Carbon steel blades- would getting cut with a rusted edge cause gangrene in the wild?

coloradowildman

coloradowildman

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Hi everyone,

This is meant as a serious question. Would cutting yourself in the wild with a non-stainless blade that had rust on the exposed edge possibly cause gangrene? We all know about rusty nails, etc, but I thought I would pose this question and see if there is any possibility of this is out in a wilderness survival situation. I'm guessing the possibility is very low but it is something that crossed my mind after buying a carbon steel Cold Steel Bushman (my main knife is a stainless Puma made in Germany).

Thanks
 
No.

People use rusty knives every day all over the world to no ill effect.

It is not the rust that causes tetanus or other diseases.
 
No problem.

A little oil rubbed on the blade once in a while will keep the rust at bay...and isnt going to hurt you either.
 
It has nothing to do with the rust. Gangrene is necrotic tissue caused by an infection. If you cut yourself, whether at home or in the wild, keep it clean! I should also mention it's worthwhile to keep up to date on your tetanus shots so any kind of cut or wound sustained outdoors will not pose a risk for that particular hazard.
 
It's not the rust that's the problem, but the surface roughness of the rust on the blade. That roughness makes it more likely that dirt and debris containing bacteria will stay on the blade after "dirty" jobs and infect a cut. A smooth surface is easier to clean.
 
steel is usually pretty clean, it's the wood that'll give you an infection.
 
Snow and others are right. Its the bacterial infection and subsequent endotoxins that causes tissue damage and then gangrene.

Some metals, IIRC including nickel are actually bacteriostatic.
 
Rusty/dirty knives can harbour the tetanus bacteria which are anaerobic (don't like oxygen) so deep wounds run the risk of developing tetanus - also known as lock jaw. This may be what you were thinking of. Severe cases still ~80% fatal.

Gangrene is basically necrosis - tissue dies and goes rotten while still attached. One of the most common causes is from infection + poor circulation. Diabetics and smokers often get gangrene from an ingrown toenail becoming infected, which may lead to multiple amputations to try and stop the gangrene spreading but sometimes it can't be stopped = death. Gangrene was a common cause of death in wars prior to discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics. Desperation treatments (still sometimes used today) include seeding with maggots to eat away the dead tissue.

Neither gangrene or tetanus is particularly pleasant
 
The steel does not matter, any cut that is not taken care of can become infected. Thats when the problem starts.
 
I keep a flask with grain neutral spirits in it to fuel my beer can camp stove. More than once I've doused a cut with it to be safe. The last thing you want is to be sick out in the middle of the woods.
 
if i remember correctly the tetnus virus in the outdoors was associated with cattle manure.the rusty nails & barbed wire could hold the sporofied virus from cattle feces. it was'nt the rust itself but the fact that the crusty surface lent a place for the virus to reside. any way a tetnus shot gives 10 yrs. of protection.with the birth of the super bugs we face its a good idea to keep 3 way antibot. in vehicles ,boats, & a pack if going camping.
 
Dennis: you're on the right track with the fact that it's a spore former but Clostridium tetani is a bacteria not a virus. It's found in soil. There are pathogenic Clostridium species that are present in the GI tracts of animals but I think C. tetani isn't one of them.

Antonio is correct about it being an anaerobe which is why it's the deep puncture wounds that can lead to it.

So in summary, gangrene, dirty wounds; tetanus, deep dirty wounds.

Keep those wounds CLEAN and get a tetanus shot.
 
DennisStrickland said:
if i remember correctly the tetnus bacteria in the outdoors was associated with cattle manure.the rusty nails & barbed wire could hold the sporofied bacteria from cattle feces. it was'nt the rust itself but the fact that the crusty surface lent a place for the bacteria to reside. any way a tetnus shot gives 10 yrs. of protection.with the birth of the super bugs we face its a good idea to keep 3 way antibot. in vehicles ,boats, & a pack if going camping.
Click to expand...
Tetanus is caused by the clostridium tetani bacteria, not virus.
 
This is part of the reason I like to make mirror polished stainless steel knives. They are simply more sanitary and easier to clean since all of the little pits and grooves that like to trap dirt have been buffed out. A good polish also repels water, cuts with less resistance and in a pinch can even serve as a signal mirror.
 
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