RC-3 safe to use around saltwater?

texasflyfisher

texasflyfisher

Joined
Aug 17, 2007
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I recently purchased a RAT RC-3 and several times a year I fish around the Laguna Madre on the Texas coast. This lagoon and its inshore bays are a hyper-saline environment (it is saltier than the open Gulf) and so most metal that gets this saltwater on its starts rusting within hours.

I have a nice fixed blade S30V blade that I took with me last month and got a little spotting on it that came off OK. This is why I considered getting a less expensive but still good fixed blade knife that had a good coating on it. I am hoping I made the correct choice with the RC-3.

Anyone carry an RC-3 around saltwater that can comment? Thanks.
 
1095 will rust since it has a lot of carbon in it. The RC-3 has a great powder coating on it but any exposed metal is going to rust - that's just the nature of the best with carbon steels and salt water.

Jeff
 
Thanks for the quick reply Jeff! I guess if I do carry it with me, I'll be sure to spray Breakfree CLP on any exposed metal to add some additional protection.
 
That should work, and if it becomes a pain in the butt for you and doesn't work, then let us know. I'm sure we can do something to make you happy ;)
 
Thanks Jeff! That's a gracious offer. Since I fish 70% of the time in freshwater, I'll carry the RC-3 in that environment for a while and see how that goes though still making sure to spray and wipe the blade with Breakfree CLP from time to time.
 
Sentry Solutions "Marine Tuf Cloth" is a great product that you might try - I haven't used it on any of my knives in a saltwater environment, but it works very well for me inland :D and gets great reviews from the diving community and military.
 
I wear my RC 3 inverted on my turnout coat. It's been soaked and put away wet after a fair number of fires and I have found no rust on the blade.

however I have found some rust in the Hex screws attaching the scales. At the firehouse our universal surface preservative is 30 Wt. oil. this seems to work fine for me. Along with periodic inspections.
 
I coat my blades that will be used for food cleaning/prepping, etc in olive oil, peanut oil, or lard. Breakfree doesn't taste that good when you don't get it all off the blade before cleaning your fish.
 
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