How do I get over my crippling fear of corrosion?

[Abyss_Fish]

With the Cru-wear Smallfly and the Ayoob sprint coming around the corner I’m way excited! But there’s a problem, corrosion terrifies me. I should note that I’m not afraid of messing up my finish or something, knives are tools, whatevs. What worries me is rust getting into the pivot or somewhere else vital and retiring a knife for good.

I’ve had a few bad experiences with k390, and at my last job I had to be extremely careful with even moderately stainless steels. I made Benchmade 20cv rust there. I also live in Minnesota, and while it is a frozen wasteland in the winter, the summers are sweaty ****. I mean heck one of my favorite little fixies is a little LT Wright scandi in 3v, and I love 3v! But I barely ever take it out because I don’t wanna hurt it. I’ve tried edc-i, and even a chunkier mix of beeswax and mineral oil. Nothing seems to stop it.

Theoretically I love tool steels, in fact I was pretty bummed that I missed all of the rex45 sprints. But once I have it I’m afraid to use it. Any thoughts? Any one else feel the same way?

[vivi]

Carry salts.

For me, and it sounds like for you too, the amount of maintenance non-salts require exceeds the amount of maintenance salts require.

H1 might require more frequent sharpening than K390 or Cruwear, but you'll never have to take them a part and coat the liners with rust inhibitors or sand away rust.

Knives like the Ayoob, Rex45 Chief, and M4 Manix XL are awesome, but I don't try to EDC them. It's just asking for more trouble than it's worth for my location / life style / body chemistry. I carry them once in a while when I expect to not do anything too demanding in regards to corrosion.

[Harkwit]

I live in Florida and carry tool steels. The patina on my GB is evidence that I do not fear corrosion in the slightest, haha.



Ultimately, rust is not as much of a damaging thing as you probably think it is (within reason, obviously). Patina protects against a great deal of harmful rust, but even I'll get a bit of redness that forms over the text and logo on this knife. I just polish it with a bit of flitz and it goes away immediately. Oil/lubrication in the pivot should protect the more important parts from rusting the action.

Maybe buy a tube of flitz and embrace the patina?

[Mini2white]

I just don't buy knives in those steels for edc use.

[vivi]

How are the internals looking Harkwit?

Blades are easy to care for in this context, but once the rust spreads to liners, pivot pins etc. it becomes a maintenance nightmare IMO.

That's why I'm fine with carbon steel fixed blades. Just not wild about those steels in folders.

[Harkwit]

How are the internals looking Harkwit?

Blades are easy to care for in this context, but once the rust spreads to liners, pivot pins etc. it becomes a maintenance nightmare IMO.

That's why I'm fine with carbon steel fixed blades. Just not wild about those steels in folders.

They're fine so far, actually has the smoothest action of any knife I've owned. I do polish up the washers though (spyderco ultrafine benchstone), and I use KPL. Detent path is fine and unaffected, also use a dab of KPL heavy in the detent hole. :)

[ykspydiefan]

I understand your fear.

I have always sought solace in the safety of stainless. And there I waited, I wandered and wondered about steel. I enjoyed stainless and was happy. But, education and knowledge snuck up on me. I felt the learning was good. Then I learned what I was missing out on in the tool steel category. Corrosion pushes that fear.

I have tried to embrace the tool steel and find balance through care and maintenance. I have seen corrosion and it scares me. I own a Z-Max Mule, I have used it, it has dark spots, it is worth every penny to use it and cut through the fear.

It is good to have others to share with and help dissipate the distress of corrosion. Product tips help too.

In the end, for me corrosion is a money problem. I can not afford to loose a tool to rust or replace rusty tools, so I mostly buy stainless and maintain the heck out of the rest. Bee's wax if its going to rest for a while, Rem oil to get it moving.

Partly it is a perspective problem too. Patina or rust on the hand saw I cut lumber with, or rust on an axe head only bothers me once a year or so.

[dsvirsky]

I grew up less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean. All of our pocket knives had carbon steel (1095) blades. Any of my dad's tools that weren't used regularly, had a fine coating of surface rust. We kept pivots lubricated, wiped off surface rust, and not one knife or tool failed due to corrosion. And that was long before the days of Tuff Glide and KPL.

[JRinFL]

Do you leave your car in a climate controlled garage and never drive it? Nope, you drive it and it gets dirty, nicked, dented, and rusty. At least underneath. Your knife is most likely much less expensive than your car. Use your knife, wipe off the rust if it forms, enjoy it while you have it. Nothing lasts forever, not even us. You can't fight what's coming, only delay it a bit.

As said above and in other threads, Marine Tuff Glide is your friend. I just don't recommend it on knives that are used for food. For me, I just use some mineral oil and that's been enough for sweaty non-coastal Florida carry for my Cruwear and even my 1095 knives.

[SG89]

You should only fear corrosion if you don’t have the money to replace your knife. As long as you have tools and oil, you should be able to outrun the rust

[prndltech]

Carry salts.

Me too!

[VooDooChild]

Keep it oiled and just carry it.

I dont think I have ever heard of anyone who has actually rusted out a pivot from edc stuff.

[apollo]

Marine tuff cloth from sentrysolutions will help you out. But like mentioned above do not prepare food with you’re knife afterwards.

[Josh Crutchley]

Are you just worried about rust on all steels or Cruwear specifically?

[The Mastiff]

My best advice is to buy or find an old 60's or 70's cheap imperial or schrade slippie that is already pretty rusted and dull all over. Oil the joints to loosen them up, sharpen the blade and put it in your pocket for daily use.

You will not only learn to get along with rust and tarnish but you will see plainly how much abuse very inferior ( materials and build) knives can take. Unless you leave it at the bottom of the ocean for a while they will continue to work and last lifetimes more even with the rust.

Your tool steel Spydercos will last and hold up longer by orders.

I like carrying clean and rust free Spydercos so I take care of them. I believe that is different from what you are describing. You need to get over the idea that rust means destruction of the knife. Once you do it will be easier to have perspective.

Joe

[VooDooChild]

My best advice is to buy or find an old 60's or 70's cheap imperial or schrade slippie that is already pretty rusted and dull all over. Oil the joints to loosen them up, sharpen the blade and put it in your pocket for daily use.

You will not only learn to get along with rust and tarnish but you will see plainly how much abuse very inferior ( materials and build) knives can take. Unless you leave it at the bottom of the ocean for a while they will continue to work and last lifetimes more even with the rust.

Your tool steel Spydercos will last and hold up longer by orders.

I like carrying clean and rust free Spydercos so I take care of them. I believe that is different from what you are describing. You need to get over the idea that rust means destruction of the knife. Once you do it will be easier to have perspective.

Joe

I was tempted to say something like this. Plenty of old carbon steel slipjoints have been exposed to more sweat than many other knives, and they still work.

I also found a rusty slipjoint at the beach one time that was functional after being cleaned up.

[yablanowitz]

Afraid I can't help. I've never had a crippling fear of corrosion, as you can see by Old Reliable, the 8OT that has been my constant companion for over 40 years.

[prndltech]

What they say is also true. Because you will buy more knives, it won’t be detrimental to take it as a personal challenge (in the name of science) to EDC this PM2 and use it for anything and everything as a pocket knife and see how long it lasts till it won’t function. I bet it’ll be at least 40 years!

[Soanso McMasters]

I grab a salt anytime I’m going to be around water, but I would just embrace it and if one rusts, clean it up. If it is too far gone to clean it up, replace it.

[DrHE]

I carry my M4 and CruWear (as well as ZDP189 and Maxamet etc) all the time. I basically wipe them down with sheath (birchwood anti rust stuff) when I take them out of my pocket in the evening. I rotate my knives daily and use them daily (including opening my breakfast oranges). Basically maintain and it will sustain the finish.