Rusting leathermans

[J-sews]

Welcome NeitherExtreme!

Well, it sounds like you’ve spent a bit of time with the whole spectrum of Leatherman products. I especially liked the story of the PST found by your sisters outside in the snow. Seems like that would be a pretty good corrosion test right there! 

[LatinoHeat]

Like alot of you, I've owned my LM for a while before it started rusting at all.  I have been carrying my LM Wave, on and off, for about three years.  I tried the Blast for a little while, but the handles and screwdrivers always bent all out of shape when used heavily, so I'e since gone back to my beloved Wave, and other then some really light rusting in spots where cleaning is hard to do, and occasionally some specks of rust on the serrated blade and scissors, it has held up good.  It took about a year and a half for me to see ANY rust on it, and that's working here in Florida, where it's hot and humid.  I work in perfect rust-inducing conditions, yet any rust that has appeared I've been able to simply wipe away with a dry finger.  Like I said, not bad at all.  My Blast, although not carried for long, didn't rust either.  I think, as has also been posted elsewhere in this thread, the reputation LMs have aquired over the years as far as rust is concerned is exaggerated.  I've had my Wave in my pocket on it's clip on hundred degree days, absorbing all my sweat through my jeans, I've been in chest deep water with it on a sheath on my side, not attended to until later at night, I've dropped it in sandy, salty water, had it rained on, had it submerged in some nasty, fishy water (I was laying on my side in a canoe pulling dead fish out of the water, putting them in our boat, which had about 6 inches of fish guts and water in it) and it still looks great.  Nicks and scratches from use, of course, but hardly ANY rust.  As a matter of fact, the only rust it has at this precise moment is behind the scissor spring, which I can't get to, and it's very minor.   My Wave is a kick ass, easily accessed, abuse taking, Rust repelling, hard working tank.  No worries.

[Stormdrane]

Arghh!  Rust is developing on my Leatherman Juice Pro, underneath the clear plastic piece that holds the tweezers, so i cannot get to it.   

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That'll be a tough fix

I'm sure Bob or Dave will have a solution though

[Pacu]

I buy most of my Leathermans brand spankin new unless i get a heck of a deal. My new model wave i edc gets sweaty handed ever day but i soak it in wd-40 and remington gun oil every weekend to keep rust away.

The only Leatherman rust issue i have is my 10 dollar second hand Crunch. It has a couple of rust stains on the plier heads due to being in a glass case that had a bit of condensation build up when i bought it.

1) type of leatherman tool you owned (and whether it was black oxide coated or not)  Crunch--not BO
2) whether it rusted or not--yes
3) if it did, how long since you bought it it took to rust---rusted when i got it due to poor ventilation and high humidity
4) what kind of conditions you exposed it to (whether it rusted or not)--now it's being soaked in 5w30...then remington gun oil with teflon
5) how the rusting affected the tool----not gonna lie....it bothers me more than the tool...but i'm a bit of a clean freak.

[DaveK]

That'll be a tough fix

I'm sure Bob or Dave will have a solution though

That's going to be a bugger to get at that is. How long has it been there Stormdrane? If it's still sitting on the surface, you might be able to scratch it away with a razor blade or similar. It looks as though you can list the plastic bit just about enough to get in there on the blade side, but mine is really tight on the driver side.

Bummer.

[Stormdrane]

I just noticed it when I went to blow out all the pocket lint and dust before I give it the usual wipe down with Tuf-glide, so it may have just taken hold within the last few weeks.  I've carried/used it more than any of my other multitools, since I bought it new five years ago and usually keep the rust at bay despite the perspiration/condensation bath it gets in my pocket.

I did try to get a utility razor blade in between the plastic and body, but it's a no go with the tight fit as the plastic piece doesn't want to budge and I didn't want to put any more force that might break it...     I know it's hard to stop rust once it gets a foothold.

[Leatherman123]

Tuf Glide is amazing right? Finally someone on here uses it! 

[Stormdrane]

Tuf Glide is amazing right? Finally someone on here uses it! 

I've been using Tuf-Glide for years and it's worked great.  I guess the rust is my fault for not looking more closely for it and letting routine maintenance/cleaning slide for too long.  I thoroughly sloshed it with the stuff this time, so hopefully it'll halt any spread of the rust.  It does bug me that I can't get at it though while I can see it...

[duckman1975]

Arghh!  Rust is developing on my Leatherman Juice Pro, underneath the clear plastic piece that holds the tweezers, so i cannot get to it.   

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

You could try dipping it in kerosene overnight but you have to say goodbye to the color on the scales.

[appletree_man]

Or remove the scales 

[David Bowen]

The rusty S2 that Grant has use to be mine. That rust happened because it was carried in my pocket down here in the humid south, just happens down here I guess. I went and checked my LM's for rust and I don't see a whole lot. There are dots here and there on my LM's but nothing that cannot be removed by a fine steel wool. Most of my rust appears as a discoloring on the handles. Because of the finish on LM handles the rust finds it's way into the fine surface and give some of my handles a brown hue if you look at the right. Right now my Surge shows the most rust on the outside of the handles. All in all even though I live in a humid enviroment the tools hold up pretty good.

[hingysaid]

Searched and found this thread on LMs and their tendency to rust.... had a few spots appear on my Wave (2nd Gen) a few months ago; the Wave is probably around 2 years old now... it gets plenty of use in the course of my job, and is carried in all weather and is fully exposed on my work belt.  The tiny rust spots were on the straight blade, and came off with ease, and left no marks or pitting signs.

Anybody ever use ACF-50 anti-corrosion formula?..... I plaster it on my motorcycles during the winter, and it keeps all the metal parts as new..... a quick wash off after the winter with minimal effort and the bike looks like new again.   I have used it on the inners and blades etc of all my LM, and on my Wave..... ACF-50 state it will protect metal for around 18-24 months without further application, and doesn't leave an oily residue which will collect dirt etc - I tend to believe them, as no signs of rust and I haven't re-applied any ACF-50 or oil to the Wave for months now (and the weather in the UK is general pants, even in summer!)

[Vadim]

As I understand it the most effective way to stop a metal rusting is to add chrome (reduces edge keeping and makes the steel weaker) to its make up. The better steels have more carbon (makes the steel harder and hold an edge better but is more prone to rust) added.
As a user of tools the lack of rust would make me question the quality of the steel being used for use on a tool. Rust is formed in the area that comes in contact with the air so is always just surface unless it is allowed to penetrate deeper through the owner not doing any maintenance. If you do no maintenance you get what you deserve, it is up to the owner. Just do as the manufacturer asks on the leaflet that comes with whatever tool you buy.
IMO shiny polished tools can be dangerously slippy in the work environment were hands can get oil, grease or even water on them so I am not too fond of those either. Especially when people round me are using them.

Dave

OK,look at Craftsman Tools they all (almost) is SHINY !!! and I work with this tools and have NO PROBLEM !!! The rust is BAD,and all MultiTool should be more rust proof.

[Vadim]

I understand its easy to cleanup a rusting wrench or pliers ,BUT,we talk about  a MultiTool and to clean a MultiTool from rust is a big PAIN !!! If MultiTool is rust there is some problem with it.I own LM Surge and SwissTool RS,and I carry more about Surge (Clean it,oil it and etc. ) than SwissTool.Don't let me wrong,all my tools in my garage  is in very good condition,I mean you spend a lot more time when your MultiTool is rusting and to clean it is not always easy .

[Vadim]

As I understand it the most effective way to stop a metal rusting is to add chrome (reduces edge keeping and makes the steel weaker) to its make up. The better steels have more carbon (makes the steel harder and hold an edge better but is more prone to rust) added.

As far as I know, adding chrome (molybdenum maybe? I'm not an expert but I remember this particular metal...) doesn't make the blade "weaker" but more prone to bend if too much force is applied. Which, in my opinion, is better for a multitool. A harder steel may rust a little but it cuts better and keeps an edge better; however, when it reaches the breaking point it'll just break without any warning, leaving you with a useless tool in your hand. A duller blade will withstand harder pressure and before the breaking point it will bend a little. This way you will know when to stop. And since I carry a multitool to avoid having a whole toolbox with me, I like to know how far I can push the limit. This is my experience with Victorinox knives: the steel doesn't rust, no spots, no superficial damage. And its elasticity is a plus, to me. Of course, if having a razor-sharp blade is essential, a harder steel is the one to choose. From my point of view, bigger blades should be made of a harder high-carbon steel. Their weight and dimensions would prevent them from breaking. Smaller blades (as the ones on multitools) should be made of a much softer metal. But it's just my opinion, of course.

If you do no maintenance you get what you deserve, it is up to the owner.

That's true. It doesn't matter if it's Leatherman, Gerber, Victorinox or SOG: no maintenance means bad news to come.

IMO shiny polished tools can be dangerously slippy in the work environment were hands can get oil, grease or even water on them so I am not too fond of those either. Especially when people round me are using them.

It may be true, but a shiny polished tool gives rust no places to "hide". Instead, a raw surface gives a good grip to dirt and rust to hold to.

P.S. I hope what I said makes sense, I have a terrible headache and my already-not-so-good english gets worse in these conditions. 

A 100% agree !!!

[Grass]

I'm sure there are probably plenty of threads on this subject, but it seems important to chip in...

1) type of leatherman tool you owned

Leatherman Wave; purchased April 2015.

2) whether it rusted or not

I already have little dots of surface rust on all of the internal tools (crate opener, bottle opener, bit tool, etc).

3) if it did, how long since you bought it it took to rust

A mere four weeks.

4) what kind of conditions you exposed it to (whether it rusted or not)

Brisbane, Australia conditions. No exposure to water or salsmurfer environments. Not the most humid time of the year, either. And Australia has far more humid to offer if you head north.

5) how the rusting affected the tool

No effect so far but miffed by the experience. This was over A$100 to buy; I expected better.