survival rust inhibitor

[adamajc]

Ok, I tried searching for this and had no luck so hopefully someone has some good info. The scenario is simply this, your stuck in the woods or somewhere outside for a long time. Months maybe years with no oil for your blades. How and or what would you use to keep your high carbon tools from turning into orange powder. Now I know a rescue would likely occur sooner than the time frame given if you've done your part and you are in the lower 48, but let your mind wander to a highly unlikely yet still possible situation. Anything indigenous to the region your in or whatever you could use to help slow rust. Thanks.

 

[sadiejane]

ed fowler is always saying we all have enuf grease on our chins and along the sides of our nose to keep most blades well oiled....
other than that, if you were indeed in a survival mode, hopefully you would have at some point devised a way to catch critters all of whom have fat to more or less degrees

 

[stingray4540]

How and or what would you use to keep your high carbon tools from turning into orange powder.

This, simply won't happen. So, to answer your question nothing. That's why you've had a hard time finding any info on the matter.

Come on, think about it. We've recovered swords that are thousands of years old, and still have more than enough metal on them to sharpen up.

If you are in a survival situation, rust is the least of your worries. I think finding icecream would be something worth worrying about more than rust...

The only time I ever put oil on my carbon blades, is over the winter, or when I know it may be months before I get out to use it again. Otherwise, if it's used even on a marginally consistent basis, I don't even worry about it. Just dry them before they go back in the sheath if I get them all wet cleaning fish.

One more thing to think about before I finish: Stainless steal is relatively new. Old time Marines, fishermen, pirates, they all used carbon steel, and I can hardly believe they were so worried about there blades rusting that they slathered bearing grease on them every 10 minutes. Just something to think about so you don't lose sleep over the thought of your knives turning to dust in your hands.

 

[fugawee]

Fatty oils from any animal maybe? (have to watch for the rancid factor)
chop a coconut and smear it on
(as well as yourself for sunscreen)
I think some nuts contain oils that would help
stop rust as well.

I think constant use would be sufficient though

 

[baldtaco-II]

I don't believe you need to be thinking in terms of months or years when it comes to protecting these sorts of knives in real world / protracted usage. Someone posted up the below here not so long back. That didn't take long to turn into a wreck when conditions included damp and wet too.

Whilst you could use animal fats and oils personally I'd swerve that. The most immediate things that spring to mind include: Rub Vaseline on it, or lip balm, or a candle, or a paraffin burn dressing...and so on. I like clean gear, the last thing I want in the sticks is a case of something nasty from some rancid old muck.

 

[Bushman5]

This, simply won't happen. So, to answer your question nothing. That's why you've had a hard time finding any info on the matter.

Come on, think about it. We've recovered swords that are thousands of years old, and still have more than enough metal on them to sharpen up.

If you are in a survival situation, rust is the least of your worries. I think finding icecream would be something worth worrying about more than rust...

The only time I ever put oil on my carbon blades, is over the winter, or when I know it may be months before I get out to use it again. Otherwise, if it's used even on a marginally consistent basis, I don't even worry about it. Just dry them before they go back in the sheath if I get them all wet cleaning fish.

One more thing to think about before I finish: Stainless steal is relatively new. Old time Marines, fishermen, pirates, they all used carbon steel, and I can hardly believe they were so worried about there blades rusting that they slathered bearing grease on them every 10 minutes. Just something to think about so you don't lose sleep over the thought of your knives turning to dust in your hands.

+ a billion! :thumbup:

just use your knife, wipe it dry, repeat.

 

[1066vik]

can you post a link to the thread that picture came from - I'd like to read it.

in answer to the OP - if you're using the knife daily, rust should be worn off as you go and not get a good foothold, especially if the carbon steel has a chance to build a patina from cutting hot meat, etc...
in addition to this, beeswax makes a good food-safe protectant, it just needs to be reapplied after use.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Negative, but the clue trail points at Joezilla if I recall correctly.

 

[Iboschi]

Plant oils and refined animal fat would be okay. Simply keeping it dry helps too + 1 to the using it comments also.

 

[adamajc]

Thanks for the responses. Mentioning of swords being used by past generations definitely made me more optimistic. I generally keep my knives in good condition at home whereas in a long term situation I would just want to keep things functional. Keeping things dry after use and the fact that the edge would definitely be getting use makes sense also.

 

[otis williams]

i'm pretty sure that's the knife Jeff gave to a dude in peru, right after the partnership with Rowen. it's been used in a jungle daily since then.

 

[fnc]

Logically I must agree with the "wipe it off and do not worry" guys,
but I would rather take a few more precautions, for my own morale.

If near a salty environment, pay more attention to your knife.
More problematic for survival: gun barrels, trigger mechanisms that are metal.
In damp areas I would worry more about water and fungus in cameras, radios, gps, etc.

Just remembered: salt is not good for electronics, in the long term.

Silica Gel packets are the main water absorber, and you see it in packing equipment and
small packets in pill bottles. Silica Gel can be reconstituted, after it has absorbed water:
bake it to drive off the water, or so I have read.

Edit to Add.
Sneaky Rust can happen even in dry environments like the Great Plains. I just coined the
term "Sneaky Rust" to mean rust that is created from great temperature changes and
special micro-environments. You can accidentally create areas that trap the moister that
gathers as sweat on metals (and other surfaces). And great temperature changes promote
sweating on surfaces. Your car and your garage will have great temperature changes.

 

[SouthernCross]

Ok, I tried searching for this and had no luck so hopefully someone has some good info. The scenario is simply this, your stuck in the woods or somewhere outside for a long time. Months maybe years with no oil for your blades.

Easy, use a modern stainless steel

IMO, forget the often repeated BS about carbon steel is the only one suitable for the bush. Those who faithfully repeat this mantra tell me they have no experience with modern stainless steels




Kind regards
Mick

 

[Ramm9]

That didn't take long to turn into a wreck when conditions included damp and wet too.

.

It may look like a wreck but I bet it's got years left in it and is perfectly functional. After five minutes spent with a stone and steel wool it would probably look pretty good too.

Simple carbon like 1095 will acquire rust in a heartbeat if you let it sit wet. After cleaning surface rust a couple of times remembering to wipe it dry after use would become second nature so it shouldn't be any problem.

Easy, use a modern stainless steel

IMO, forget the often repeated BS about carbon steel is the only one suitable for the bush.

Yeah! If you've got a rust phobia starting or want pretty much zero maintenance just go to stainless.

There's a ton of good stainless choices from well tempered Buck to Bark River up to Randall Made. I'm pretty sure a stainless Randall could handle a year in the bush or jungle with no problem.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Ramm9, hola

I agree, it doesn't look too far gone to be salvageable, a belt would make short work of stripping that off. That said, unless I wanted to make changes to the shape I'd probably dunk it in something, perhaps a molasses bath that many metal detectors use to recover dug up rusty stuff to good effect. That makes sense to me from a recovering investment point of view. Me personally, I'd just toss it in the bin. It has demonstrated an undesirable tendency that I don't anticipate it quitting. I can control for that, because it is predictable, by simply avoiding it.

 

[Ramm9]

It's a RAT-3 right. I would be curious to see what it would look like after a soft steel brush and some steel wool cleaned it off. How deep any pitting is and especially if there is any rust under what is left of the coating. Interesting if the scales could be removed and see what's under them.

It does have that tendency. You could probably duplicate the look on a used knife that has some of its coating rubbed off and a few scratches in the blade by sticking it in some wet mud for a week or two.

Still, if it was all you had for the year out some pitting wouldn't keep it from functioning after you ground a new edge into it.

 

[Chris_Norden]

I can't remember the last time I used a rust inhibitor on my carbon mora. No rust, just a healthy patina. The only time I've had rust was putting a knife in a leather sheath for months without use. Only one or two cosmetic spots anyway. IMO the whole rust thing is/was hugely blown out of proportion by knife companies when they wanted to SELL their new stainless knives. Why would I want to pay extra money for a modern stainless when 1095 is more than enough? I know the knife companies want me to... It's all about the money, function isn't a factor.

 

[baldtaco-II]

I can't remember the last time I used a rust inhibitor on my carbon mora. No rust, just a healthy patina. The only time I've had rust was putting a knife in a leather sheath for months without use. Only one or two cosmetic spots anyway. IMO the whole rust thing is/was hugely blown out of proportion by knife companies when they wanted to SELL their new stainless knives. Why would I want to pay extra money for a modern stainless when 1095 is more than enough? I know the knife companies want me to... It's all about the money, function isn't a factor.

There's a flipside to that coin. Why would I want to pay extra for a 1095 knife over a modern stainless if I still have to pretend that rust has no ill effect. Why bother? I'll accept that it is often possible to make them a little harder but in practice if you aren't taking advantage of that...

Anyway, we digress.

 

[RVER]

A few years ago, I lost my Opinel n°9.
Years later, I found it in our bacterial decomposition pile in our garden. (don't know the right name for it)
The blade was in good shape ... the wooden handle was not.

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day Chris

Why would I want to pay extra money for a modern stainless when 1095 is more than enough? I know the knife companies want me to... It's all about the money, function isn't a factor.

I take it you spend a lot of time in and around saltwater?



Kind regards
Mick