1095 steel and rust

Outdoors Fanatic said:
I use Johnson's "baby oil" on all my blades, it works fine on any steel.
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ben2002gsxr said:
Might sound weird, but ive always coated my blades in baby oil. Its cheap works great and can have a wonderful lavender scent! Never had a blade rust yet.
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It's hardly weird - a lot of posts in this thread have suggested mineral oil as a good food safe coating. Baby oil is mineral oil with added fragrance - so essentially the same thing that dozens here are recommending.

I have a few carbon steel blades (Opinel & Ka-bar) and I wouldn't hesitate to buy a RAT cutlery 1095 knife. For some tasks stainless steel may be better - but that's OK because I have knives with stainless blades too. When I go camping I might get myself some mineral oil and start carrying a rag in a ziplock bag with some mineral oil soaked in it. At the end of the day I can give my knives a quick sharpen and then a wipe with my mineral oil rag. A little care and attention should see a carbon steel bladed knife last for a long time (decades).
 
I've found wd40 to be pretty good at keeping rust off of other steel tools of mine, I imagine it would work ok. Never really used it with my knives though, usually mineral oil or something
 
Does the TUF-CLOTH and TUF-GLIDE really help? Couldn't try it. knifeworks.com doesn't ship it internationally.

Anyway rust on the RC knives are no big deal. Still performs as well as before. Love them.

1st post! edgedweapons88 helped me gain a lot of interest in RAT cutlery. I'll definitely support rat cutlery all the way!
 
Silicone spray from your local autoparts store works pretty well if you'll be storing your blades. User knives will get some amount of oxidation over time no matter what.
A little rust never hurt anybody and it tastes great.
 
steelheadr said:
please forgive my ignorance...won't you prevent rust with regular use of the blade?

Jay
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That won't "prevent" rust, but it will wear it off as it happens, so it's basically the same. A light coat of oil will prevent it from happening at all. Really, rust is not a huge concern with just a little care.
 
I intentionally "patina" my carbon blades as soon as I get them, I really like the look of a well done faux-patina, especially mustard...
 
1095 is one of my favorite steels. I use Rem oil and have never had a problem.
 
Carolina River Rat said:
I think people worry more about rust than they should. Yes, if you leave your carbon steel knife immersed in water for a long time, it will rust. Yes, if you don't pay any attention to the care and maintenance of your equipment, it will begin to degrade. That's not just knives, it's everything. People all over the world, from jungle to desert to tundra, have used carbon steels for many centuries. If you use your knife/machete/axe/anything else regularly, that will serve to deter most rust. If you're not going to use it regularly, a simple wipe down and some oil will keep it from rusting. I have lots of carbon steel tools, and live in a humid, swampy area, but have had no issues with rust on them. In short, give your tools the tiny bit of love and attention they require, and don't fret too much about it.
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Very well put. In 2005 when I just got started with knives I used to worry about it quite a bit. I know now it's a wasted worry (well all worry is wasted actually).

I use my Izula lots and it has still not gotten rusty. Even if it would it's kind of like a leaf spring on an old car. Just because it's rusty a little don't make it junk. Still works fine.
 
New to this post and site. Breakfree/clp is a penatrator. Using this on metal of any type is a good. It gets into the metal and protects it. Been using it on my guns and gear for years.
 
I patina all my carbon blades in apple cider vinegar & give them a rub down with a silicon cloth when needed.
 
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