|quoted:

I'm struggling with rust, and looking for advise. I developed my techniques mostly on stainless, and this forged stuff is giving me fits keeping it clean. I typically hand finish to 400 or 600, with rhynowet paper and WD40 as lube. It's darn clean when I'm done. I usually do this finish work before guard fitting, then touch up any scratches afterward, then glue everything up. I usually coat the blade with a light coat of mineral oil, then blue painter's tape. I'm getting some discoloration and occasionally real rust underneath the tape. I can re-sand and get it off, but I feel like the seed has been planted and it'll always be a problem on the blade from then on. I'll be a little honest, that's one of the reasons I have tended toward more stainless and less forging over the past 8 years, because it pains me to think that a knife will only go down hill from my table. On a stainless knife, I have more confidence it will still look good 10 years from now. On a carbon knife, I can barely keep it clean for a few months.

Looking for advise here. Is there a step I'm missing? Is it something about the oil, or the tape, or the sequence? Is there a product I can use instead, to keep the rust at bay?

I have used Carnuba Wax for years and never had an issue with rust,discoloration or finger prints on blades. It also lasts for a long time so frequent reapplications are not needed.

Wrap your blade in a blue shop towel first then tape it with electrical tape and finish your guard/handle.

I use a good gun oil on the blade first and never have any issues.

WD-40 makes a new specialty rust and corrosion inhibitor that looks promising from my limited use with it. It's not cheap but a little goes a long way and the can should last quite awhile.

Simichrome polishing compound!

Jason, I ditto what John said. The painters tape in contact with the blade causes rust. I spray mine down, wrap in a paper towel, and then apply the tape. I'm slow,so I'll end up making many sleeves during the build. I never leave tape in contact with the blade overnight. Once the knife is finished, I use a good gun oil like breakfree, or the equelivant. I ship the knife wrapped in an oily paper towel inside the padded case. I have my first carbon blade that is 46 yeas old, no rust. Keep them oiled.

Bob

What about for knives that are coming in contact with food on a regular basis. I understand some patina developing is not uncommon and sometimes sought after, a knife ages like a fine wine. But how to keep it food safe?

I have always used, by recommendation, RIG - Rust Inhibiting Grease - from Brownells. It's a really light grease that is rubbed into a small oval of sheep skin. It's not liquid, so it never spills, doesn't make things 'wet', etc.

The sheep skin is always laying on the bench near my work.

When leaving for the day, I simply wipe my blades with the sheep skin and they are coated with an ultra thin layer of GREASE!!

When I do occasionally wrap a blade - another benefit of the take-down knife is not worrying about tiny scratches on blades - it first gets a quick wipe with RIG and all is good.

The sheep skin in a zip lock baggy is also easily packed and taken to knife shows.

I see it is now owned by Birchwood Casey.

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/oils-lubricants/rust-prevention/rig-universal-gun-grease-prod31842.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=RIG+rag&ksubmit=y

I use Blue Magic polishing cream or Birchwood Casey Barricade. The latter comes in bottles of liquid or in handy individually packaged sheets (about the size of a wetnap). Both of these products leave a very thin, invisable film on the steel that protects it from moisture, dries rapidly, and rejects fingerprints. I never have any flash rust problems and I have been known to leave bare blades or blades wrapped in a blue paper shop towel on my bench for months with no issues.

The main reason I do not use an oil based protectant like WD-40 is because oils have a tendancy to trap debris and hold onto it. That debris can also hold moisture, which will cause you headaches. When I am going to set a blade aside for any length of time, I clean it off with acetone and apply either the polishing cream (short periods of rest) or the Barricade (longer periods of rest).