Good evening, gentlemen,
I am going to a foreign country this summer where the climate is very hot, and even a little humid. There is jungle... so I am wondering what the best finish is for a carbon steel knife, specifically 1075 or 5160. I was considering ATS-34, but that's not very traditional, and I would prefer to carry a blade that I proudly forged. I have a pretty good basis with patina's and cold bluing... is there anything else more durable? I heard of phosphate finishes... any good?
Back burner thought: I've found that after the quench, the black finish left by the oil (iron oxide?) is extremely tough and durable-- toughest yet... any experience with this? My only problem is that most of the lovely black coat falls off while being quenched inside the oil (peanut).
In total, what is the best rust resistant finish I can rely on in a jungle where corrosion resistance and durability is imperative?
Thanks a ton; stay sharp,
Joseph
beckerforge.com
I've thought about trying some of the bake on finishes from Brownell's, for a rust resistant finish. Brownell's Bake-on Paint
I've use the baking lacquer on guns. It's pretty tough, but I think it could be scratched with a sharp object. It sounds like the Cerakote and Gun-Kote finishes could be more abrasion resistant.
It may sound like a overly simple solution but were it me, I would be tempted to make a typical carbon steel blade and when done protect it with "Mother's Car Wax."
<img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> What is car wax designed to do but keep out the moisture and it will adhere to the blade better than gun oil.
This may not be what you were asking for but sometimes "less is more". I've always been more concerned with the performance of a chosen steel than with it's corrosion resistance.
Gary
Hi Joseph,
I made a camp knife last year that I designed to withstand the sort of conditions you are talking about. For the finish on the blade, I left it as forged. Basically, I forged very close (using a reducing fire and low-ish heat to avoid too much decarb) and then rolled the edge on the grinder. Only about a quarter of an inch of bare steel is showing, and the rest of the blade is the black forge finish that is water resistant (the forge finish won't fall off in a quench).
I also did an oil patina on the fittings, which are just mild steel. That patina has not lasted quite as well as the forged surface of the blade, but it is still water resistant after quite a bit of use.
Hope this helps.
Jordan
