I like the weird looks I get when I strap my lion-killer knife on my leg. Forgot it last trip and missed out on getting a very large hook, leader and squid lure. Thing must have weighed 5 pounds and the hook was all of 8 inches. Darn.
Rust on stainless steel knife?
- Thread starter jupitermermaid
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Hmmm I've lived in FL all my life and have even seem styrofoam with rust stains on it... Not much one can say about it except just keep it clean. WD40 can help as it is a penetrant and will displace the water, however, after a few days WD dries out as its waterbased as well and another oil will need to be applied.
jodomonk
Registered
I use silicone spray on my blade after I disassemble it (every dive). It seems to keep it from rusting except for the area where there is text on it (which seems to be some other material).
Don't use steel wool - use a metal polish - I use one that is used on guns.
Also use silicone for diving. Will use oil if storing for long, long time.
Never ever store knife in scabbard while stored. Only put in scabbard for moving it, travel, diving. If knife is capable of being taken apart - consider storing it disassembled. Storage best in moisture free, temperature stable environment to best you can.
There are different grades of stainless steel - they have different rusting tendencies dependent on metal compositions.
Also use silicone for diving. Will use oil if storing for long, long time.
Never ever store knife in scabbard while stored. Only put in scabbard for moving it, travel, diving. If knife is capable of being taken apart - consider storing it disassembled. Storage best in moisture free, temperature stable environment to best you can.
There are different grades of stainless steel - they have different rusting tendencies dependent on metal compositions.
jumbo
Guest
I would let it rust, youll never require a razor sharp edge and it wont fall apart. youll probobly lose it or quit diving before it rust too much to use it. I just figure on loosing mine every year or so, so i get small knives that commercial fishermen use, there cheap and razer sharp
Jumbo
Jumbo
RonzoTheGreat
Contributor
This doesn't help your question, but i thought i'd point out that i bought a halcyon titanium knife 65 dives ago, dove salt and fresh, take care of my equipment religiously, but never oiled the knife, and not a single speck of rust. i like the T-rex Titanium, but went with the halcyon for cost (you can almost buy two of the halcyon for the price of the T-rex).
I'm not saying titanium is rust proof, i'm saying this halcyon ti knife hasn't let any in though.
I'm not saying titanium is rust proof, i'm saying this halcyon ti knife hasn't let any in though.
Belmont
Contributor
I have a Halcyon titanium knife and it can't rust because it contains no iron. Titanium is a pretty stable and non reactive metal, that's why it's used inside the human body as implants for hips, bone screws, tooth implants and skull plates.
There are grades of stainless steel that won't show any rust but they are not used for common cutlery, I think the expensive so called stainless steel dive knives are all made from cheap asian SS and are a rip-off.
Has anyone found imbedded rust or pitting on their backplates or other stainless steel equipment?
There are grades of stainless steel that won't show any rust but they are not used for common cutlery, I think the expensive so called stainless steel dive knives are all made from cheap asian SS and are a rip-off.
Has anyone found imbedded rust or pitting on their backplates or other stainless steel equipment?
Gilldiver
Contributor
First we call it stainless steel for marketing reasons. Any metallurgist calls it corrosion resistant steel. It is not stainless, it just resists corrosion better then other steels.
Then you have many types of stainless with 440 alloy being the most common as it is the cheapest and will hold an edge better with little heat treatment required. But it has a higher carbon contents and will "rust."
If I had a choice and didn't care about the production costs I would use a 316 L alloy and properly heat treat it, but the costs for a knife would be out of the market.
Now for your knife, I will bet that the rust you are seeing is at the handle to blade joint where water weeps out from under the handle and in the serrations on the blade that naturally hold water. What I do is rinse well and let it soak while I do the est of the gear. Then stick it into a board point down so that the water can drain out from under the handle, and when it get too ugly buff it down with some red scotchbright.
It is a knife, which is a tool not a piece of artwork, and a little rust will not hurt the form, fit, and function.
But you do run a stone down the blade every now and then to keep some type of edge on it, don't you?
You carry a knife to use if you ever have to cut your way out of a tangle which is not the time to find that your knife has no edge. 60-90 test mono leader takes a bit of work to cut even with a sharp knife.
For more on stainless steels, this is not far off:Stainless steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Then you have many types of stainless with 440 alloy being the most common as it is the cheapest and will hold an edge better with little heat treatment required. But it has a higher carbon contents and will "rust."
If I had a choice and didn't care about the production costs I would use a 316 L alloy and properly heat treat it, but the costs for a knife would be out of the market.
Now for your knife, I will bet that the rust you are seeing is at the handle to blade joint where water weeps out from under the handle and in the serrations on the blade that naturally hold water. What I do is rinse well and let it soak while I do the est of the gear. Then stick it into a board point down so that the water can drain out from under the handle, and when it get too ugly buff it down with some red scotchbright.
It is a knife, which is a tool not a piece of artwork, and a little rust will not hurt the form, fit, and function.
But you do run a stone down the blade every now and then to keep some type of edge on it, don't you?
You carry a knife to use if you ever have to cut your way out of a tangle which is not the time to find that your knife has no edge. 60-90 test mono leader takes a bit of work to cut even with a sharp knife.
For more on stainless steels, this is not far off:Stainless steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charlie99
Contributor
- Messages
- 7,966
- Reaction score
- 166
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
What worked to clean up the rusty pivot on my EMT shears was to leave it in a glass of Coca Cola for a couple of days. The carbonic or phosphoric acid did a pretty good job of removing the rust.
IMO, steel wool isn't a good way to remove rust, since you can get little particles of the steel wool embedded in the surface of the knife that will later rust. Polishing or buffing compounds are a better method. Well ......... actually 2nd best to my preferred method --- Ignore the rust and go diving!
Charlie Allen
IMO, steel wool isn't a good way to remove rust, since you can get little particles of the steel wool embedded in the surface of the knife that will later rust. Polishing or buffing compounds are a better method. Well ......... actually 2nd best to my preferred method --- Ignore the rust and go diving!
Charlie Allen
There it is.
I use one of those dir style 3.00 steak knives so I don't have a stake in the steak knife.
Similar threads
