Rust Questions

H

Hair

Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,455
1) Can incense smoke cause rust? I burn incense to relax and am worried it will have a long-term effect on my knives. All of my knives are stainless steel- most are 420 or 440, but I have a knife in S30V. Will smoke be a problem for any of them? I also just ordered an Opinel online with a carbon steel blade. Will smoke be bad for it?

2) My Dad and I just found a couple of his old knives in the garage while moving stuff to his new house. One of them is a slipjoint with a couple spots of rust on the blade, and some on the inside of the backspring (which is hard to get to). What is the easiest way to remove it? I know I can use a file eraser to get rid of the rust on the blade, but how do I take care of the rust on the inside of the knife? Will Rustoleum or similar products work and not harm the knife? For example, can I dip the knife in Rustoleum and let it sit until the rust loosens up, and then wash the knife?

Thanks in advance.
 
While I am no expert, I do know that smoke should not rust a blade, however after some time may leave a film on your blades making them look somewhat dull. as far as rust removal and preventative maintenance, I would suggest naval jelly to remove the rust with a cloth or VERY fine abrasive like.0000 steel wool. to prevent further rust I have read that a very slow boiling in linseed oil (found at most paint stores) can work wonders. hope this helps!

Regards
Jeremy
 
The thing to watch for is moisture. Most dry residues are harmless until some condensation or humidity cause them to become corrosive. If the smoke has sulfur or chlorine in it any moisture will create dilute hydro acids. Keep your knives coated with a protective rust inhibitor and away from moisture and you will be ok.
 
I do not think that incense will cause the knife to rust, but Humidity might.
 
I'd woory more about the long term effects of incense on YOU !
 
Thanks guys.

Mete- I don't disagree. I have done some research on the potential harm of incense, and I have decided that the risks are low enough that, given how moderate I am with them (i.e., I don't burn them very often), I don't really have anything to fear- at least no more than junk food and soda.

Any more suggestions for removing the rust on the inside of the knife (along the back spring)? I would love to have some sort of solution that I can just dip the knife in and de-rust the whole thing at once and then wash it off.
 
I use Breakfree CLP which is available at any gun store/sporting goods store and is a good rust remover and blade protector.

http://www.botac.com/breakfreeclp4.html

Like with any good lube you put it on sparingly and wipe it off thoroughly so you don't attract dust and dirt. A very little goes a long way. Many folks think you have to see a layer of oil on the blade or gun for protection but this isn't correct. It will only cause problem and rot your leather sheaths.

What does the incense do? I thought it was only used by pot smokers to hide that odor. That true?!!!

I think Rustoleum is a metal paint. For really rusty blades you will have to grind or sand them down with emery cloth below the rust spots/pits to where you only see clean clear shiny steel in order to stop the corrosion. There are many good oils (penetrating and others) that you could soak the knives in if they have rusted up to the point where they won't open. Heck if you have any motor oil in the garage soak them in that. You might have to wait a week for it to penetrate well and if the steel is badly corroded you will have a very scratching feeling knife when you open and close it.

You can use electronics to derust a knife but this is way beyond what I think you need.

Have you had a recent tetnus shot? Hee hee!
 
Breakfree looks good, but I am not sure it is up to the task of removing the amount of rust of this knife.

I don't smoke pot, I just use incense to relax. I work a lot and when I get a couple hours of free time (which is rare), I like to spend it relaxing. But I find it hard to relax when I just worked a 12 hour shift in a loud warehouse. Incense help me doze off for a quick nap, and feel relieved afterwards. I understand if you are skeptical. I didn't think a smell could help me relax until I tried it.

I had a feeling Rustoleum wasn't what I thought it was. I figured it was a metal cleaner from the name. Opps.

The knife isn't totally coated in rust and still opens and closes fine. The blade just has a few spots on it, which I could sand away. The hard part is the rust on the inside of the liners and along the inside of the backspring. That is where more of the rust is, and while it doesn't harm the action of the knife, I want it cleaned up.
 
Use WD 40, a matchstick or toothpick, and 0000 steel wool.
Bill
 
It could be difficult to completely remove the rust without taking the knife apart. If it works ok, I’d probably just keep it oiled and leave it at that. You might try using a pin or needle to scrape off any destructive orangish rust, but I wouldn’t go too far in trying to restore it.

Keris blades are sometimes ritualistically cleansed with incense smoke. I doubt that it has any physical effect on the blade though, other than making it smell good. :)

Going off topic, but… I recently got some incense from a company called Baieido and it’s really great stuff. The company has been making incense since 1657, so I guess they know what they’re doing!
 
I have come across the best rust remover that I can recall. It is made by the Zep company and I think they are headquartered here in Kansas City MO. The product is called Zep Super Penetrant. A mechanic friend of mine made me aware of it. He uses it to break rusted, seized and corroded nuts & bolts. It works like a dream for all of that and I have found out that it has great rust removal properties. Be very careful with it though. It is a powerful chemical. I knew a guy who got some in his eye and he had to go to the Emergency Room. But I bet a Q-tip with that on it would cure your problems. GOOD LUCK
 
Incense contains oil, so the atomised version in the smoke won't do any harm.

I refurbish a lot of rusty bayonets, and use steel wool and oil in various grades and then Solvol Autosol chrome cleaner on a cloth. When you have the blade clean and shiny, rub beeswax polish on it, wait for it to dry and lightly polish off. The wax will keep rust at bay for 6 to 12 months.
 
Thanks again guys.

I am a bit low on money until payday, but when I get paid I will try out a few of your suggestions and see what works best for my particular knife. I am willing to experiment.
 
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