Rusty Salt 1

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OrangeBlueOrangeBlue

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Dec 5, 2018
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While helping my dad get his boat squared away for the looming hurricane, I found the Spyderco Salt 1 I got him as a boat knife about 15 years ago (it has “Salt 1” on the blade rather than the later H1 logo).

Unfortunately, years of sitting on the boat in salty air (right off the Intracoastal) have resulted in some serious corrosion of the lockbar, which is so bad it’s discoloring the FRN. It also looks like the spring is corroded. The blade, pins, and clip are basically perfect.

If it was screw construction like my Dragonfly Salt, I’d just take it apart and clean it up, but since it’s pinned, I don’t have any way of reassembling. Is it possible to convert to screws?
 
I do not believe that corrosion is normally covered under warranty but seeing as how that is a salt knife I would guess that Spyderco would repair or replace it. Might be worth emailing W&R.
 
Send it to Spyderco and let them see it. Chances are they'll either repair it or replace it with a new one, but they will want to see it.
 
If it were me, I’d soak the thing in WD-40, put it in a ziplock bag for a week or two, then scrub the everloving crap out of it with a toothbrush and see how it looked.

If that doesn’t work, you can always send it in.
 
This is one of the downsides of some of the older salt knives as the other parts of the knife aren't the same rust-free material, though still highly stain resistant steel. This is where the new waterway is a really nice design as there are no rustable parts. I think the LC200N knives are that way as well, the native 5 and Caribbeans, but don't quote me on that.

I would think that spderco could repair it even if it isn't covered under warranty. May not be worth the cost in shipping over just getting a new one and repairing what you have. I think Antdog's recommendation is pretty good. Maybe hitting it with some vinegar first wouldn't be bad to help desolve the buildup. Muriatic acid would be a really quick way to take the corrosion off but that's harsh stuff that you need to be careful with. We have used it at work for cleaning up stainless food contact machinery when they eventually get a little oxidation, often where different metals types join together (especially aluminum against steel).
 
AntDog said:
If it were me, I’d soak the thing in WD-40, put it in a ziplock bag for a week or two, then scrub the everloving crap out of it with a toothbrush and see how it looked.

If that doesn’t work, you can always send it in.
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Instead of WD-40 use BreakFree CLP which is a multi-purpose product. We first used it on M-16's many years ago. It is a commercial version of a military spec product, widely available at most gun shops and sporting goods stores. It C-leans, L-ubricates, and P-revents corrosion and is affordable. That Salt would have been fine if someone had given it a couple of squirts, wipes many years ago. Many firearms collectors use it on expensive rifles and shotguns and it is popular with hunters who are taking their knives and arms into the toolies.
 
Boeshield is nice for stuff like this too. Boeing developed it to keep sensitive aviation parts from corroding near salt water and folks started using on boats to protect gear and hardware.
 
I’d soak it in Break Free or WD-40, clean it up and then evaluate. If that does not work, send it back to Spyderco.
 
15 years is a long time. I'm not sure what I would expect after all that time. Spyderco stands behind their products like few other companies though, with a lot of integrity, so if it is reasonable, maybe they will take care of you somehow. They would probably like to see it either way. Stay safe throughout the hurricane.
 
I’ll mention that a Delica I have used for years in an ocean environment rusted up quite a bit too, which I expected.

I had to change the liners and sand the lockbar quite a bit, but the VG10 polished up each time just fine.

What was interesting was how the FRN weathered. It is more fibrous feeling and faded. Still functional though.
 
I'm not surprised. I just disassembled my wharncliffe Salt 2, and noticed there was some corrosion coming from the lockbar or the lockbar pivot. It cleaned off easily though.
 
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