My Carbon Steel Rant

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Yonose said:
Buck has made some excellent folders in s30v lately, ZT knives are made in the US, an US made spyderco militaries and manix2 xl's while not exactly traditional, can be easily sharpened with a $35 investment in dmt diafold sharpening "stones"
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ix-Nay on the odern-May ife-Knay please.
In the Traditional Forum, only traditional patterns are discussed.
 
The Samurai used camellia oil for there swords and knives, It`s still use in Japan today as it`s non-toxic food safe.

I use 3in1 oil on my knives unless i am using them with food, then i use any oil available to protect it during the night till it`s used again next day.

John.
 
John Stubley said:
The Samurai used camellia oil for there swords and knives, It`s still use in Japan today as it`s non-toxic food safe.

I use 3in1 oil on my knives unless i am using them with food, then i use any oil available to protect it during the night till it`s used again next day.

John.
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Carmellia oil was used by the Japanese and Chinese long before petroleum products were in use. It is food safe, but does contain some fatty acids. I suppose it could turn rancid like any other cooking oil. Pharmaceutical grade mineral oil is as good as any for knives that might be use for food prep.
 
Well the Japanese and Chinese are not poster boys for MR Fat, So the Carmellia oil cannot be that fatty or the amount that gets ingested is minuscule. :D

John.
 
I carry two carbon steel knives everyday, i work in a very hot and humid building and sweat like a pig all summer long and i have very little problems with rust. I usually clean em up with some 000 steel wool and oil em maybe once a month or when i think about it. Not a big deal for me, after all its not stainless and its gonna stain.
 
It depends if you have acidic sweat, Some people have it really bad with their fingerprints rusting in no time, I read the other day if you take your finger and wipe it along the knife the blade will not rust, It does not seem logical to me.

John.
 
John Stubley said:
It depends if you have acidic sweat, Some people have it really bad with their fingerprints rusting in no time, I read the other day if you take your finger and wipe it along the knife the blade will not rust, It does not seem logical to me.

John.
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This is exactly what I do and no rust. If I leave a fingerprint on a knife it will rust if left but if I always wipe my finger down the blade before pocketing it doesn't.

Its like magic!
 
texmex03 said:
This is exactly what I do and no rust. If I leave a fingerprint on a knife it will rust if left but if I always wipe my finger down the blade before pocketing it doesn't.

Its like magic!
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The old timers I worked with out in the Texas sun back in the 80's used to rub on their knife blades for just this reason. They would turn grey but not get rusty.
 
I also stopped buying GECs due to rust issues. I did wipe them down with an oily rag at the end of each day, but that wasn't enough. They were used too much during the day. Sure, the rust comes off easy, but it isn't worth the hassle. For my use (I work at a shipyard), I would have to carry an oily rag in my pocket and wipe down after each use.

IMHO, GECs are for collectors, not users.
 
AmosPaul said:
I also stopped buying GECs due to rust issues. I did wipe them down with an oily rag at the end of each day, but that wasn't enough. They were used too much during the day. Sure, the rust comes off easy, but it isn't worth the hassle. For my use (I work at a shipyard), I would have to carry an oily rag in my pocket and wipe down after each use.

What oil were you using to protect the knife, 3in1 oil is the best for the price and blows mineral oil out of the water, some people love wd40.

John.
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AmosPaul said:
I also stopped buying GECs due to rust issues. I did wipe them down with an oily rag at the end of each day, but that wasn't enough. They were used too much during the day. Sure, the rust comes off easy, but it isn't worth the hassle. For my use (I work at a shipyard), I would have to carry an oily rag in my pocket and wipe down after each use.

IMHO, GECs are for collectors, not users.
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I'm a user, and they're fine for me.
 
Might depend on your client and how much time you want to spend on knife maintenance, if the answer is 0 carbon isn't for you, I think proper maintenance is the #1 factor in rust prevention on a carbon steel followed by local climate and then use.
 
This thread has gotten to the point of ridiculousness. If you can't , won't, or don't want to maintain carbon steel then why buy it. As far as using a carbon steel knife in a shipyard, wrong tool for the job. You just don't maintain it properly. Ships are not made with stainless steel and last a long time, so what's the answer, maintenance.
 
"As far as using a carbon steel knife in a shipyard, wrong tool for the job. You just don't maintain it properly. Ships are not made with stainless steel and last a long time, so what's the answer, maintenance." LOL. I've been biting my tongue for a long time but this is too much. Here's another bit of reductive logic: Ships are made of carbon steel and they float, therefore steel floats. You ignore the protective paint, constant replacement of parts due to corrosion, teams of men working on them, and that ultimately the sea always wins.
It is generally accepted that carbon steel does in fact rust and rusts easily. Strangely, there's a lot of people on here that would argue that fact until they're blue in the face. They'll tell you in one sentence that carbon steel probably shouldn't be used around salt water, BUT ships are made out of it so if your knife is rusting well, that's your fault. Others will tell you that you just need to rub it the right way or that mineral oil is all you need to protect your knife forever. So, if your knife rusts then well you've probably never maintained a knife in your life.
This of course ignores the experiences of everyone that has maintained their knife, lives far from any coast and yet at the end of the day still finds the red enemy spreading across their blade. The truth is mineral oil dries out and gets wiped off easily in use, rubbing your knife does not give it magical anti-corrosive properties, and carbon steel is fairly reactive to the humidity and crap that it gets exposed to on a daily basis. Rust happens, even to responsible knife owners. I hope this isn't too much of a shock to anyone.
There is no one best steel out there but 1095 is not ideal for pocket knives. I like the tradition and I know it's easier to machine and I know that's why GEC uses it. I wish they would make more in the GEC line, even though I know that's a pain in the butt for them. Their 440C knives are excellent and with today's market they'd sell like, well they'd sell like GECs. I appreciate the knives and I will buy more 1095 in the future but yes I do wish we could get some really great knives in Elmax or if you still want a patina M4.
 
Doc, I hoped I said that in fewer words. I was trying to get across that maintenance is the key.
 
And another thing! If you think for one second that the same folks back in the early 1900's that were buying high quality knives because they needed one good knife would turn their nose up at modern steel, you're wrong. Throughout history people have been striving to make better tools and when those tools come they are embraced. The late 1700s to the early 1900s was an era of massive changes and of people embracing new technology, even on the farms and frontier.
 
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