Urg, rusty gerber

[jzmtl]

So a month old MP400, carried in belt pouch, today I took it out to use and noticed there are tiny surface rust spots everywhere, on plier head, on handle. It never even got wet!

I friggin hate the bead blasted finish Gerber just love to use, turned otherwise very rust resistant 420 into rust magnet.

[J-sews]

Its amazing (and unfortunate) how much more suceptable a bead blast finish is to rust than a polished finish.

[Pacu]

my ole 600 has the same condition. It's no beauty but damn if it's not a workhorse. I hose it off with 3 in 1 about every month ifin it gets used or not.

[jzmtl]

I gave it a good scrub down with baking soda and all the spots are gone, I'll see how long it lasts this time.

The inside of the handle was left unblasted and not a speck of rust, wish they left the whole thing like that. My micra goes skiing with me and gets wet every time, and it's still sparking clean because of the satin finish. The powerlock too, except on base of plier head where the rough finish is.

[jzmtl]

Guess what the MP400 is full again?  And I've only used twice cutting copper wires and put it right back in the sheath.

I'm never buying another bead blasted Gerber again.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I often wonder why companies still insist on using that finish?

Is it more cost effective than polishing

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's a better gripping surface than a polished one.  Rust adds an even more effective grip!

Def

[Anthony]

My 600 has some spots on it, but not rust...I think of rust as something you can flake off with a fingernail...that's bad.  Discoloration/slight corrosion doesn't bother me in the least. 

[donvito]

jzmtl what if you switch over to a nylon pouch instead of leather and see how that goes?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It's a better gripping surface than a polished one.  Rust adds an even more effective grip!

Def

Well that's true. But I wonder if that's the sole reason they stick to it

[J-sews]

Bead blast finish is WAY less labor intensive and WAY less costly than polishing. I'm sure that's why the Gerbers are finished like that.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Bead blast finish is WAY less labor intensive and WAY less costly than polishing. I'm sure that's why the Gerbers are finished like that.

That was my thinking too

[jzmtl]

jzmtl what if you switch over to a nylon pouch instead of leather and see how that goes?

I am using nylon pouch, and it never gets wet, that's why it annoys me so much to see surface rust spot.

[donvito]

jzmtl what if you switch over to a nylon pouch instead of leather and see how that goes?

I am using nylon pouch, and it never gets wet, that's why it annoys me so much to see surface rust spot.

I automatically associated "belt pouch" with leather, my bad

[rp252]

Bead blast finish is WAY less labor intensive and WAY less costly than polishing. I'm sure that's why the Gerbers are finished like that.

That was my thinking too

Ditto.

A few flecks of surface rust really don't matter on a user though - as long as they aren't allowed to become use-impeding rust.

[jzmtl]

The problem is if it would develop surface rust this easily, it wouldn't take much more to change into real rust, especially how iron rust compound the problem, compare to others like aluminum/titanium/chromium.

My Micra has been through much worse and the semi-polished surface is spotless.

[andre0407]

I guess that calls for more oiling... 

[John]

A polished surface offers better resistance to moisture it's almost flat surface protects it,however bead/sand blast will leave canyons/pits within for moisture to do it's work,both will rust as with most iron/steel but don't worry to much SS for instance rusts at micro mm's/ per year