Are corrosion and rust really that big of a deal?

[Shmohawk]

I recently got in my head that I should pick up one of the Salt models. I live less than a mile from the coast, in a location that can get pretty humid in the summer. I carry my knives when working out or doing sweat producing labor. I use my knifes for food prep when needed. I've got caught in the pouring rain, camping, hiking etc...

So I should really get a Salt right?

But..the above has been true years and I've never had any corrosion or rust problems, ever, on any steel.
At first I would coat them with mineral oil but I eventually stopped.
I am usually pretty good about cleaning or drying them as soon as possible but not always.

Non of the Salt models particularly fickle my tancy over any knives I already have so I'd be getting one strictly for corrosion and rust proofness.

The question is do I really need one? Have I just been lucky?

[Bill1170]

I recently got it in my head recently that I should pick up one of the Salt models. I live less than a mile from the coast, in a location that can get pretty humid in the summer. I carry my knives when working out or doing sweat producing labor. I use my knifes for food prep when needed. I've got caught in the pouring rain, camping, hiking etc...

So I should really get a Salt right?

But..the above has been true years and I've never had any corrosion or rust problems, ever, on any steel.
At first I would coat them with mineral oil but I eventually stopped.
I am usually pretty good about cleaning or drying them as soon as possible but not always.

Non of the Salt models particularly fickle my tancy over any knives I already have so I'd be getting one strictly for corrosion and rust proofness.

The question is do I really need one? Have I just been lucky?

You’ve already done the experiment and your results indicate that a Salt series knife is not required in your use case.

[JRinFL]

You give up edge holding when moving to the Salt line of knives. If your current knives are doing well, then there is no driving reason for change. Unless you just want a Salt knife.

[Wartstein]

I recently got it in my head recently that I should pick up one of the Salt models. I live less than a mile from the coast, in a location that can get pretty humid in the summer. I carry my knives when working out or doing sweat producing labor. I use my knifes for food prep when needed. I've got caught in the pouring rain, camping, hiking etc...

.....
The question is do I really need one? Have I just been lucky?

I actually hesitate a bit to reply, cause I feel like I might be a bit of an outlier here and don´t want to "lure" people into possible (corrosion) issues.

That said: It is completely the same for me.

Only thing that is not: I don´t live near any salt water, but use my folders in humid, muddy, snowy conditions all the time, carry them in really sweaty pockets or soaken wet packs sometimes for days, use them for cutting all kinds of food (including fruits like apples and lemons, meat, vegetables), often without cleaning the blades immediately... no problems whatsover, not even with steels like REX 45 (just a slight patina and some tiny black spots). VG10 is completely rusfproof in my use anyway.

This is also true for liners or the (hidden) pivot areas: No issues, ever.

I don´t know why this is, I don´t why quite some others do rust their folders easily, it is just what it is.

/ Now what could still speak for a Salt:
- Both LC200N and H1 are really tough as far as I know, which could potentially mean that you can give them steeper edge angles (just a guess, I never really tested and compared)
- Plus: What I experience: If I don´t use a non stainless steel blade for a long time, there is some edge degredation and loss of sharpness going on.

[Skar]

To me corrosion is not a big deal especially where I live.

My grandparents had alot of carbon steel knives that survived to me through all kinds of humid and unkind conditions.

I still like to have a knife on me when kayaking or swimming, so a salt series is great for that.
Like you I use them sometimes for food and it's easy to just run the whole knife under water and not worry about the pivot.

Do I need one no but I enjoy it, bonus round it is very easy to sharpen.

[vivi]

Sounds like for your case it isn't needed.

In mine, Salts are the logical choice.

I live where 100F+ days are common, five minutes from some water, I work next to a 500F oven and a wood fired grill, and I do some sort of athletic activity at least twice a day generally.

This is what a carbon steel folder looks like for me after regular carry. Taking care to keep the blade clean and wiped off, insides as dry as I can, pivot oiled etc.

The weather is beginning to cool off so I thought I'd get my Police 4 ready to go back into rotation.

I stopped carrying it months ago because I noticed the liners corroding.

Here's what it looks like prior to being cleaned up:

























The knife was carried fall 2018 to spring 2019.

I'm glad a stainless Police 4 is right around the corner.

Blades are easy to maintain IMO. Liners, hardware and other internals are not.

Could my knives still function like this? Yeah. But I've corroded stop pins to the point blade play developed, corroded liners to the point it felt and sounded crunchy every time the knife was opened, and rusted a comp lock to the point the lock stopped functioning until I scraped out the rust.

I am more than happy to give up edge holding for rust proofness. It's the logical choice for me.

A K390 folder like my Police requires more maintenance for me than a Salt.

I might have to sharpen my Salts more frequently, but after experimenting with different edge finishes, I found 200-300 grit edges on H1 or LC200N can last me a month of day to day use.

Takes me more time to disassemble a folder to inspect the liners than it does to sharpen my Pacific Salt. Nevermind the time investment in sanding out the rust with sand paper.

So after setting the edge on a Pacific Salt and putting loc-tite on the pivot, the only maintenance is 2-5 minutes of sharpening per month and a drop of mineral oil in the pivot once or twice a year. That's less than an hour of maintenance per year, not bad.

I have a lot of carbon steel folders, like a pair of M4 Chiefs. Have some stainless steel folders like my S30V Military and C95 Manix. They're all good knives, but I like the lightness, simplicity and ease of mind the Salts offer. They're the highest performance pocket knives I've found for my usage.

[Wandering_About]

I recently got it in my head recently that I should pick up one of the Salt models. I live less than a mile from the coast, in a location that can get pretty humid in the summer. I carry my knives when working out or doing sweat producing labor. I use my knifes for food prep when needed. I've got caught in the pouring rain, camping, hiking etc...

So I should really get a Salt right?

But..the above has been true years and I've never had any corrosion or rust problems, ever, on any steel.
At first I would coat them with mineral oil but I eventually stopped.
I am usually pretty good about cleaning or drying them as soon as possible but not always.

Non of the Salt models particularly fickle my tancy over any knives I already have so I'd be getting one strictly for corrosion and rust proofness.

The question is do I really need one? Have I just been lucky?

You’ve already done the experiment and your results indicate that a Salt series knife is not required in your use case.

I agree. If you're doing fine now, there's no pressing reason to change things up. Unless you really want to try out a Salt (and I do think LC200N is nice stuff).

I've had corrosion issues in the past, even with lower corrosion resistance "stainless" steels like ZDP-189, and I can make any tool steel rust if I don't treat it with care. So, day to day, I tend to use something with good stain resistance.

[James Y]

There is no rule that says anyone "has to" buy a certain type of knife, especially if such a knife doesn't appeal to you in the first place. If corrosion has never been an issue for you, and you don't foresee it ever being an issue, then I wouldn't worry about it. Buy and use whatever you like and suits your purposes.

I personally value corrosion resistance, especially in pocket knives. But that's me.

Some don't value corrosion resistance, and that's fine, too. I'm certain if there was a knife that had two versions that were *equal in every way*...great edge-holding, toughness, ease of sharpening, etc., except that one version was corrosion-proof (both the blade and all the other steel hardware), and the other version was low-stainless, or not stainless at all...I'm certain there are many who would still choose the non-stainless or less-srainless version, because they wouldn't want a knife that's "too corrosion-resistant."

Jim

[huyfishin]

I heavily value corrosion resistance since i'm always in salt water and kayak fishing ect. when i'm off the water for day to day activities I use something else. I dont think corrosion resistance is needed for body sweat and rain. imo

[NCJohn62]

Not for me, but YMMV but if like some of the other folks who've already posted that are heavily involved with water day in and day out then for sure. I live in the Mid-Atlantic South and I carry tool steel all the time and I have never had a significant issue with rust or even much in the way of patina. I try to wipe down blades at the end of a day but I don't worry if I miss it.

[ladybug93]

i'm in the camp that thinks everyone needs at least one salt knife. maybe you don't really need one for your edc, but 1) you're missing out on some great knives, and 2) a serrated salt makes an excellent backup and emergency knife. grab a se pac salt (or salt 2 if you have blade length restrictions, put it in your waistband, and just leave it there always at the ready. you never have to rinse it. you never have to oil it. you never have to do anything but trust it to be ready with serrations should the need arise. it's also great for workouts and swimming, just in case you have an emergency during those times you may not normally carry a knife on you. it's worry free, lightweight, ambidextrous, unobtrusive, and always ready to go.

[Evil D]

I don't live near the coast so for most EDC situations I don't concern myself too much with corrosion. But, for my work knife it's essential because I'm in all the elements all year around and I don't want to worry about my knife. It's often used quick and dirty and I don't get back around to it for hours later when rust would have plenty of time to form.

Edge corrosion is something to consider if you're a person who likes to go long periods of time without sharpening, because the edge will literally corrode away over time. I've only had this happen on carbon steels that I put in storage, but again I don't live near the coast. Ask Lance (Surfingringo) about this, he plays in salt water everyday.

Is it a big deal? I don't think so aesthetically, but I do worry about rust in the pivot and lock area so that's where I focus my prevention at. The rest can be polished off and I'm not too worried about putting either.

[Shmohawk]

There is no rule that says anyone "has to" buy a certain type of knife, especially if such a knife doesn't appeal to you in the first place. If corrosion has never been an issue for you, and you don't foresee it ever being an issue, then I wouldn't worry about it. Buy and use whatever you like and suits your purposes.

I personally value corrosion resistance, especially in pocket knives. But that's me.

Some don't value corrosion resistance, and that's fine, too. I'm certain if there was a knife that had two versions that were *equal in every way*...great edge-holding, toughness, ease of sharpening, etc., except that one version was corrosion-proof (both the blade and all the other steel hardware), and the other version was low-stainless, or not stainless at all...I'm certain there are many who would still choose the non-stainless or less-srainless version, because they wouldn't want a knife that's "too corrosion-resistant."

Jim

I value corrosion resistance when needed. I was just wondering what conditions constitute that need. If I spent much time on the water or frequently used my knife for corrosive materials, I'd probably want a Salt for that.

But I see members here posting Salts as their carry of the day with captions talking about the humidity, rain or that they're spending the day on the beach. Or just in general talking about corrosion concerns in scenarios that are similar to mine where I haven't experienced any corrosion.

Are they just being overly cautious or are things like weather and proximity to the coast a real concern?

Are there people that have actually had corrosion issues just because they live near the coast or in humid regions?
Personally I have not.
Obviously there are other factors. Perhaps they spend more time outside in those conditions than I do.

[James Y]

There is no rule that says anyone "has to" buy a certain type of knife, especially if such a knife doesn't appeal to you in the first place. If corrosion has never been an issue for you, and you don't foresee it ever being an issue, then I wouldn't worry about it. Buy and use whatever you like and suits your purposes.

I personally value corrosion resistance, especially in pocket knives. But that's me.

Some don't value corrosion resistance, and that's fine, too. I'm certain if there was a knife that had two versions that were *equal in every way*...great edge-holding, toughness, ease of sharpening, etc., except that one version was corrosion-proof (both the blade and all the other steel hardware), and the other version was low-stainless, or not stainless at all...I'm certain there are many who would still choose the non-stainless or less-srainless version, because they wouldn't want a knife that's "too corrosion-resistant."

Jim

I value corrosion resistance when needed. I was just wondering what conditions constitute that need. If I spent much time on the water or frequently used my knife for corrosive materials, I'd probably want a Salt for that.

But I see members here posting Salts as their carry of the day with captions talking about the humidity, rain or that they're spending the day on the beach. Or just in general talking about corrosion concerns in scenarios that are similar to mine where I haven't experienced any corrosion.

Are they just being overly cautious or are things like weather and proximity to the coast a real concern?

Are there people that have actually had corrosion issues just because they live near the coast or in humid regions?
Personally I have not.
Obviously there are other factors. Perhaps they spend more time outside in those conditions than I do.

Some people also have more acidic body chemistry/sweat than others, although I don't have that issue myself. In such cases, a knife can begin developing corrosion just clipped in the pocket for awhile.

Jim

[skeeg11]

If you're in no immediate rush, wait for MagnaCut releases.

[Big John]

It depends on weather patterns and where you live in relation to the local geography. As an example, southwest winds are a predominant wind direction during the warm half of the year in the southeastern United States. Even if you are a mile from the coast (that's quite far to begin with regarding the saltiness of the air), if there is no saltwater anywhere south or west of you, those southwest winds aren't going to subject your knives to much salt exposure. If you live on an island, a cape, a peninsula, or anything where there is water upwind of your position, the salt exposure will be exponentially stronger. However if strong east winds were prominent on the east coast (northeast winds in the winter are), given there isn't dense woods or big hills between your location and the ocean, you would be subject to a small to moderate amount of salt air even one mile away. Somewhere like Cape May, NJ, the Florida Keys, or the capes of NC would see salt air from multiple wind directions.

[PeaceInOurTime]

I live in Kansas, no where near salt water, but I still spend plenty of time in and around lakes during the warm months. I'm also one of those people who can rust a knife (even VG10) in a sweaty pocket. A little bit of corrosion isn't the end of the world, but it's something I'd rather not have to always deal with.

I still carry other steels (have been carrying HAP40, 1095, and M4 recently), but if I know I'll be getting really sweaty or around the water, I'll almost always choose a salt knife.

Nothing wrong with a nearly maintenance-free knife for everyday use.

All that said, it sounds like you may not need what the salt line of knives has to offer. Or rather, you haven't needed it, yet.

[Shmohawk]

All that said, it sounds like you may not need what the salt line of knives has to offer. Or rather, you haven't needed it, yet.

Looks like I spoke to soon and you sir, are a prophet.
Something came up and I may be spending sometime in saltwater and possibly in wet, humid and sweaty conditions.

Picked up an H1 Salt 2 PE and hope to put a Vivi edge on it.

Now, can you tell me the numbers they'll be picking for the contest?

[JRinFL]

The Salt 2 PE is an excellent choice, especially with the vivi edge.