Hey
I have a duke vanguard in VG10 steel and it keeps rusting even when it has limited usage and usually sits in a draw at home (I have folders I like much more). Im not sure why it is rusting up so easily.
VG10 has 15% chromium so i'd expect the corrosion resistance to be pretty stellar especially when it does not come into contact with water. But my experience have not matched my expectations.
I'm looking at purchasing a knife in S35vn at 59-60Rc and wondering what experiences you guys have with it in terms of corrosion resistance?
S35vn has 1% less chromium but I am hoping somehow it is more corrosion resistant...
I think you might have something on your blade or something in the drawer. You never know what will cause rust or rust spots. I work in construction (actually work, tool bags, hands on, etc.) rather than just supervise. Keeping a knife in my sweaty pocket during our 105F days, I can cause any knife to rust.
I haven't had any problems with S35v or VG10 showing corrosion more or less than the other.
But I can tell you this. I learned the hard way that simply rinsing off a stainless knife with water will not protect it from corrosion from some elements. When I opened a box of TSP used for cleaning, my ZT S35v had a light coat of red corrosion on it by the end of the day. It was right along the line of how deep I cut the box so I knew it was some kind of exposure. Even though all the blade had was the light dust on the box (I didn't get the TSP on it) that was enough. I had rinsed it off after thinking it might get stained, then dried if off and put it in my pocket.
When opening water softener pellets and another time from fertilizer, another knife in S35v did the same thing. These two occurrences were different as they showed up
a week later after sitting in the knife box I used to keep them in waiting to be resharpened and returned to rotation.
I had a SEKI made knife a few years ago with a VG10 blade (Al Mar?) and although it didn't require much care, it did require some to keep it from corrosion from my daily use. I bought that knife thinking I would have NO maintenance, but it wasn't so.
Now I have a bulletproof solution to my corrosion problems. I will wipe off my blades after a long sweaty day with WD40. No screeching or reproachments needed... I never use it as a lubricant as it was proven almost 35 years ago by professional gunsmiths as fouling guns. (Important to note they never claimed it was a lubricant). Used as designed (
Water
Displacement formula
40) it is better than anything I have ever used as protection. Try spraying the WD40 on a paper towel and wiping the blades before storing or even carrying in a sweaty pocket. For long term corrosion, I have another solution that I came up with for my wood chisels, router bits, drill bits, and other cutting tools I use all day. I bought a cheap tool bag at Home Depot and soaked it inside and out with WD40. I let it dry, then pile in the tools. NO rust.
While my knife collection isn't much compared to the collectors here, I have about 120 knives. They get the same storage, the WD40 soaked tool bag. No corrosion. Whatever is in the WD40 off gasses slowly as I don't treat the bags but once a year or more.
I have read posts in the traditional forum where folks are surprised that maintenance in climate with high heat and humid weather for a knife that spends a lot of time in a sweaty pocket required. They claim they can use any carbon steel with NO maintenance and have no problems. My point is that for some of us, all knives require a bit of maintenance. It doesn't have to be much. I think you probably exposed your knife to something that needs to be neutralized (try the WD40 wipe or some other light oil) and make sure you don't have anything in the drawer that could accelerate corrosion.
Robert
