How to keep a stainless steel knife from rusting?

[tazkristi]

Yup, don't dive with it. I'm not sure why they don't have sacrificial zinc on them. Spiderco make a new stainless metal knive with H1 stainless steel that isn't supposed to rust. I have a titanium knife that I don't have to bother with. Now if I could get a pair of titanium EMT shears - life would be good.

Our Salt Series knives are made from H1. Technically it isn't a steel at all, but it acts like one, minus the rust. H1 is a nitrogen based austenitic steel that we differentially work-harden that will never rust. It's chemically impossible.

We do have a pair of H1 shears in the works, they're in R&D so they are a ways out, but we're working on them.

Hope this helps.

Kristi

 

[Dsix36]

I dive in salt water and try to get wet every weekend.

I rinse my knife in fresh water and let the knife and case dry throughly before replacing the knike. About once a month, I will put 1 drop of 20/50 Castrol motor oil on the blade and wipe it with my finger to both sides. I then wipe (gently to not remove all of the oil) off with a paper towel. Not a sign of rust since I started doing this 11 years ago.

 

[Diver0001]

I just coat the knife with vaseline. Cheap, easy, and it works.

R..

 

[mudhole]

Try rubbing your dry knife with paste wax. It protects the steel from water, and it's not so messy. There are always companies taking the iron out of their knives, and that usually increases the cost, and sometimes isn't as strong. Even among knifemakers, we change steels frequently, any alloy that resists rust best, doesn't cut well, The best cutting alloys, rust real well. Ah a compromise, sometimes nobody is happy, sometimes the "serious" knife user is the only one pleased. Jimmy Lyle was a friend of mine, and a serious user bought a first year Rambo knife. . . A month later needed a replacement. . . the saw edge stuck somewhere, and was left behind.

 

[fnfalman]

We do have a pair of H1 shears in the works, they're in R&D so they are a ways out, but we're working on them.

Hope this helps.

Kristi

Jesus H. Christ, I'm getting all nipply thinking about H1 trauma shears!!!:kiss2:

Please make sure that they put some color in the handles instead of the basic black. Yellow like the H1 folding knives would be nice. BTW, last checked I have the Pacific Salt, Atlantic Salt and Salt 1.

 

[Captain Obvious]

one word BoeshieldT9 http://www.boeshield.com/why/why_t9.php

 

[nikwho]

I have a Gerber "river shortie". The handle does not come off. has no rust as of yet. I rinse and let dry after diving. leave it out to dry. I also use the Break-free CLP. Only because i have it around for my guns. seems to work well and its cheap.

 

[walke121]

Buy cheap knives. When they get to rusty throw them out. An expensive knife will make you do something stupid if you drop it in deep water. I don't like titanium knives because they never seem to keep a good edge.