The horror! Rust! On a Charlow!

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So today was my first day back in the classroom (I'm a teacher, not a student) and there is no AC in the classrooms I teach in. Knowing this, I oiled my trusty sheepfoot Charlow up this morning, dropped it in my pocket, and went to work. I've been carrying carbon steel knives for a few years now without issue, but when I got home, I took my knife out of my pocket so I could give it a wipe down with a microfiber cloth I use for such purposes, and there it was--

Red. Rust!

On the top part of the blade, right at the swedge!

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, as I flitzed it off immediately and see no signs of pitting. I've carried this knife every day since receiving it and the thought of leaving it home tomorrow is not a happy thought, but it might be wise to go with something stainless until the classrooms cool down. Even with the forced patina I do on all my user knives, I think the sheepfoot sticks out just a tad more than on my clip or spear blades that it was that much more exposed to the humid environment.

All is well, and the magnificent sheepfoot is good as it was before, but I never want to look down and see rust on it again!
 
Turn your pocket inside-out, lightly oil the bottom of the pocket, turn your pocket rightside-in and carry the knife with no worries.
 
Before putting my Charlow in my pocket, I put it in a zip-lock bag filled with 30 weight motor oil. Not a speck of rust. ;)
 
I have had similar experiences with a few of my GEC's. I really don't understand why, because I have carried other carbon knives ( Case, Boker )without experiencing this to the degree that my GEC's exhibit this, even after being blued. It always seems to happen suddenly too? Usually I have also noticed this at the top portion of the blades, and next to where the liner scale is, it must be from the salt in my sweat...It doesn't stop me from using them though.
 
That's the price you pay when using carbon steel knives....




I can live with it! :)
 
That was red patina. As you know from reading this forum regularly, only unwashed heathens carry stainless steel. Patina good, stainless bad! ;)
 
I'm sounding like a broken record lately, but: get a pocket slip sheath. Down here in the Southeast it's always 80%+ humidity and 90-100+ degrees during the summer, and I wouldn't think of carrying a carbon steel knife any other way!

Al Dodge (username: Pocketknifesheaths) made some for me and did a great job. You won't regret it... functional and classy!
 
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I've noticed those darn little black specks show up more often on my GEC's than any other carbon steel knives I carry (Boker, Schrade, Eye Brand, Case CV). I've tried mineral oil, polishing them with Flitz, and synthetics like Tuf-Cloth. If I don't watch them like a hawk I get little black specks. I just had to clean some off the swedge of my Boy's Knife yesterday.

I like 'em shiny though I'm thinking I may investigate blueing as it gets pretty humid here in the summer.
 
I carry my GECs in a KSF leather sleeve that I have treated with Obenauf's Leather Oil. Not a speck of rust on them. The Obenauf's protects the leather as a conditioner and helps to moister proof it. The Obenauf's is available at KSF also. Try it you'll like it...The leather sleeves also helps keeping these fine knives looking great by protecting them from keys, change and other "stuff" I carry in my pockets.

Two of the sleeves shown with a few of my folders.

 
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jc57 said:
That was red patina. As you know from reading this forum regularly, only unwashed heathens carry stainless steel. Patina good, stainless bad! ;)
Click to expand...

Red patina. That's a much better way of looking at it.

As for the pocket sheaths, part of the whole reason I am drawn to traditionals is, well...tradition. Grandpa didn't use a pocket sheath. Then again, I have Grandpa's knife and there is no rust on it. Just heavy, heavy patina. Pocket sheath might be the way to go until my Charlow earns enough of the "good" oxidation to fight off the bad. Thanks for the suggestions, all!

Double Ott...that is a great looking selection there!
 
I got a pocket slip and put my brand new GEC in it last month. Put it in my back pocket and went to work outside. Within an hour I had sweated so much the bolsters were speckled with rust. I turned the knife around to do the other side. There was no way I could clean it at the time and one sided patena would have looked dumb. So pocket slips don't make it immune to rust if you live in Mississippi and work outside.
 
The nature of the beast. Just relax and give it a wipe-down at the end of each day. I use the oily rag method if it's been an especially hot day wit a lot of perspiration. The black specks is what I get all the time. I just let it do it's thing. It's gradually darkening and that's how it's supposed to be.

My #55 next to my new Pemberton, showing the difference between the new clean 1095 steel and after 10 weeks of pocket carry for the #55. The Pemberton will soon look the same...


 
Same thing has happened to my GEC 15, and in my line of work I don't sweat much. Eventually (Saturday), I gave in and forced a nice patina on it using apple cider vinegar. Usually about twice a week I try to replenish a nice thin coat of gun oil on the blades, springs, and covers just for safekeeping. To me, the act of trying to keep it shiny forever just seemed like a never ending battle... Well, that and I never could figure out a way to completely remove those little black specs.
 
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