What is there to like about a beadblasted blade?

Kimberholic

Kimberholic

Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
591
I recently got a SNG that has a beadblasted blade. It is in my EDC rotation with either a Sebbie(stonewashed) or a Lochsa(hand rubbed). All blades are S30V. The SNG is the only blade to get surface rust. It appears only on the side opposite the clip that stays close to my body during carry. The rust only happens on the part of the blade not covered by the handle. It is like the bead blasting makes little pores for corrosives to get down in and cause rusting. It always comes off when washed and I always rub it down with breakfree but the surface rust always returns.

I'm glad this is my only BB knife because I think this type of treatment sucks even though I really like the SNG . Other than reducing glare does this have any advantage over other blade treatments? Is there something I can do to smooth out the blade's finish that will look good and keep it from rusting? I was hoping not to send it back. Thanks.

Jon
 
I have used Breakfree CLP on bead blasted blades but i didn't like it as it went all gummy and sticky. I cleaned it all off and used a simple mineral oil like 3 in 1 applied with an old rag. It hasn't rusted yet
 
I also use a little mineral oil on my bead blasted blades - haven't had any problems. A bead blasted stainless blade should still be far more rust resistant than a high carbon blade with any finish. What you really don't want is a bead blasted high carbon blade, that really is a recipe for rust.
 
I have bead blasted more than a few blades. S30v does seem to have a light rust problem after I bead blast it, much more than ats34,bg-42,or 440c. I have found that as long as I put a good coat of wd-40, or mineral oil on the blade, that even after I wipe it off, it prevents any rusting. The craters in the blade caused by beadblasting, allow water to get trapped in there, but they also allow oil to dry in there and provide longer lasting protection.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
Maybe Marine Tuff Cloth?

I actually really like how a nice bead blast looks, but I think I'm in the minority...

-John
 
I was holding my strider SA and SLCC when I read your post. ;)

Sorry to hear your rust issues. I never oil any of my striders, and I haven't had either of them rust up on me recently... You're right about the little pores made by the beadblasting, it does retain corrosives a little better...

You could take some 800 or 1000 grit sandpaper and smooth the surface over. It will be a bit more reflective, but probably nothing very noticable. I feel like that's your best bet.
 
My Benchmade's 975 CQC7 is bead blasted. I've had this knife for years now with no rust problems, I believe, only because I used Tuff Cloth since it was brand new.

Marine Tuff Cloth should work even better as it's designed for more severe marine environments.
 
A buddy of mine (who's a very talented part-time knifemaker) told me that bead-blasted blades do not really attract rust - according to him, surface on BBed knives rust usually stems from tiny metal particles that were left in the tumbler after another (carbon steel) blade was blasted.
Those particles are then "hammered" into the surface of the stainless steel blade and corrode much more easily than the blade itself.

This explanation sounds very reasonable to me because I experienced that some of my BBed blades do not seem to develop rust at all (apparently they were finished in a clean tumbler).
However, I own two other knives made of the same steel, by the same manufacturer, which displayed multiple surface rust spots after only light exposure to mildly corrosive substances (hand sweat and water) - even though I thoroughly wiped them with a rag soaked in WD-40 only hours before.
 
I like bead blasted blades because you can refinish them easily. When they get all scratched up, they just look better to me. I'm not saying I love bead blasted blades... I just try to find the advantages in all blade finishes. I guess I'm just an optimist at heart. :D

Steelfury has the right idea - I use 3 in 1 oil on all my bead blasted blades, and all my high carbon blades. The bead blasted blades don't rust. The high carbon blades get darker with use (a good thing to me) but don't rust.

You might try 3 in 1 oil, or just sand it smooth with progressive grits of SiC sandpaper. If you sand it, just go in the same direction with each stroke and it should come out fine.

Quiet Storm - I really don't think bead blasted blades are done in a tumbler. That's how stonewashed blades are done. If I'm not mistaken (and I very well could be wrong), bead blasted blades are sprayed with some type of ceramic beads shot out at high velocity with compressed air.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck! :)
 
There's a coarse beadblast (like on the Striders), and then there's a fine, glass/ceramic beadblast.

The coarse one does in fact attract rust/stains like nothing else -- I can carry a strider folder for one day in the summer and not use it -- and by the evening, I'll see small rust spots, even after coating with Tuf-Cloth.

I like a nice, fine-grade beadblast, like on the BM 520... but the best is a stonewash. :D

-j
 
Originally posted by AntDog
Quiet Storm - I really don't think bead blasted blades are done in a tumbler. That's how stonewashed blades are done. If I'm not mistaken (and I very well could be wrong), bead blasted blades are sprayed with some type of ceramic beads shot out at high velocity with compressed air.
Click to expand...

The blades are put in a tumbler where they're blasted with glass beads - at least that's what I heard.
 
After reading all the replies I have noticed something, "Use Breakfree, use Tough cloth, Try WD40, I use mineral oil, Try 3 in 1.


I thought the reason for getting a Stainless blade was to avoid all the rust prevention that you need to do with carbon steel! I thought the reason for stainless was ease of maintenence.

Did I miss a meeting? Why are you paying all this extra money for some super stainless only to have it rust? Why are you paying all this money and still have to go through all the trouble of a carbon steel blade without the performance?

You stopped buying 420,aus6,aus8,440c because they don't perform as well as a good carbon steel blade of O1 or W2 or L6 or 6195, or even 6150. You started buying ats34, 154cm ats55 All the CPM steels at 2X 3X 5X 10X more in price than simple carbon steels, They're better but they still don't perform as well. But they are stainless!!!!! Ease of maintenence, You don't have to worry about them rusting!

Then you beadblast them and you are back to where you started. Only you just paid an extra $50 for a supersteel and you will realise zero benefit!

If you are willing to go through all the trouble to maintain a blade why don't you demand makers and manufactuers use a good carbon steel and save you some money to buy some tuff guard?

You are doing all the work, why not get the added performance that a good carbon steel gives?

Why don't you refuse to buy a knife from a maker or manufacturer who purposely sabotages the stainless qualites of a knife so he/they can save some time and not finish the job and not put a proper polish on a blade?

I will now yield my soapbox

Drew
 
Ilovetoolsteel perhaps you missed this point above.

"A bead blasted stainless blade should still be far more rust resistant than a high carbon blade with any finish."

Yes it saves a maker / manufacturer time, and you - money.
Depending on the maker, potentially a considerable amount of money.

By the way don't make the mistake of lumping 440C with lesser steels.
A long time favorite of makers and users because it works.
 
I gotta agree with Ilovetoolsteel on this one. If I get a stainless blade, I don't want to have to worry about it rusting (within reason, I know they aren't rust proof). I've refinished all the factory knives I have that were bead blast to a hand rubbed satin, and I won't purchase any knife, custom or factory, that is bead blast anymore.
 
I don't know man... I feel like when a knife gets worn in a bit you won't have to think about rust anymore. Use your knife some more, or smooth out the finish a little bit with some of that sandpaper...

Last night, I ate four oranges that I cut up with my SA. Oranges are acidic, yes? I left the blade uncleaned overnight, and still no rust issues this morning...

I never use any oil on my knives, even the folders, cause i use them to cut food sometimes. Like oranges.
 
Then use food grade mineral oil. have a bottle of it in kitchen for my carbon kitchen knives(came with the set). Helps revitalize wood handles, protects blades from rust, and is safe to eat(well, don't purposely eat it, but it's on knives I use for food prep)
 
I've used several Barry Dawson bead-blasted blades with no rust issues. I wipe them down with mineral oil about once a month or so.
 
Stainless steels aren't stainless. We all know that, right. To further complicate things, some stainless steels are more stainless than others.

I have a stainless gun that one year began getting rust on the slide release and hammer, but nowhere else. This happened during the summer when it spent a lot of time in a confined, sweat moistened environment. I tried Breakfree LP, CLP, Hoppes, and nothing was working. Then I tried using Militec-1; good stuff. It sticks well and doesn't leave a greasy feel. I haven't seen rust again despite subjecting the gun to certianly more sweaty conditions.

I love bead-blasted finishes. They're matte, give a nice ashen grey color to the metal and don't wear off.
 
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