three seasons out of the year, that D2 holds up just fine with minimal maintenance. Then summer hits and the combination of 90F and 90% humidity makes sweat a fact of life. Steels like D2 and XHP instantly lose their charm. Even AUS-8 will occasionally spot in my pocket.

The magic number for me on Larrin's ratings chart seems to be 7.5. Starting with steels like VG-10, S30V, and S35VN; I just don't have issues anymore. I still do basic maintenance, cleaning and oiling as needed, but even with a little neglect; such steels never seem to rust in my pocket. Moving up to stuff like 14C28N, N690, or even MagnaCut is just gravy. :)
Click to expand...
One funny thing for me is the ONLY knife that I ever had rust was a Boker Lancer in S35vn.

The whole thing seems so random when you read issues on here and see the huge range of issues that people experience.
 
ktataragasi said:
One funny thing for me is the ONLY knife that I ever had rust was a Boker Lancer in S35vn.

The whole thing seems so random when you read issues on here and see the huge range of issues that people experience.
Click to expand...

You're right that lots of things can happen. Like in the recent thread on MagnaCut rusting and elsehwere, one possibility is contamination of other steels on the grinder. There are also various acids or other things that can promote corrosion. In my own case for EDC, as discussed above, it's sweat. We've had discussions around the forum about how some of us have more corrosive sweat than others! 😮
 
Chronovore said:
You're right that lots of things can happen. Like in the recent thread on MagnaCut rusting and elsehwere, one possibility is contamination of other steels on the grinder. There are also various acids or other things that can promote corrosion. In my own case for EDC, as discussed above, it's sweat. We've had discussions around the forum about how some of us have more corrosive sweat than others! 😮
Click to expand...
In all reality, my sweat seems to be pretty corrosive...
 
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