Getting rusty

[telkanuru]

Not me, my blades. Every summer the humidity gets to them, and despite the fact that I keep them lightly coated in oil, I have to go over them with an emory (sp?) cloth every single time I take them out. I'd really rather not do this. Any suggestions to keep them good over the summer and not have to peel wax or something off them when I need to use them?

[drseudo]

I have no idea how to answer your question, but what kind of oil do you use? I've only just started shelling out the money for good weapons, and I'd like to be able to take steps to keep them happy and healthy.

[noodle]

Not me, my blades. Every summer the humidity gets to them, and despite the fact that I keep them lightly coated in oil, I have to go over them with an emory (sp?) cloth every single time I take them out. I'd really rather not do this. Any suggestions to keep them good over the summer and not have to peel wax or something off them when I need to use them?

make sure you store them in pvc (or something equivalent) piping. usually the problem stems from the fact that you sweat more in summer. more sweat in your jacket/knickers/etc which you put in your bag near your weapons -> more rust.
if that isn't the problem, there's not much you can do that will consistantly work besides buy blades with the rust coating (usually fie blades but some non-fie ones)

[neevel]

If you're already keeping your blades separate from your wet uniform, there's not much else to do. Just keep a Scotch-brite pad in your bag and rub the rust off when it appears.

The ultimate solution is to buy maraging blades-- maraging steel has a high nickel content which makes it pretty resistant to rust.

-Dave

[vincikai]

does the lil rust bother the ability of the blade at all
i mean whats the differentce after you shine the blade from rust after all its still the same blade o_O

[noodle]

does the lil rust bother the ability of the blade at all
i mean whats the differentce after you shine the blade from rust after all its still the same blade o_O

you've obviously never gotten huge rust stains (that are impossible to get out) on your jacket from someone's super rusty blade rubbing off on you.

keeping your blade clean is the courteous thing to do until we switch to non-white uniforms.

[great bowyer]

does the lil rust bother the ability of the blade at all
i mean whats the differentce after you shine the blade from rust after all its still the same blade o_O

actually, i think the rust will prevent the blade conducting the electricity like it is supposed to, meaning resistance will be greater than the >1 ohm required by the rules.

[vincikai]

"you've obviously never gotten huge rust stains (that are impossible to get out) on your jacket from someone's super rusty blade rubbing off on you.

keeping your blade clean is the courteous thing to do until we switch to non-white uniforms."



lol thats because i always keep my blades clean dont know why though
just have too much free time to spand

[telkanuru]

Thanks all. So there's no solution. Oh, well. I'll get a dehumidifyer or something

And I use 3 in 1 machine oil. works like a charm sometimes. Just remember to whipe the blade down before usage. people don't appreciate oil stains on their uniform, either.

[DHCJr]

One solution is Maraging blades. They do not rust like Carbon Steel blades. Another idea is sand. You may notice when you get a micrometer or the like, you get a 'Silica' package inside that is to help with moisture.

This will be work, but what you can do. First seal the tip with breathable, but high thread count cloth, place the blade in a tube and fill with sand. Try that this summer, but keep the sand out of the works. You might even want to have a cloth tube to place the blade in, between the plastic tube with the sand and the blade.

[mousers11]

Stain devils do a product for removing rust , available at chemists & supermarkets, exellent for getting rust out of kit.
Try spraying blades with silicon spray, wipes of easily

[esskreemr]

I'll have to agree, my blades haven't rusted since I switched to maraging.

Inother option that I'm not sure rather or not will work. I know that some oils, while protecting the blade, if applied too liberally, will actually cause more rust. Has anybody tried something like a dry chain lube? They are available at cycling shops. We use it in cycling so that you can lubricate the chain without creating a wet dirt magnet. Just a thought... I've never tried it.

You could also look into clove oil. Certain oil/lubricants are better/worse depending on the carbon content of the metal. The machine oil may not be optimal for the purpose you are using it for (antirust). Clove oil is used to clean and store katanas and other high-carbon blades. You can get it in sword maintenance kits for about $20.00 or seperate.

Just some thoughts...

[Inquartata]

First, make sure that you've removed all the rust before you oil. And don't touch the blade with your fingers before oiling, your skin oils contain acids that will etch the metal. You might want to do a quick wipe with alcohol between scrubbing and oiling.

Mineral oil ( available in any drugstore ) will work better than machine oils, which are lighter and meant for lubrication of moving parts rather than as preservatives. Choji ( the abovementioned clove oil ) is just mineral oil with clove scent added.

You might want to try a gun oil or something like Ballistol. But honestly, the best preservative I've found is common paste wax---car wax, floor wax, even neutral ( clear ) shoe polish. True you have to wipe it off before using it, but you have to to that with oil, too. And unlike oil it doesn't evaporate or collect dust, each mote of which will pierce the oil barrier and wick moisture through it to the metal. I have had zero rust problems since I started using wax.

NB Don't use WD-40.

[The0ne]

yeah, my old leon paul blades rusted horribly, but now I have moved on to marraging, I haven't had a rust problem.

[Artisan]

If you're already keeping your blades separate from your wet uniform, there's not much else to do. Just keep a Scotch-brite pad in your bag and rub the rust off when it appears.
-Dave

Neevel:
Its not only being stored in your bag with damp clothes - its touching your blade everytime you straighten it (unless you are an under-the-foot straightener), or carry your weapons to the strip, etc. Notice where the rust forms. Is it near the tip from carrying and near middle from straightening? Sweaty hands have amazing corrosive power - not just the salt in sweat but also acidic skin oils... I've actually noticed the patterns of fingerprints in rust on some non-maraging blades...

DHCJr:
The "silica" you refer to is not the same as sand, as sand (quartz) is relatively inert and will not react to or absorb environmental moisture. I belive you are referring to silica dessicant packets, which are composed of:
"... the most commonly used desiccant, silica gel, is an amorphous form for silica manufactured from sodium silicate and sulfuric acid. Its interconnected pores form a vast surface area that will attract and hold water by adsorption and capillary condensation, allowing silica gel to adsorb about 40% of its weight in water"

-pasted from (of all places); www.desiccantcity.com

If you have a hard case or other air tight place to store your weapons in, consider using a dessicant in the case: http://www.zorb-it.com/scripts/prodL...?idCategory=16

[ztron24]

it's best to keep blades seperate from all your sopping gear, but if they do have to go in the same bag for a bit, i have seen some folks use plastic tubing (flexable) over the length of the blade, rather than pvc. it seems like it would do a better job of protecting your blades...

[neevel]

Neevel:
Its not only being stored in your bag with damp clothes - its touching your blade everytime you straighten it (unless you are an under-the-foot straightener), or carry your weapons to the strip, etc. Notice where the rust forms. Is it near the tip from carrying and near middle from straightening? Sweaty hands have amazing corrosive power - not just the salt in sweat but also acidic skin oils... I've actually noticed the patterns of fingerprints in rust on some non-maraging blades...

Your right about skin oils being bad for carbon-steel. There's a local antique shop which has a 15th c. Mughal wootz dagger with a very distinct fingerprint near the point, leftover from when somebody obviously "tested" the edge. The thing is, you're going to be handling fencing weapons as part of their normal use. Given that non-maraging blades shouldn't be expected to last much more than a year at most under frequent use, going to all sorts of bother to never touch them with a bare hand just isn't worth it when you can just spend 20 seconds rubbing rust off when it does appear. We're talking $20-30 foil blades here, not a $7000 Howard Clark katana. So long as you take care of the rust while it's still on the surface and hasn't caused any pitting, it's not going to be the cause of the blade breaking.

-Dave

[The0ne]

or a $100 FIE blade which is getting pretty close to that katana!

[dunastor]

Nothing ever gets close to a katana and lives....

[arcsnsparks86]

I found that gun oil works exceptionally well. It doesnt seem to leave very much of an oily residue on the foil blade.