Traditional issue - rust!

I'm not sure about froglube. Some guys swear by it, but I've never tried it myself.

With Rustfree, I'm always careful to not get it on the handle scales.
 
There have been a wide variety of branded rust preventative liquids mentioned on this thread. From my research on the topic in my gun world - I have a rare, original 1936 Mauser .22 sport edition in pristine condition, for example - I determined that there is no GUARANTEE that any product will completely inhibit all rust and all corrosion for eternity.

So, it basically comes down to making intelligent, well researched choices based upon risk assessment and control. Not foolproof, but best efforts.

If you have steel knives (even "stainless") and want to invest the time in risk control, merely do the interweb search for rust tests or corrosion tests, come to your own conclusions and implement your chosen remedy. IMHO, relying on others experiences should only supplement the comparative testing (none of which is, strictly speaking, pure science) to be found on the interweb.

This is a terrific thread. I, for one, am glad for all of the recommendations. My research never ends.
 
What has worked for me, for my guns, knives, and other gadgets, is as follows...

Wearing plastic or latex gloves while handling the items.

Wiping down the items and applying small drops of oil where needed, and wiping down the rest of the surfaces with very light film of usually the same oil.

Placing some items in the safe, but most kept in glass protected display cases. This keeps most dust or other contaminants from getting on the items.

Air temperature and humidity control... In Winter, the proper home temperature with heat... And in Summer, the Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier.

I see it as a fight that is won by attacking all fronts... Then, one being consistent with those techniques.
 
Just a no cost idea- I work in a pharmacy. We throw away hundreds of desiccant packs daily. Go to your local pharmacy in the morning, ask if they will keep them for you, tell them that you will be back at a certain time later in the day to pick them up. I use several of them in my gun safe and in any case that has a gun in it. I'm not using just those, I use oils and paste, but use the desiccant to control moisture.

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Thanks for the heads up big daddy maxx!
My great grandfather and my grandmother never used dehumidifier packets, they put pennies in the drawers of their machinist tool boxes. Not a spec of rust on anything, even after being stored for years. The copper will corrode first, supposedly. I never used packets either, and even with a flood those tools that didn't come in contact with direct water were fine.
So I just toss a few in the cigar box in addition to the oiling routine.



Connor
 
ConBon said:
Thanks for the heads up big daddy maxx!
My great grandfather and my grandmother never used dehumidifier packets, they put pennies in the drawers of their machinist tool boxes. Not a spec of rust on anything, even after being stored for years. The copper will corrode first, supposedly. I never used packets either, and even with a flood those tools that didn't come in contact with direct water were fine.
So I just toss a few in the cigar box in addition to the oiling routine.



Connor
Click to expand...
Hey, no problem. Just figured I'd put... My two cents in.. Lol, sorry had to do it. Good idea as well.

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I work at a knife shop and we use Frog Lube. We tested it out first and feedback was fantastic. You have to reapply every 6 months to be safe, but it keeps well and is also food safe. You do NOT want to use it in the pivots. For that we use Tuff Glide. It bonds to the steel and protects it well. For finger prints we use Flitz microfiber cloth. It's a high quality microfiber and will easily remove contaminants. For storage, any open box works well. You can buy large cans of dissicant at any Home Depot/hardware store in the paint section. I put large amounts into a sock and tie it off. I change them yearly on my birthday (so I don't forget lol). One thing I saw in here that you absolutely do *not* want to do is store in sealed plastic bags! The daily change in pressure and temperature will cause the plastic to form condensation. It might not be visible to you, but it will begin to corrode the steel. This is why temperature controlled environments are critical.
Anyways, I've used this to great success and so have our customers. We use it on everything from Damascus to swords, straight razors, and carbon steel knives.
 
Keep them in a box with silica gel packets. The kind of packets you find in shoes or bags. I'll bet you one of your GEC's you won't have another problem with rust.
 
Another way to look at it is there are two sources of oxidation, residual material such as fingerprints and environmental conditions such as moisture. For residual material you need to clean your knives well immediately after use with strong oxidizers (e.g. fishing pickles out of a jart) and after routine use (e.g. wipe down with oil). For long term storage, you need to protect the surface and control the environment. Wax may work better than oil since it can form a more contiguous protective surface. I believe Tuff-glide drys to a wax. To control the environment, the first is to keep your knives from extreme temperatures and extremes in humidity.

Although not an oxidation phenomena, for those who use desiccants, is it possible to make it too dry with desiccant so as to affect natural materials? This topic was discussed in the custom forum and some believe you can be too dry, particularly those who live in the US SouthWest. It can lead to cracking in natural materials. They also provided compelling evidence of what too dry can do to a knife. I believe a good wax can both keep moisture out and help keep it in.
 
Also, fwiw... Those silica packs will absorb until they are fully saturated, and would need to be oven baked to remove their moisture content to be used again. They work best if one wants to place them in a sealed box or something... But otherwise will just keep drawing in the moisture until fully saturated, and then rendered useless. Controlled climate (temperature and humidity), and wiped and protected (with oils or waxes) are the key.
 
I just invite my mother in law for a visit. She sucks all the oxygen out of a room and voila, rust problem solved.
 
GEC knives will rust and pit immediately! Don't buy them!! :D

I actually use a tooth brush, dip it in mineral oil and drench the blade and back springs. It's probably overkill. I haven't noticed any changes in any handle materials. I keep them stored in a large tool chest, which is enclosed, but it's not air tight. I also live about 1/4 mile from the ocean and I haven't noticed any rust or changes in 4 years. I prefer to use mineral oil because it's food safe and if I want to handle the knives, I can just wipe them off with a rag and my hands don't reek afterwards.

I suppose YMMV.
 
Everything hunky dory here. I can always get another one :-).

draggat, I do pretty much the same with the mineral oil and live near the coast too and have not had any problems. For tools in the garage I keep a small block of camphor in each drawer and after years in south florida have very few rust issues on tools.


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Yes, I can offer what works for me...... I have knives from GEC from 2006. Ren Wax as already mentioned is what I use but perhaps others will do..... What is very important is where they are stored. Mine in a Safe, not necessarily air tight, but with (2) significant descendant boxes that will take care of moisture. My descants indicate when they need to be recharged if you will, to bring them back to the optimum level. Nothing more than a short time in the oven...

All said, Keep them contained in a confined area with a quality descant. Mine have never rusted but will have a yellow hue which is easily cleaned after several years without inspection.........................
 
From the big river store, the bulk bags of dessicant packs in all different sizes are svailable, so I've just gotten into the habit of after I've wiped the knife down well and put it into storage, I've always added a few larger packs in the storage box.

Maybe every 6/8 months, I swap them out with new packs. Seems to work. Never have had a rust issue. The packs aren't that expensive considering what they are in there for to help protect. I just add a note in the tub to remind me when to swap out the old packs.
 
Interesting - I had never really noticed any rusting issues with my 1095-based GEC knives, but because of this thread I got out my Powderhorn Jack that I carry occasionally but have left sitting in the knife drawer for a while. I looked at it pretty well and it looked normal, but then I noticed some clear pitting and slight reddish coloration on the blade tangs, the area where the tang stamps are, which is normally up against the brass liner when closed.

A little WD-40 followed by rubbing on the edge of a loaded strop got most of it, but it could stand a bit more buffing.

I usually just use a drop or two of a light mineral oil (usually a honing oil or cutting board oil) on the joints and rub the excess onto the blades if I am going to be leaving them stored for a while but this is just one that fell out of the rotation without a specific intent to store it. So I probably didn't think about it.

Most of my unused GECs are in their wax paper in their tubes. I guess I should get them out for inspection some day.
 
Rust never sleeps, but people do!

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Hi NJBill! So what do you wipe down your carbons with? All that salt water and air is really good for me, but not for my blades!
 
If I use anything it is just a rinse with fresh tap water and a wipe down to get anything off of the blade, a thorough drying with paper towel then some mineral oil before storage.
-that is if I am planning on letting them sit for more than a week, if not I just do the above without the oil step.
- I store my knives in a cigar box with a felt liner that I added.
If I am doing yard work, I will often designate one knife to be my "dirty" knife, which will get a good cleaning and oiling at the end of the day.
 
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