New RC,Old RAT and a Myth debunked.

savagesicslayer

savagesicslayer

Gold Member
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
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I carry my RC-4 everywhere.it's my EDC till my Izula arrives.Now,in my 4 wheeler I keep a RAT-5.I put it in there 11 months ago.it's gotten some serious use since then.It also has gotten seriously neglected.For 11 STRAIGHT months it sat in the box on my bike.-40 winter,hot humid summer(I live by the Bay of Fundy),snow heavy rain I've left it out there in all of that.Mind you it was in the sheath when not in use.I always heard that if you store a knife in a sheath it'll rust.Not the case with this knife.the 1095 blade hasn't rusted at all.The edge still shines and is still stupid sharp.The handle screws rusted some but the working end of the knife is just fine.
A few pics from today's ride.
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Yeap, the 1095 rusts easily crap is exactly that-Bravo Sierra. I used a 5 inch Kabar as a dive knife for over a year, also as my duty carry knife. It was submerged in salt water, carried in salty ocean air, worked hard in the sand... no more maintenance than wiping it off on a BDU and it was fine the next day. To this very day there's not a spot of rust on it. All these stainless steel gurus and their precious H1 and other 'rustproof' knives make me laugh. The fact that they sacrifice blade strength for 'corrosion resistance' is a joke. A sad marketing ploy.
 
I wouldn't worry much about 1095 rusting. I recently inherited my father in law's (that's him in my avatar) Kabar Fighting and Utility Knife, actually it's the Cammilus USMC. He carried it as a Marine on Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Guam, New Caledonia, the Marshall Islands, and Wake Island during WW2. Stored in the leather sheath for 65 years for good measure it had a few spots of rust easily removed with some fine steel wool. My point is that the knives will be around a long time, longer than you and me. Use them and have fun with them.
 
Look, I don't think anyone "wants" rust on there blades, but it sure aint the end of the world. My fathers WWII Cattaraugus has been around the block-either hacking brush or carving venison. It has had it share of rust too, but it comes off. I like to see a tool used and respected. Hell, call it patina :D

Mike
 
My brother has had his RC-5 rust in NM. Just a bit and I agree it's not a big deal, but I think your stories might be a bit atypical.

I think 1095 is great, but I also love my Pacific Salt.
 
I have not had any problems with my 1095 blades. But I take decent care of them. I have a Spyderco Salt that gets clipped inside my waste band when I run. I do not even wipe it down after sweating all over it. It still looks the same as the day I got it.
 
Knives in sheath got rust especially when the sheath was made of leather and the blade uncoated.
That could not happen with a ESEE knife unless in very special environment and solely on the uncoated part of the knife.
 
Through all my active service in the Marine Corps I never had any rust show up on any of my 1095 knives. Marines spend a lot of time on the water, in the water, and on the beach and if any enviroment would make a knife rust that would be it.
 
that is awseome, im really happy you posted that. it killed most of my worry about the 'rust issue' with 1095.
i think the fact that it is talked about so much just makes it seem like more of a problem than it is,
 
I have used 1095 and 5160 blades for around 40+ years. This includes my service in the USMC. I have never had any of them rust, even after exposure to saltwater and humid environments. However I always did take reasonable care of my gear including wiping the blade off when wet and oiling them occasionaly.

The thing that didn't do too well in saltwater and humid wet conditions in general was leather. Both the sheaths and the handles on the Ka-Bar's. Unless treated with beeswax both these would deteriorate often rapidly. Thanks God for Micarta and Kydex.

1095 steel is very durable stuff. Especialy if some reasonable care is taken of it. If you aren't going to take care of your gear you shouldn't have it.
 
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