Dive knife care?

[droc217]

Just got in a custom dive knife from Farid of England. Its made of 440c, so it will corrode if I let it.

Took it out today, but I was wondering what I should do to care for it. I figure rinse it off and take care of any corrosion when it pops up with a little Flitz.

What do you guys do with your knives?

 

[Vie]

I put a very thin coat of silicone grease on the blade of my dive knife before a dive.

 

[dbulmer]

Like Vie, silicon grease on the knife. If I see any rust buildup then I mix some warm water with white vinegar, let it soak, wash it off with fresh water, dry thoroughly and then re-apply grease.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Or do the same as you do with your new mask, a light scouring paste like toothpaste or T Cut to get rid of the corrosion, applied with half a lemon, then rinse, dry - leave somewhere warm (not hot) for a few minutes, then the Silicone grease.

 

[Charlie99]

I have a small folding knife in my BC pocket. I just leave it in the BCD when I rinse it.

I check it for operation, particularly the lock-back and release every few dives.

About once a year I leave it for a day or two in a glass of Coca Cola to remove the rust. I'll usually throw in my EMT shears too, to remove most of the rust from the pivot pin.

I have a lot better things to do with my time than repeatedly clean and lubricate a knife.

 

[ChrisA]

J
What do you guys do with your knives?

It depends on what kind of metal the knife is made of. Mine is made by "UK" with their brand of "super stainless". I keep it on my BC waistband and it simply goes into the rinse tank after each day of diving then hung up to dry. I dive, maybe two days a week and every couple months I'll check that it's sill new and shinny looking It's remained like new for a couple years new with zero effort on my part.

Any knife needs to be inspected. They should come apart. The ones made of standard stainless need to be looked at more frequently maybe monthy or every 8 or 10 dives. Other then that just soak in fresh water with the rest of your gear

I cary a pair of EMT shears too. The pivot pins on these tend to rust out. I replace then when they look ugly. No way to clean them

 

[Captain Nimrod]

Although 440C is not a new "space aged wonder steel" it is a high quality, time tested stainless steel and holds an edge well if properly heat treated.

Thoroughly rinse with fresh water; wipe dry.
Spray with WD-40 as it is a great water dispersant
Coat with motor oil as it has great rust inhibiting additives.

NOTE: If you ever want to use it for food, use mineral oil instead of motor oil. It may not protest the surface as well but your food will taste better!