CV Steel Protection: Burt's Bee's?

L

lee12

Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
48
Hello:

Just recently picked up a case cv sodbuster junior. This is my first cv steel knife and I am very concerned about protection. My question is can Burt's Bee's chapstick be used as rust protection? I currently use oil and I am really not a fan. I'd rather run a tube of bees wax down each side of the blade than have to deal with runny oil. Plus I think I use to much oil lol. Anyway, I've heard that people use this but it degrades over time. That is ok with me because at this point I am checking my knife every day for rust.
 
Yes, Burts Bee's will work as will plain old Chapstick like we had when we were kids. I still use Chapstick on occasion if I'm going to be out in the salt water environment we have here in Maryland. It's good stuff, easy to carry, and just a dad on each side of the blade and smeared around with a finger tip, works fine.
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So do you not like the look of a natural patina and are trying to keep the shiny blade? Patina will help protect the steel from rust as well and is actually a very desirable look for most traditional knife addicts but there are those few who don't care for it. :)
 
Wax should work fine. Lots of collectors like to use Renaissance Wax to shine and protect their knives. i wouldn't be overly concerned about it.

I think you are over thinking this.

I mostly carried Case CV knives during 2014, and never really had any rust issues. I used WD-40 Silicone spray every once in a while, just a little in the joints and rub what runs out onto the blades, and wipe off any excess with a paper towel. It pretty much dries up (more so than regular WD-40) leaving a thin dry film of silicone on the blades.

I just did that during regular knife maintenance. Once every one or two weeks. Sometimes I'd let a patina form, sometimes I polish it off. Once you realize that you can just polish off a patina with a decent metal polish, it becomes a choice rather than a requirement.

You could skip most of that and just carry and use it. Or you can buy stainless steel knives and not worry about it. I have the Case SB Jr in both Chestnut Bone CV and Amber Bone SS. Identical knives in performance for me. I have both of them very sharp. So it's just up to you.
 
Most rust and pitting issues with carbon steel blades comes from improperly stored knives that were left beyond a watchful eye.

As long as you keep it dry and a watchful eye, I doubt you will have any corrosion problems.

Very normal to have concerns with your first CV knife. You will learn that they don't rust overnight, unless you submerged it in salt water, of course.
 
Thanks guys. I'll use chapstick if I start to notice rust. I have a patina on my knife so that should help some.
 
As Primble said, it's perfectly normal to worry about rust with your first carbon knife. I was very hesitant to pull the trigger on carbon blades because of that fear. I quickly came to realize that the best way to combat rust is to carry and use the knife. Even if a little red rust starts to form a little moderate use will rub it right off with no noticeable effect as long as you're using it regularly. I was recently at a cook out and let my cousin use my knife to open up some packages of bratwurst. I was deep in conversation with somebody else and didn't think about the fact that it would have greasy, salty juice all over it when I got it back. The next time I pulled it out to use it I noticed a red streak down each side of the blade. By the time I was done limbing the branches I was preparing for burning the rust was long gone. If it hadn't been a couple days between letting my cousin use it and using it myself, the rust never would have been there to begin with. I guess what I'm trying to say is, carbon blades aren't the delicate flowers that they're sometimes made out to be. Don't let the worrying keep you from relaxing and enjoying that knife. Now, let's see some pictures. ;)
 
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