Oil my CPM S30V blades?

A

Alvin Hom

Joined
May 6, 2004
Messages
171
Old habits die hard, so I've been wiping my CPM S30V blades with a thin coat oil.

Friend says to me, "Dude, S30V is stainless so you don't need the oil."

My understanding is that all steels will corrode, it's just a matter of how much time and abuse you give it. So is CPM S30V so corrosion resistant that I can skip the oil?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
If you clip it near your sweat, it will develop a little surface rust. Oil is not a bad idea.

I use flitz metal polish as it removes existing rust as well as guarding against rust.
 
I think your right, in order for a steel to be classified as stainless steel it only has to be a certain min. % so it could rust, not as easy as other steels but it could. Plus it really can't hurt to put oil on it anyway. I don't think you will need it as much or often.
 
a light coating never hurts. I've noticed very very minor surface rust (no pitting) on a buck mayo satin blade and a custom mayo beadblasted S30V blades...but then, I'm in the tropics with 90% humidity....
 
There's a really old saying. "Hey bud it's stainless, not never-stain, whatdidya expect?" :) How bad a knive oxidizes depends on the steel makeup and the environment. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of polish.
 
Actually, from what I understand, S30V is not one of the more stainless steels, and that ATS-34/154 CM is more stain resistant. More will depend I think on whether the finish is bead blasted or smooth, but it's always good to keep a blade oiled, unless its Talonite...

I have owned and worn neck knives made from BG-42, and noticed a slight surfact rust from being exposed to my sweat, whereas a few S30V neck knives I had didn't rust at all. I keep them all coated with Flitz wax.
 
CPM S30V is considerably more corrosion resistant than ATS34 or 154-CM per industry published data and tests by members of this forum.
 
yup, bg42 has surface rust if exposed to sweat....I can attest to that....
 
Megalobyte said:
I have owned and worn neck knives made from BG-42, and noticed a slight surfact rust from being exposed to my sweat, whereas a few S30V neck knives I had didn't rust at all. I keep them all coated with Flitz wax.
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Maybe it's just because you're a corrosive kinda guy! ;) :p :D
 
all steels will rust if u put them through enough neglect...like forgetting to clean your knife after cleaning a fish....... :grumpy: :D
 
I have knives in most stainless steels: 440A, 440C, AUS6, AUS8, ATS-34, 154CM, VG-10, S30V, S60V...; you name it, they all rust if I don't take care off 'em stainless just stains less
 
paintfool said:
all steels will rust if u put them through enough neglect...like forgetting to clean your knife after cleaning a fish....... :grumpy: :D
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So very true. The Q Fog test used, for example, by Spyderco tests how long it takes for corrosion to appear, but it shows up with S30V and even BG 42. Sweat is famous for "aging" your knife for you. I wipe all my knives with a moneral oil dampened cloth after use.
 
Stainless should be resistant to rust under "standard" conditions. However, if you change the conditions, you can make pretty much anything rust. If you change the pH of the environment for example. Try dipping a stainless blade in concentrated acid....or on second thought, better don't do that. Same if not quite as sever, if you change the electrolyte concentration of the environment. Simple water will be most corrosive when in the right mixture with oxygen, which is why fog or saturated air is more corrosive, than just covering the steel with water. A sweaty pocket is therefore pretty much the worst you can put a knife thru: constant exposure to a high humidity environment, in the presents of salt and low acidity levels...

Having said that, I find S30V pretty corrosion resistant but a coat of oil can never hurt. Btw. there is one steel that passed three days of Spyderco's q-fog test without any signs of corrosion: H1.
 
I've carried a bead blasted S30V blade for a couple of years. It will show some rust spots by the end of a days use in wet weather. I've found the best way to prevent it is to wipe it down with neutral kiwi or johnsons paste wax. I do scrub it down with a green scratch pad and clp when I get home, and the more I do that the less it rusts.
 
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