Me vs M4

[Jack Lewis]

So I got it into my head to force a patina on a new M4 blade. I live near the coast so it seemed like a good idea.

And the way some people talked about M4 it seemed eager to corrode as quickly as possible. So an easy task, I figured.

Twelve hours later I've thrown everything I can find at it. Raw steak, mustard, apples. It has developed only the slightest sheen. So that's frustrating, in a small way. In a larger sense it's reassuring, through — this steel is far more inert than I had expected. I can just relax and use it.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Yep, I realized the same thing awhile ago. All those horror stories I heard seemed like myths, and I stopped worrying about carbon steel all together.

 

[trevitrace]

I've noticed that even with a cursory wiping off, as long as it's dry before putting it away or repocketing, there won't be an issue.