How do I get over my crippling fear of corrosion?

[Blerv]

Have a safe Queen and a user.
The amount of rust that would make a knife unusable or dangerous is a high threshold.

Get used to washing, wiping and oiling. Use compressed air (or canned) to get rid of the extra mineral oil or jump to a more toxic but effective product like Tuff-Cloth.

If all else fails like others said there are a lot of rust proof knives today. They would blow the minds of our ancestors.

[aicolainen]

It's probably not an either or situation. We are ridiculously spoiled with steel choices, so embrace the diversity and use what's best for the task/situation/project/endeavor/day ahead.

Personally I've been a big fan of Salts, and the peace of mind they provide. My outdoor fixies and folders can come with me on backpacking, hunting or fishing trips and with the climate around here, it's not uncommon for my knives to be continuously wet throughout the whole time, typically a weekend, but sometimes up to a week or two.
I've had a Cold Steel in 3V develop heavy rust after just a day in these conditions, so that got me scared to the point that I now rather go all the way to salts rather than betting on lesser stainless qualities that would probably do just fine, but don't provide the same level of peace of mind.
Same goes for workouts and hot days with high activity levels and heavy sweating, swim wear and (near) salt water activities. The upside of going non-Salt in these situations does not outweigh the absolute zero level of worrying achieved by carrying a Salt. And they're light!

Lately I've realized that much of my EDC use isn't subject to the same harsh environment, so I'm exploring some tool steel options for office and around the home projects.
Some of the projects around the home can be pretty hard work and involve a lot of sweating, especially on warm and humid days, but for these kind of tasks I usually sheath carry, and that seems to practically eliminate the problem of sweat building up on the knife blade and internals.

[Surfingringo]

My thoughts on this have changed a bit over the last 10 years. A decade ago I had no fear over owning a folder in a non stainless tool steel. I am not obsessed with aesthetics and don’t mind a knife developing some staining as long as it continues to function properly. If I had one non stainless EDC that I carried and used everyday then I think the upkeep would be a non issue.

Problem is, I DON’T have one non stainless folder…I have 7 or 8, several of which almost never get carried. I don’t mind looking at the knife I carry everyday and seeing it develop a patina, but I HATE pulling an old favorite out of the drawer to find that it has been rusting for the last year while I wasn’t watching. Living in the tropics a couple hundred yards from the beach this is a real issue. It happens on all of my non stainless knives, and occasionally I will even get some corrosion spots on s30v. My biggest issue is actually with cruwear. Not because it rusts MORE than something like k390 but because of the WAY it rusts. As opposed to stains and patina, cruwear will develop pepper flecks of actual rust all over the blade. It actually pits and will not rub off or polish out. It always bums me out to pull out one of my cruwear sprints that hasn’t been handled in 6 months and see all the new rust spots on it. I’ve tried putting them away with oil on the blades but it has still happened…maybe because the rust was already started. Oiling might have worked if I had done it from the beginning.

Anyway, the point is that I’m fine with having one or two non stainless knives but having a half dozen or more is a bit of a burden for me in my environment. I think there’s a big difference between the corrosion effect on a knife gets carried and used every day and one that is being stored. Kind of how an abandoned house will dilapidate far faster than one that is simply being lived in. So yeah, I like non stainless fine but half a dozen is too many for me. Wish I only had one or two.

[Wandering_About]

3V and CruWear are probably the best tool steels far as corrosion is concerned. It will depend a bit on how they are heat treated, but they can have pretty good corrosion resistance.

If that fails, go for a Salt.

[Evil D]

Think of it like any other thing in your life that you take care of, from brushing your teeth and wearing deodorant or doing laundry or changing the oil in your car. Some steels need love and attention, you can turn it into a more interesting relationship with the knife if you approach it with the right mindset. Think of it like it's a pet that needs care and can't be neglected.

[curlyhairedboy]

Tool steels are seasonal. Carry stainless in summer, tool steel in fall, winter, and spring.

[JRinFL]

<clip>
I don’t mind looking at the knife I carry everyday and seeing it develop a patina, but I HATE pulling an old favorite out of the drawer to find that it has been rusting for the last year while I wasn’t watching. Living in the tropics a couple hundred yards from the beach this is a real issue.
<clip>

Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors are your friends. Products like ZeRust and others make a variety of VCI bags, wraps, and capsules to fit just about any need. Easily available from the Big River store or other online sellers.

[vivi]

3V and CruWear are probably the best tool steels far as corrosion is concerned. It will depend a bit on how they are heat treated, but they can have pretty good corrosion resistance.

If that fails, go for a Salt.

I've had good results with A2 as well.

[ladybug93]

i've had pretty good luck with d2 and frog lube, even when i lived in hawaii. even on hikes where i was sweaty and crossing streams and getting muddy, i didn't have any corrosion issues. i don't really want to take a chance on anything less corrosion resistant than d2 though. cruwear is supposedly a little more corrosion resistant than d2, so i'm less worried about it than i would be with m4 or k390, at least from what i've read and seen here on the forum.

[prndltech]

Think of it like any other thing in your life that you take care of, from brushing your teeth and wearing deodorant or doing laundry or changing the oil in your car. ….

Wait… you do all that?!

[JRinFL]

Think of it like any other thing in your life that you take care of, from brushing your teeth and wearing deodorant or doing laundry or changing the oil in your car. ….

Wait… you do all that?!

Yeah, Mr. Fancypants bragging about his cleanliness and well maintained motors. Well, we'll have none of that here, fetch the torches!

[prndltech]

Think of it like any other thing in your life that you take care of, from brushing your teeth and wearing deodorant or doing laundry or changing the oil in your car. ….

Wait… you do all that?!

Yeah, Mr. Fancypants bragging about his cleanliness and well maintained motors. Well, we'll have none of that here, fetch the torches!

It appears we got a over achiever here

[Wandering_About]

I always brush my oil with plenty of deodorant!

[JRinFL]

I always brush my oil with plenty of deodorant!

Now we are advancing the science!

[Superflex]

It's a knife. Not a Picasso.
I carry my Para 3 52100 on the river and dont sweat the implications of some corrosion which can be sanded away with some 600 grit paper and elbow grease
Or like others have said, get a Salt

[Matus]

There are some really good rust suppression liquids one can regularly apply to the pivot to protect it. Maybe getting a cheaper knife and experimenting in this regard could lead to an acceptable solution.

[Fireman]

Ceramic?
DLC?
Magna Cut?
LC200N?
H1?
H2?
Vanax?
Dendritic cobalt?

[standy99]

But there’s a problem, corrosion terrifies me.

Buy a boat….you will get over your fear quickly… you will learn treatment and prevention pretty quickly

[Surfingringo]

But there’s a problem, corrosion terrifies me.

Buy a boat….you will get over your fear quickly… you will learn treatment and prevention pretty quickly

And acceptance.

[capt.carl]

Start carrying a carbon steel traditional case and use it!