Why m4?

[Monofletch]

I am in Florida on vacation. I pull my Military out of my backpack and see this. I over oiled it before I left. I am no newbe to knives. So don’t go there.

Why do people like this steel so much??

 

[Bob Denman]

Don't what?

 

[trevitrace]

Polish it off with a little toothpaste.

 

[severedthumbs]

What steel is it?

 

[Bob Denman]

What steel is it?

X 2...

 

[Bigfattyt]

When I get unwanted rust spots, I hit it with my loaded strop with aluminum oxide.

 

[severedthumbs]

Flitz also works well for this issue and smells great while doing it.

 

[Mister Coffee]

Don't what?

Don't go to Florida.

Come on, Bob. Try to follow along here.

 

[eveled]

Rub it with an oily rag. Not everything is meant to look new forever.

It’s really simple. Either embrace the patina, or buy stainless.

 

[jwh720]

I think you’re supposed to vacation in florida during the winter….or maybe thats just cuz I’m from maine.

 

[Mister Coffee]

I wouldn't consider rust to be patina.

 

[Mister Coffee]

I think you’re supposed to vacation in florida during the winter….or maybe thats just cuz I’m from maine.

Right. But winter in Maine runs from August 30 to June 1. At least it did before global warming.

 

[AntDog]

As suggested, toothpaste or flitz work great for that. Add in a little fine steel wool and some grease of the elbow and it’ll come right off.

If it’s carbon steel and you don’t want it to rust or patina hit it with some Renwax. By the way, it’s hard to tell you why people like the steel if you don’t say what it is.

 

[jwh720]

I’m going with its rex-45?

 

[trevitrace]

I've had m4 develop rust like that from just being in the pocket on muggy days. Rex45 has been surprisingly stain resistant in my experience.

 

[whp]

I say M4. Maybe Cruwear.

 

[bdmicarta]

I've had M4 look like that after being in my pocket when I worked in the yard and worked up a sweat. It all wiped off easily.
I prefer carbon steels but I also prefer the minimal maintenance route myself. I recently tried several protective coatings and none of the obvious ones worked very well. I tried Ren Wax but it didn't last very long, I tried the thick liquid that AG Russell sells but it didn't last very long either. The best were Birchwood Casey Sheath and Royal Purple Maxfilm. These say a little oily. If you just wipe on some motor oil it isn't a very good protectant.

 

[eveled]

I wouldn't consider rust to be patina.

It is after you rub it with an oily rag and it turns black.

 

[Monofletch]

Sorry I don’t know what happened to my title. It is M4. I have been babying this thing since I got it. I wipe it and oil it almost daily.

NOTHING seems to work on it.

 

[knarfeng]

I am in Florida on vacation. I pull my Military out of my backpack and see this. I over oiled it before I left. I am no newbe to knives. So don’t go there.

Why do people like this steel so much??

To answer the actual question, Because it has extreme edge retention and is tougher than M390.