Noob needs advice on M2 steel and corrosion.

[ehhh]

Ok, I just got my first non stainless folder (710HS, beautiful knife) and I need some advice on how to keep it corrosion free. I have a Ka-Bar made of 1095 that I keep stored in it's box and it has not rusted (I've done no maintenance on it either). From my understanding, 1095 should rust easier than M2?

Anyways, what makes me worry about the 710HS is that I will be carrying it (usually in waist band too, which is closer to the body than in the pocket) and sweat and bad weather might corrode it.

What should I do to maintain it? Just how rust prone is M2? I currently don't have any products made specifically to maintain steel, but I have put a thin coat of Vaseline on the edge for the time being (by thin I mean spread some on the edge with a q-tip without leaving any blotches). Is this even necessary? Could I just get away by wiping it off after uses? I don't plan on cutting anything wet with it anyways. Mostly just opening mail and packages.
I probably will order some Breakfree CLP in the future, but should I be worried about my M2 rusting in the meantime? (just carrying it in waist band and cutting cardboard at the most with a thin coat of Vaseline)

Thanks for your help!

 

[DGG]

Welcome to the party!

Here is a recent thread debating the merits of various lubes that is pertinent to your question.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386911

That a great knife and unless you work or use it in a hot sweaty salty nasty environment it should hold up fine. This is tough steel and even if it does get a little patina on it it can usually be rubbed off with little harm.

 

[echosix]

I've carried carbon steel blades for years. They get little maintenance, and they stand up fine. You do want to keep them dry and oiled, like a firearm, or dry and oil them if they get soaked. My routine has generally been to oil with whatever was handy, LSA, CLP, generic gun oil, a drop of oil from the dipstick, if I have nothing else. Yeah, some oils are better than others. But people were keeping their blades shiny with the grease from dinner scraps for thousands of years.

 

[ginshun]

I use RustFree from AG Russell, and I have never had a problem with any of my carbon or tool steels rusting.