Okay, okay, in a weird way I'm all for him doing this. Go ahead and leave it out in the rain for a day or two. Then show pic's of what you find.
I think many will be very surprised to find a mostly intact pocket knife with some staining, but very little real damage. Maybe this will finally put to rest some of those ridiculous rumors that carbon steel will rust away on you overnight.
In fact, I would issue a challenge to ED that he put the knife out in a puddle every night, and that he take it every morning and wipe it off thoughly with a dry bandana, and carry it and use it durring the day. At night, wipe it off again to make sure it's dry, then lay it out in the grass. Put a drop of oil in the joints every few days. Do this for one week. But once in the morning, and once in the evening, the knife gets wiped off and dried with a clean dry bandana.
It's his knife and his money, so let's see what happens. It may surprise some people. The Roman legions marched in the rain, the Vikings sailed open boats across the Atlantic, and the old mountain men carried carbon steel Green River knives and Hawkin rifles in snowy winters in the Rockies. Somehow, someway, their swords, axe's and skinning knives were kept from rusting.
My old boss, Paul, left his TL-29 out on the seat of his tractor for a few days in the rain. It darkened the patina even more, had few flecks of rust that came right off with a scotch bright pad. Didn't hurt the knife at all.
Go for it ED!
I think many will be very surprised to find a mostly intact pocket knife with some staining, but very little real damage. Maybe this will finally put to rest some of those ridiculous rumors that carbon steel will rust away on you overnight.
In fact, I would issue a challenge to ED that he put the knife out in a puddle every night, and that he take it every morning and wipe it off thoughly with a dry bandana, and carry it and use it durring the day. At night, wipe it off again to make sure it's dry, then lay it out in the grass. Put a drop of oil in the joints every few days. Do this for one week. But once in the morning, and once in the evening, the knife gets wiped off and dried with a clean dry bandana.
It's his knife and his money, so let's see what happens. It may surprise some people. The Roman legions marched in the rain, the Vikings sailed open boats across the Atlantic, and the old mountain men carried carbon steel Green River knives and Hawkin rifles in snowy winters in the Rockies. Somehow, someway, their swords, axe's and skinning knives were kept from rusting.
My old boss, Paul, left his TL-29 out on the seat of his tractor for a few days in the rain. It darkened the patina even more, had few flecks of rust that came right off with a scotch bright pad. Didn't hurt the knife at all.
Go for it ED!
...... or were you not a "sir" when in the Navy? 
