Military swims in the Atlantic Ocean

[vivi]

Just goes to show you that corrosion resistance, while nice, is not among the most important steel characteristics for *most* knife users. I’m beginning to think that ease of sharpening is probably the most important for myself and perhaps the average user...

Can't speak for others but personally I draw the opposite conclusion from this.

If a knife dulls I sharpen it. Unless I need to reset the bevel, refreshing the apex usually takes me about 1-3 minutes.

Since I reprofiled this Millie I give it about 12 strokes per side at 15 degrees on my brown sharpmaker rods whenever I sharpen it, and that gets it hair popping sharp. No grit progressions or strops.

If a knife rusts I have to have access to specialiazed tools. I have to completely disassemble it. I have to visually inspect every piece from every angle. I have to meticulously sand the rust from the parts so it doesn't spread. I have to cross my fingers I don't sand enough to mess up the tolerances of the knife.

I'm genuinely baffled why corrosion resistance is such a low priority for most, while edge holding is king, considering how much easier it is to fix a dull edge than rusty innards. Rust spreads if not fixed sooner than later, and can destroy a tool and prevent it from functioning. Dullness doesn't spread or get worse with time if the tool doesn't get used.

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I went shopping for vacation supplies tonight and grabbed a torx set while I was out. Popped open the knife and what I saw didn't surprise me based on past experiences.

The stop pin rusted. Whatever material Spyderco uses for them has bad corrosion resistance. It's generally the first thing to rust for me on Para 2's and Millies. On my 204p Military the stop pin rusted on day 1.

Then the liner showed some rust where it contacts the stop pin. No surprise.

Bit of rust on the pivot screw. The pivot on the blade looked alright.






Now keep in mind this is from 1/3rd of a single day with one of the most corrosion resistant Spydercos on the market outside of the Salt line.

This is why I feel going from 420C to H1 is a bigger jump / technological advancement than going from 420C to S110V.

Either way H1 and LC200N are among the easiest steels to sharpen looking at Spydercos steel offerings. If that's what you value, Salts make a lot of sense for that reason alone.

[M Sea]

Just goes to show you that corrosion resistance, while nice, is not among the most important steel characteristics for *most* knife users. I’m beginning to think that ease of sharpening is probably the most important for myself and perhaps the average user...

i would agree with this, but i'm sure glad spyderco has a variety to choose from. when i lived in hawaii, i carried quite a few different steels, but a salt model was always on me in case i ended up at the beach.

i suppose the people that prefer the ultra hard steels that hold an edge forever feel the same about those knives as i do the salt series.

Same!

[PeaceInOurTime]

Cool to see the DLC fare so well. Good data points!

The Salt series is about all I'm interested in at the moment. Just to share in the excitement, I kind of wish I cared more about the awesome new super steels always being released. But honestly, I just don't benefit from high wear steels -- I touch up my edges too often to see much of a difference for my cutting needs. Knives that are care-free in corrosive situations make more sense for me.

[MFlovejp]

I'm curious to see how a model with coated hardware and liners would fare in this scenario.

[James Y]

I personally value corrosion resistance over ‘super-duper’ edge holding. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve read comments from some fans of high-hardness steels who touch up their knives all the time, daily, or even after every use, because some are afraid of losing the edge and having a bear of a resharpening job. There really isn’t any difference between that and a lesser edge-holding steel that’s easy to touch up, other than maybe less stress with the latter.

Many people also like the patina that forms on carbon tool steels.

Jim

[vivi]

Here's some pictures from clean-up:



Tried to scrub the rust off everything with an old toothbrush and hot soapy water. Wanted to avoid using sandpaper if I could.




Some parts around the lock interface and inside the pivot hole were being stubborn so I used a bit of toothpaste as a mild abrasive.






Cleaned up nicely. Only needed sandpaper for the stop pin.

Aside from the lock interface on the blade and the coarsely finished bevel, the only thing that seemed to rust was the stop pin.

The rust on the G10 and liners seemed to be caused by spreading from the stop pin. It didn't appear to be just from salt water contacting the liner (G10 obviously doesn't rust)

The locking liner showed a tiny bit of rust. The other liner didn't except for where the stop pin sits. They have different finishes and are likely different materials, since the two pieces serve different roles.

Feels nicer than before now. Pivot is a touch tigher, re-lubed the pivot, now I just need to spend a second on the stones getting the last bit of rust off the bevel.

[PeaceInOurTime]

It cleaned up real nice, and now now it smells minty fresh :D

[Gsg9]

The Atlantic Ocean swims in Military
A plea for a LC200N Military? I think we asked before...

[sal]

Hi Vivi,

Thanx for sharing.

sal

[Freediver]

The Atlantic Ocean swims in Military
A plea for a LC200N Military? I think we asked before...

That would be a dream knife for me.

[jpm2]

I remember emailing Spyderco many years ago (over a decade ago, I think), asking if DLC enhanced corrosion resistance. The representative who answered said that no, it does not. But your (and others’) experiences are showing that yes, DLC does indeed enhance corrosion resistance. There are still people out there who say that it doesn’t, or that Spyderco’s DLC coating is too thin to be effective for that. I don’t know if they’re speaking from personal experience, or just parroting something they’ve heard from someone else.

Jim

Just goes to show if you want to know something, try it for yourself.

Far too many people put their faith in the so called "experts/professionals", and that's final as far as they're concerned.

[M Sea]

The Atlantic Ocean swims in Military
A plea for a LC200N Military? I think we asked before...

That would be a dream knife for me.

Same!!

[vivi]

I support a Military Salt.....as if anyone would guess otherwise :D

I remember emailing Spyderco many years ago (over a decade ago, I think), asking if DLC enhanced corrosion resistance. The representative who answered said that no, it does not. But your (and others’) experiences are showing that yes, DLC does indeed enhance corrosion resistance. There are still people out there who say that it doesn’t, or that Spyderco’s DLC coating is too thin to be effective for that. I don’t know if they’re speaking from personal experience, or just parroting something they’ve heard from someone else.

Jim

Just goes to show if you want to know something, try it for yourself.

Far too many people put their faith in the so called "experts/professionals", and that's final as far as they're concerned.

Ain't that the truth. I had so many people over the years tell me the edges I use would be too thin to work well for another example.

[sal]

For years, "experts" would say; "you can't sharpen serrations. Here, let me grind those off for you and give you a good edge". :eek: We still hear that. As mentioned do your homework and do it yourself. This forum is especially good for information.

Nice job, Vivi.

sal

[Holland]

Very cool cool and interesting thread, thanks for sharing!

[Wartstein]

For years, "experts" would say; "you can't sharpen serrations. Here, let me grind those off for you and give you a good edge". :eek: We still hear that. As mentioned do your homework and do it yourself. This forum is especially good for information.

Nice job, Vivi.

sal

This discussion reminds of a thread I started once about "knife myths one should not accept as truth a priori" (see here: viewtopic.php?t=84681#p1354224https://f ... 1#p1354224) - "Serrations are hard to sharpen" being one of those...

[vivi]

I learned a lot from my old chef Jerry Risner. But one thing he learned from me is that serrated knives can be sharpened