Cleaning Rust Off a Dive Knife

[pasley]

To avoid rust, follow this recipe:

Take one dive knife.
Take one can of silicone spray from auto parts store or WD-40 which ever you prefer. I use silicone as it is friendly to the rest of my equipment.

After every dive take dive knife apart and immerse in clean fresh water and rinse thoroughly as soon as possible. I take a 5 GAL can of water to dive site and immerse my regulator, octopus and computer along with my knife as soon as I get to the car. Dry knife with towel and spray liberally with silicone spray to form a protective coating of oil. Leave knife on paper towel until next dive. Reassemble dive knife just prior to diving.

It is important to take the knife apart or it will trap water in the handle and rust. I did not take it apart after one dive and I did get a spot of rust on it. A spray of oil and a little rub took care of that.

80 dives in 2 years and my knife looks factory new.

 

[jplacson]

SS properties according to Underwater Kinetics:

SS 316- more resistant to rust, harder, duller edge, holds edge longer

SS 420- less resistant to rust, softer, sharper edge, edge dulls faster

BTW... does the Coca Cola thing work? And WD-40 on the knife isn't exactly environmentally friendly. Try wiping your knives with babyoil or some other safer oil. Works pretty much the same way without polluting the waters...actually any oil..even cooking oil will do.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

On the silicone spray. I swear by the stuff. Spray the inside of the sheath as well. Rinse both sheath and knife well after diving, and towel dry. Spray liberally with silicone and let dry. Ifyou use a folder WD-40 on all the joints, and slip points.

As a mountain biker some of my off road knives also get worn on my BCD. My Spiderco Harpy goes everwhere I go. Had it for 3 years now, and can't tell you how many times its gone down but it looks new.

If you have silicone grease use it as packing grease for kives that will be put away for a while. Salt has a way of resurrecting itself,
especially around serrated edges.

Rust patches...Look for a product called Metal Glo. Also try using
chalk. Used it for years on staight razors. Heavy rust gets vinegar and baking soda with a fine steel wool.

 

[Diver0001]

triggertravel once bubbled...
Does anyone know any tricks for cleaning rust off a dive knife?

Try a little oil, steelwool and elbow-grease.

Cover the blade in petrolium jelly to protect it from further damage.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

FredT once bubbled...
Coca Cola Classic

Just soak it a bit and the rust will dissolve.

FT

LOL. If the blade dissolves then I guess the rust will be gone too...

R..

 

[seanrollins]

Aircraft Aluminum paint stripper. This stuff is harsh, so be careful! It will take ANYTHING off metal. Wear big thick gloves and eye wear! Man does it make for nice looking gear though. Your knife will look brand new afterwards

 

[ScubaToneDog]

I thought this sounded crazy too, but it works. It was on a Martha Steward or the Queen of Clean show my wife was watching. Stick your knife in an onion and let it sit over night. It makes the rust go away and retains the polish. Remember the higher the polish the more resistant to corrosion. If you use steel wool or any abrasive to remove rust you will leave micro scratches that will rust again. After you dry it a coating with %100 silicone spray is best. I spray it and let it dry on thick. I never spray and wipe because it leaves too thin of a coating. If you have scratches that continually rust, get some croakis cloth and polish them out.

 

[JDostal]

Toothpaste actually works pretty well as an abrasive that is not too harsh on the blade but takes rust stains off.

 

[baby jesus]

if you use steel wool, BE SURE TO USE STAINLESS STEEL WOOL.

the non-stainless versions will leave microsopic fibers in the blade and will rust all over again and make the rust worse in the long run.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

FredT can talk passivation and metallurgy down to the molecular level, but he was keeping it light.

He's right. Soak your rusty blade in Coca Cola for 3 to 5 days or longer (depending on how negligent you've been). Rust will dissolve. Worked for me.

After you clean it, use silicone spray as others have recommended.