How bad do carbon steels rust in humid areas like SE USA?

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hazy

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Mar 1, 2013
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Hey guys I live in South Florida and as tempted as I am by some of the Busse and ESEE knives, the high carbon steels have me on the fence. I won't be cool with a knife being rusty all the time, or every time I take it out for a bit of use. Is it going to be basically impossible to keep it rust free in an environment like mine (high/extremely high humidity through much of the year)? I'm too anal about rust :/
 
dude, get a glass of vinegar, drop your knife for 2h

=nice patina + no more rust
 
Yeah people always talk about patinas, I dunno. I think I'm just gunna have to buy a relatively cheap carbon steel blade and see how it goes. I have visions that its gunna practically rust before my eyes :P
 
You would be surprised how quickly some of them rust; at least I was. I read somewhere that a patina doesnt actually offer any form of rust protection, but it allows your lubricant to bond to the metal better and form a protective coating. I have no idea if that is true. Keep in mind that most carbon steel blades comes with some type of protective powder coating on them. Some manufactures like Esee apply a very strong coating that holds up well over time, whereas the coatings on Becker blades do not hold up nearly as well. I am not sure about the coating on Busse, but I would imagine it holds up well given the overall quality of the knife. If you're that concerned with rust take a look at a knife in a high quality stainless like VG10 or the like.
 
I live in FL on the gulf coast & have plenty of carbon steel & high carbon tool steel knives.

You should be fine. Just wipe them down after use, lightly oil them after heavy use, and store them outside of their sheaths when not on your belt/in your pocket.
 
Patina is a layer of oxidation that protects the blade from rusting though rust can still form is the blade is left wet.

OP, you are completely over thinking the rust issue. If the blade is coated its almost a non-issue and if not then it time to learn to care for a blade. Keep it clean and dry and you will have no problem. We (humans) have used carbon steels for a long time in a lot worse environments than Florida.
 
I live in Western NY State. I keep all my utility knives in 3 large Rubber Maid bins, in the basement. No sump pump either. I have been doing so since 1992. No rust issues at all. All you need to know about preventing rust on metal is 2 words: Fluid Film. Use your Google-Fu & research it. I am now 50 yrs old. Wish i knew about this stuff a LONG time ago. I use it on my knives, guns, undercoated my vehicles with it, in the doors & tailgate, body, fenders. Magic in a can. Use on metal, wood, leather, concrete, etc. . It is made from Lanolin, squeezed under high pressure from lambs wool. Makes water bead off. Same thing used in cosmetics. I used to have a 2000 Dodge Dakota. Had it undercoated 2x with it. Guy that still has it said it still has zero rust---& that is saying something, living around Buffalo !!!
 
hazy said:
Hey guys I live in South Florida and as tempted as I am by some of the Busse and ESEE knives, the high carbon steels have me on the fence. I won't be cool with a knife being rusty all the time, or every time I take it out for a bit of use. Is it going to be basically impossible to keep it rust free in an environment like mine (high/extremely high humidity through much of the year)? I'm too anal about rust :/
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INFI Has a fair bit of chromium (8.25%) which helps keep rust down, but it's still far from stainless (generally considered 13% and above, as far as knives are concerned). 1095 has none.

If the blade is coated, you don't need to worry much about it rusting except for the edge. Constant use and sharpening will keep the edge free of rust. After use, just wipe it down with a dry cloth, and oil it. A machine oil, mineral oil (look in the laxatives section of your pharmacy), or Tuf-Glide will work fine.

If the blade is uncoated, a patina is a good idea. It's pretty hard to use a carbon steel knife and keep the blade shiny. Some things will turn the blade colors instantly, like fruits or meat. You can polish a patina off if it's not too "developed", but eventually the blade will darken or at least lose its original luster. As mentioned, a patina doesn't provide an impenetrable barrier against rust, but it'll protect it enough to the point where you can dry it off and oil it after wet use.

Keep your knife out of the sheath if you're not using it for extended periods.
 
I live down here as well, been carrying a Spyderco Gayle Bradley for a while now ( M4 steel) I work outside most of the day, never oiled it, light patina formed, that's all. As far as INFI, I have a satin Zilla ( Busse Kukri) that after use, I wipe off on my pants or shirt, again , never oiled her, never has even formed the start of a patina or rust.
 
Now, SR101 ( the Bussekin 52100) will begin to patina if not wiped and lightly oiled. My 1311 ( Scrapyard) is coated, after a lot of use, I resheathed her, a few days later had some discoloration on the exposed edge. The Junglas will probably be similar as far as corrosion
 
Florida boy here to give ya the truth. Go out in your garage and look at your yard tools. Shovels....axes....machetes....clippers etc. They are rusty....and if you are like me you dont clean and oil them. So they will rust patina or not. If ya wipe em down and keep clean and oiled they will do much better. If ya keep them inside in the air conditioning...and keep clean and oiled or siliconed, etc. They will stay rust free. There ya go. Listen to a florida boy not a guy across the country that doesnt see humidity and salt air.:)
 
goodeyesniper said:
enough to make a neat freak uncomfortable

not enough to matter much if you actually use the knife.
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Basically. I don't really worry about a little rust unless I'm cutting up food. Even then what little rust is on my knife can be wiped off with something mildly abrasive. I generally use a plant to clean the blade if it needs it. I would suggest to the OP to buy a carbon mora and give it a try.
 
Clean and oil your carbon blade and you'll be fine in most cases.

If you still have problems with rust or worry about it, get a Mission titanium knife, a Spyderco H1 or a Boye Cobalt knife.
 
hazy said:
Yeah people always talk about patinas, I dunno. I think I'm just gunna have to buy a relatively cheap carbon steel blade and see how it goes. I have visions that its gunna practically rust before my eyes :P
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I think you will like to test it on a Douk-Douk or a mercator, it's only $25 ..
 
jbmonkey said:
Florida boy here to give ya the truth. Go out in your garage and look at your yard tools. Shovels....axes....machetes....clippers etc. They are rusty....and if you are like me you dont clean and oil them. So they will rust patina or not. If ya wipe em down and keep clean and oiled they will do much better. If ya keep them inside in the air conditioning...and keep clean and oiled or siliconed, etc. They will stay rust free. There ya go. Listen to a florida boy not a guy across the country that doesnt see humidity and salt air.:)
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Good advice bro thanks :)

bob124 said:
I think you will like to test it on a Douk-Douk or a mercator, it's only $25 ..
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That's what I'm planning, not sure which knife it will be but I'm gunna find something <$50 in high carbon and just do some testing to see for myself.
 
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