Carbon steel folding knife as EDC in real world use.

[The Zieg]

I am thinking of buying a traditional carbon steel slipjoint for EDC. Since all I know is stainless, I am a bit worried about rust so I would like to know your opinions on it. I have an office job and the knife would be carried in my right front pocket mostly. I am generally careful but do not was this to become an exercise in maintenance to avoid rust. I know guys in the 'old days' used to carry their stock man's and barlows with them all the time without much problems. Yet still... What should I expect?

On the subject of pitting: Think of all the vintage knives, swords, and other tools we have encountered, restored, used (and still use). In 1995 I let a carbon Opinel fall out of my pocket while I was training horses one day in Seattle. It stayed buried in the sand of the arena for a year and endured regular watering, ambient humidity, storms (it was a covered arena without walls), trampling, and frequent arena grooming. I'll post a pic here at some point, but for now, accept that when it re-emerged a year later it was pitted and rusty. I scrubbed the active rust away, got the sand out of the joint and virobloc, re-sharpened the edge, and voilá! The knife is back in my collection and does ample duty still, pits and all. I reprofiled the blade during a modding phase I went through, but it's still the old original Opinel N°8.

So don't fear a little pitting. My pitted vintage Model 1811 Light Cavalry saber still handles beautifully. My 20 year old framing hammer still drives nails. My 1942 M1 Garand has pits, as does my 1942 N°1 Mk III* and they still hit bullseyes at 100 yds. A pitted knife will still cut. And it will take a long time before yours ever gets pitted (unless you bury it outdoors for a year like I did).

Zieg

 

[Murphjd25]

I think they look better with some use. I absolutely love that “patina” look. I haven’t carried or used anything else since I got this guy. I think all carbon blades should look like this

 

[Hal]

Rust?!?!?!

LOL!

Chances are, you'll sharpen away so much of the blade(s), one of the blades will be too short to close right & there'll be a point that will stick you in the butt when you try to carry it in your back pocket.


That's what I love about the old "rusty steel" Schrade Old Timers. They were cheap and plentiful & took a wicked sharp edge.
You bought one - used it - then when you couldn't safely carry it anymore, you stuck it in a drawer or just quit closing it & left it open & used it that way.

Rust....heh heh heh....son, they shouldn't get a chance to rust.

 

[desmobob]

Here's one I bought new ~1975 and EDC'd for many years. It was lost in a lake and found over a year later.

A little bit of wiping down after use and oiling once in a while will keep a carbon steel knife in action as long as you want.

 

[mrknife]

I suppose your environment plays a large factor in how they fare in edc. I remember seeing someone who worked in a very high humidity climate, and combined with pocket sweat/heat, turned the blades and all exposed carbon blade area black, no fake patina, no vinegar bath, nothing. Ive seen folks carry the same knife for years and nothing happened.

 

[afishhunter]

I never had any issues carrying a carbon steel knife when I resided in Iowa, The Peoplez Republik of Kalifornistan, Missouri, Kansas, Nevada, US Virgin Islands (at a marina on St Croix), sailing from St. Croix, USVI, to Tampa, Florida, Tampa and St. Petersburg (living on the sail boat at a couple Tampa Bay marinas), The Florida Keys (ocean front property on Long Key, and in Key West), Miami, Homestead and Florida City, Florida, or Idaho.
(Tampa Bay is salt water, by the way.)

The old Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 slide action, 1100 semi-auto shotguns, Marlin .22 rifles, and reproduction black powder revolvers, and CVA .45 and .50 caliber muzzleloading rifles kept aboard the boat (no functioning Air Conditioning) didn't rust either.
(the Remington's were older ones, with steel receivers. None of the arms were stainless steel.)

 

[dsutton24]

I've carried this thing for 20+ years. I'never done anything more than oil it, wipe it off occasionally, and sharpen it. I'm not concerned about how the blades look as it's a daily use tool. It sharpens beautifully, that's all I really care about. I've got a bunch of knives that lead a pampered life, this one isn't one of them:

 

[cudgee]

I've carried this thing for 20+ years. I'never done anything more than oil it, wipe it off occasionally, and sharpen it. I'm not concerned about how the blades look as it's a daily use tool. It sharpens beautifully, that's all I really care about. I've got a bunch of knives that lead a pampered life, this one isn't one of them:
Now that's a tool..

 

[JohnDF]

Such a cool looking knife.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

Yep, they'll stain, sometimes get rust spots, get pitting if the rust goes to long

To some these patina stained, pepper spotted used GEC's are the stuff of nightmares lol. But I love them this way,I don't abuse or neglect my knives. But nor do I baby them,sometimes they'll go back into the pocket without a wipe down. I'll simply be to busy to wipe them clean after each use,thats how the 2019 forum knife got those pepper spots. Thats my sweaty finger print actually, got home and emptied my pockets and there was little red rust spots. Cleaned it off with a oily rag and put it away for the day, so thats MY mark and it can stay

 

[cudgee]

To some these patina stained, pepper spotted used GEC's are the stuff of nightmares lol. But I love them this way,I don't abuse or neglect my knives. But nor do I baby them,sometimes they'll go back into the pocket without a wipe down. I'll simply be to busy to wipe them clean after each use,thats how the 2019 forum knife got those pepper spots. Thats my sweaty finger print actually, got home and emptied my pockets and there was little red rust spots. Cleaned it off with a oily rag and put it away for the day, so thats MY mark and it can stay

Mate, like your style, they are tools, designed to work. Your selection pictured ooze character, your character, YOUR mark. The old timers had a fantastic saying - " Look after your tools, and they will look after you. "

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

I will say the EDGES are bright and shiny

 

[cudgee]

I will say the EDGES are bright and shiny

I would not expect anything less from you.

 

[sXePhenomenal]

I must say I’ve never actually had rust develop on a carbon steel knife

 

[Bigfattyt]

Here is my Grandfather's Old Western barlow. This knife is older than I am. Carried and used on the farm, and in the auto shop. Worked on hay bailers, tractors, trucks and cars....

It is probably 60-70 years old??? If not more. Grandpa would be 107 right now (grandma made it to 101, just two weeks shy of 102).

Knife is still functional. Good snap. Still sharpens up nice.

I have two carbon steel butcher knives my own dad remembers his dad using to butcher their own animals on the farm. Dad is 75.

If you look close, you can see Grandpa's finger print on the blade.

 

[JohnDF]

I wish I could hit the "like" button three times for that knife... Instead, three thumbs up.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I wish I could hit the "like" button three times for that knife... Instead, three thumbs up.

Here are two of his fixed blade butcher knives from the farm. (Next to a new big 14 inch bladed butcher knife).

You can really see the age in the side tang shots. Still going strong after more than 70 years. (Dad is 75, and says he remembers watching Grandpa use these to break down hog and cow quarters in the kitchen as a little boy, and they were already older back then). I also inherited that same Grandpa's straighr razor and strop which belonged to Great Grandpa!!

Carbon steel will last generations of normal use.

You normally see them worn out from aggressive sharpening long before they rust away.

 

[Auglaize117]

IMHO basic carbon steel knives are the best variety. From the kitchen, to hunting, to edc, and beyond (whatever that may be). Wipe em with oil here and there and use the hell out of em. You won't regret it.

 

[Earl1]

To me I love the old carbon blades. I have a case stockman that I use for everything. Like everyone else has said,wipe it off and a drop of oil from time to time. To me there is something about looking at a k ife that has a good patina,reminds me of the men in my life when I was a boy. Blades were always grayish black looking and the only shiny part of the blade was where a whetstone had honed the edge