Thread: Covered Tangs = Rust Magnets?

So...are covered tangs like the one on this gorgeous Henckels (photo borrowed from the Revisor "Raritäten" site) more susceptible to rust?

I assume the celluloid is applied with something that is impermeable to water, since it would be impossible to remove any moisture that managed to sneak between the steel and celluloid. I've seen similar tangs that have used dovetails instead of the pins seen here, but either construction style would seem to be potentially problematic if not perfectly executed.

Originally Posted by Dzanda

So...are covered tangs like the one on this gorgeous Henckels...more susceptible to rust?

I would think so; I remember reading about a rubber band that's placed on the tang of some razors (some ducks, I think it was) makes them susceptible to rust. I don't see why this'd be different.

I believe they they are attached with peened pins without adhesives. Yes they can be rust magnets under the covered tangs.

Bob

I've read that some folks remove the rubber grips from Dovo's "Bergischer Löwe" model for this reason.

Originally Posted by DarthLord

I would think so; I remember reading about a rubber band that's placed on the tang of some razors (some ducks, I think it was) makes them susceptible to rust. I don't see why this'd be different.

Well...that sux!

Originally Posted by BobH

I believe they they are attached with peened pins without adhesives. Yes they can be rust magnets under the covered tangs.

Bob

There are a couple of threads on here of some restores I have done on them that have the before pics, you would not believe what is under there

I will link them if I can dig them out

I wonder: is WD-40 safe for use with typical scale materials? If it is safe, using it as part of a preventive maintenance regimen might be helpful, since the "WD" stands for "Water Displacement". That would be a fairly simple means of getting/keeping water out from between the tang and its covering material. I imagine that WD-40 would have no trouble getting in there, since WD-40 is a penetrating oil and we're not talking about a really tightly fitted interface.

So how would you keep one from rusting if you did a restore on it?

Originally Posted by jdoc

So how would you keep one from rusting if you did a restore on it?

I dunno... dry shave?

I think they're attractive, but I've avoided them for just that reason.