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We know that corrosion is not a problem for H1, but how do other steels do when exposed to seawater? I'm not talking about diving knives or continuous immersion, just salt spray and incidental exposure when working near seawater/marine environments. Surfingringo ?? LC200N is only available in the Tusk, but what about other steels?
I want something that holds an edge much better than H1, but is still reasonably low maintenance.

Any experiences? How fast do your blades show signs of rust in such an environment?

btw, H1 is not the correct answer to this question :) It IS the correct answer to a different question!

M390/CPM 20CV, and CPM S110V do well.

The truth is that most folks will get along just fine with any of the common stainless steels. As long as the knife is not sitting in saltwater or constantly exposed to it and you give it a rinse at the end of the day then any of them will probably be fine. It really all depends on the level exposure, which is a question only you can answer. By the description in your op I would imagine you would be fine with any of the steels Ankerson mentioned.

Even with extreme exposure like what I'm doing on a daily basis, I have no real problem using a fixed blade in any of those steels. I have no major issues keeping the s90v Southfork rust free (though you can't just come home and throw it in the sink like h1). The problem with a folder is its harder to get all the nooks and crannies clean so you are more likely to end up with rust in your liners and pivot.

What kind of cleaning intervals are you planning to perform? Any desire to coat the blade in something like mineral oil or Tuf-Cloth?

If you keep a blade clean and better yet coated your options are pretty much endless.

Cleaning would be opportunistic but mostly likely wipe on whatever is handy after using and end of day wipe with clean water. Occasional mineral oil but not anything else in case food prep is called for. This will most likely be a small fixed blade but could be a folder. I was thinking endura or delica but I have had some minor rusting with VG10 just from sweat.
I was thinking M390/20V because I like their reduced need for frequent sharpening (and I have folders in the one and FBs in the other). My only reservation about those is cost of replacement in case of loss or theft.

I would say if you want a high performance steel and corrosion is an issue then go with the fixed blade. A fb is very easy to keep rust free compared to a folder in my experience. Maybe one of the mules...or how about a swick?? I'm considering picking up a swick to wear as a neck knife in the kayak. I have no concerns about being able to keep the rust off of it.

I could only recommend H-1. H-2 might work also because it's one better. But I don't think it's a thing yet.

How the steels are hardened is critical:

https://youtu.be/zhsqDFnxbRI" target="_blank

Those two same steels, especially AEB-l (13C26) have actually been criticized for stain resistance issues, however it is because of heat treatments which have a reduced soak and too slow a quench.

There is more variation among steels in corrosion resistance due to how they are hardened than among the steels, so you actually need to be specific about who is actually using it.

In general, if you want high corrosion resistance then look for :

-low carbon amounts
-high amounts of chromium, and moderate amounts of molybdenum
-nitrogen

Hence 420HC for example is a very corrosion resistant steel as are Nitrobe 77, LC200N and 14C28N. But again, how they are hardened is just as, or more important than the steels.

I work outside in all weather conditions and have been carrying a native frn in s30v for two years straight. Hours of sweat exposure, pouring rain and humidity in the 90+ percent range have only produced maybe a SPECK of rust, maybe. S30v is generally not a stand out in corrosion resistance but I can tell you from thorough real world testing it is underrated in this regard.

I have used blades made from 440C and VG10 in salt water without any problems. You just need to be sure to clean them off thoroughly after use. I have fishing knives in S35V and VG10, and expect them to work fine. I like to fish off the surf, so the knives never get soaked for more than a few hours. I haven't seen any rust under these conditions.

VG10 and just in case, Tuf-Glide.

Sounds like lots of options for both folders and FBs, particularly if VG10 is in the mix. I did just pick up a Tusk so should be covered on the small folder front. (SGs nice pics did not help my budget at all, but I had been thinking about this knife ever since it was announced, but strangely mostly because of the marlin spike !). It just arrived and really nice, well-made knife (of course).
Now to decide on a small FB... There's always one of my Moran's if I go with VG10...

dogrunner wrote:Sounds like lots of options for both folders and FBs, particularly if VG10 is in the mix. I did just pick up a Tusk so should be covered on the small folder front. (SGs nice pics did not help my budget at all, but I had been thinking about this knife ever since it was announced, but strangely mostly because of the marlin spike !). It just arrived and really nice, well-made knife (of course).
Now to decide on a small FB... There's always one of my Moran's if I go with VG10...

Do you own a Southfork? Brilliant design! It is my most used knife...by far. It's kind of pricey but the fact that I use it so much in the kitchen makes it really easy to justify. I've got knives that I paid more for that I don't use 1/10th as much as the SF.