Rust Prevention for Armor – Revisited

Introduction

I’ve written pretty extensively and spoken even more about how to prevent or treat rust on armor. Over the last 6 or 7 years, I’ve done quite a bit of research and tested a lot of solutions and last night, while doing routine cleaning and maintenance on my armor, I learned I may have stumbled upon what I think is a fantastic method.

Talking to many armored fighters from over half a dozen countries, I have heard a lot of different methods and I’ll talk about them once again here, but stay tuned, because I have a new method I’ll talk about at the end.

First, a note on Rust Removal

This article is primarily about the prevention aspect. It is likely that no matter how hard you try to prevent rust, occasionally, you’ll get some and you’ll need to remove it. This is an essential first step. You can’t prevent rust if you have some in the first place. So…. get it off.

For that I take a graduated approach:

• For very light rust, use a “green scrubby” scouring pad.
• For slightly heavier rust (typically found after a wet weekend camping), I use very fine grained sandpaper of 400 and finer grit.
• For heavier rust, I use a “fine” of “very fine” sanding sponge.
• For extreme rust, start with a wire brush.

After the rust is removed, I use sandpaper to maintain the finish of the surface. I keep most of my armor between 800 and 1000 grit. This gives an almost but not quite mirror polish that seems consistent with well maintained late 15th century pieces of moderate to high quality. This is important because it reduces the surface area of your armor. This reduces where water can be trapped and also looks nice.

Remington Oil

Starting from one of the methods used by one of the pioneers of buhurt in the USA, there is Remington Oil. Jaye Brooks, Sr., who was one of the handful of instrumental people to get the sport of buhurt started in the US uses a clean rag with a little gun oil on it to clean and preserve his armor. If Remington Oil is unavailable, 3-in-1 is a suitable alternative. His armor is oil blackened so it already has a protective layer and the gun oil adds a top layer that keeps the rust off.

Pledge Furniture Wax

One frequent member of the USA national buhurt team (I don’t recall which, but I remember hearing about it at Knights Hall a few years back) uses Pledge brand furniture wax. Yes, folks, “Lemon Fresh Pledge” is his go-to rust prevention. This has an added bonus of (obviously enough) smelling lemony fresh! Spray it on and wipe it down. We all thought he was a little crazy to use a wood polish to prevent rust, but we were entertained and happy by the fact that his armor bag didn’t smell of old sweat and mold.

WD-40

Many fighters I know use and swear by WD-40. Research I’ve seen shows WD-40 is not great for long term rust prevention in humid or wet environments but it does do an outstanding job of cleaning the sweat (or rain) off your armor after use. Most of the fighters I hear using this come from dry climates or have the facilities to store their armor in a very dry place.

WD-40 was made to repel water, so that makes sense. It does contain some components which will evaporate over time though. The up side is that leaves your armor nice and clean. The down side is that the protection is short lived.

Beeswax and Olive Oil (or Linseed Oil)

From various research it would make sense that a combination of beeswax and olive oil would be a plausible historical way to prevent rust. This is the basis of “Max Wax” sold by Dark wood Armory. Dark wood is run by a long time armored fighter who is very active in the HEMA Harnischfechten and Jousting communities. It is a plausible and it does work.

Basically, you melt a little beeswax into olive oil in a pot (a double boiler works well), being careful not to set the mis aflame. (Do not use a good pot! A disposable tin can works well…) Work out the ratio to get a stiff paste after it cools, like shoe polish.

Alternatively, you could use boiled linseed oil. This has the advantage that boiled linseed oil oxidizes and creates a natural polymer when exposed to air. You mix it with beeswax like above. After applying it, the air will help it form a rubbery layer to help keep moisture away. The major disadvantage of this option is that the container of the mix will oxidize, initially forming a rubbery layer on top and eventually turning the entire container into a rubbery goop. If you try it, make small batches.

To use either of these, first clean your armor, then take a clean cloth and wrap it around 1 or 2 fingers. Wipe it around on the surface of the paste and then polish the armor a lot like polishing shoes or boots. (US Military vets can tell you all about this… ) You want a VERY thin layer and then buff it down.

BreakFree CLP

Speaking of US Military folks, BreakFree CLP was originally made for the US Military as a “Cleaner, Lubricant, Protectant” for firearms, hence, the name. This modern, high tech stuff does a fantastic job and even smells kind of nice. The one down side is it can be a little expensive. It might also be a bit difficult to find in some locations. Like with the oils, wipe your armor free of dirt and sweat and then put a little BreakFree on a clean rag and wipe the armor down. Wipe off excess.

FluidFilm

FluidFilm has been my own go-to rust preventative for a few years now. Originally made as a marine grade rust preventative, FluidFilm is a liquid with a lanolin base. Lanolin is the grease produced by sheep that makes their wool waterproof. Some people are allergic to lanolin, so be cautious here. FluidFilm first came to my attention as the (near) winner of a scientific experiment to see what protected a square of (chain)maille best over time when the square was hung from the boom of a boat moored in the sea. You can read the results archived here.

FluidFilm comes in liquid or aerosol forms. I use the aerosol forms as it is the most convenient for me (when I’m not traveling by plane). Apply it like all the oils: clean off dirt and sweat, then apply with a clean rag. For times when I cannot properly care for or store my armor (such as when it does into checked luggage or when I’m camped at Pennsic for 2 weeks straight) I apply a LOT more to my armor, spraying it directly on the armor and wiping off what would drip off. This results in an oily, greasy coating, but it keeps the rust off.

Once at Pennsic, I fought in the William Marshal Memorial Tournament in a full hauberk and a thunder storm came through in the middle of the tournament. We all got soaked. I had to walk about half a mile back to my tent in a full kit of wet armor, padding, and clothes (including soaked leather turnshoes). When I got there, I put my hauberk into a 5 gallon bucket and sprayed probably 2/3 of a can of FluidFilm into it and prayed. My prayers were answered and the hauberk had not a bit of rust!

Car Wax (Carnauba Wax)

In the Fall of 2019, I had an opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, with a tour of their armory. Apart from the fantastic experience of being able to handle some original pieces of armor, I had the opportunity to ask one of the conservators what they use to protect the priceless armor they have there.

With the caveat that their primary means of rust prevention is climate control and isolation (usually behind glass), he laughed and pointed to a can of Carnauba Wax up on a shelf. We all had a good laugh and concluded that if you’re going to put your armor on display and not touch it, then this is a great method.

Carnauba wax is made from palm oil and is the main ingredient in most kinds of car wax. It comes in a paste and hardens slowly when exposed to air. When waxing your car (or armor) you wipe it on and let it dry, then buff it down to a nice shine.

My Story Now…

After years of loving FluidFilm, last year, I decided to try car wax. Why? Because it was cheap and I had some kicking around. It made a lovely shine so I did my whole kit. I fought the full season and even took my armor to Pennsic and noticed it seemed a little easier to maintain. I still used the FluidFilm when out and about, but the water was easily repelled and I didn’t need to touch up much at all.

In the Fall of 2023, after returning from a tournament in Ireland, I moved houses and life intervened and I didn’t fight as much as I would Have liked. In the winter, I left my armor box in the back of my Jeep (with the soft top!) through most of the snowy part so I could get better traction. By the time it got warmer I was dreading how much rust I expected to find.

And I found…..

Almost none! There were a couple tiny spots on the helmet (which was taken out a few times because it is super pretty and I wanted to show it off) and really tiny spots on some of the other parts.

I did regular maintenance and polishing last night and I am duly impressed. I think I stumbled on a fantastic rust prevention strategy.

Ready? Here it is:

1. Clean your armor. You’ll need to begin with the dirt and grime off. In fact you should do this after use every time any way.
2. Remove any rust.
3. Re-finish where you removed the rust.
4. Spray a little FluidFilm into places you can’t get a rag in to polish. Use a clean rag to wipe off and excess and wipe it all nice and dry.
5. Apply your favorite car wax. Wipe on a thin layer to all exposed surfaces.
6. Let the wax dry. (If you do a full plate kit, the first piece should be dry well before you finish applying the wax to the rest of the parts.)
7. With a new clean cloth, buff the wax down to a nice shine.
8. Optional: repeat steps 5-7 to get another layer or two of wax on the surface.
9. Store in a clean, dry place. I use a big Husky Roller Box with a bunch of big bags of desiccant inside.

That’s it. After each use, wipe your armor clean before storing. If you’re out in the rain and can’t get the armor clean and dry, then use FluidFilm and do a thorough cleaning as soon as you can.

You can re-apply the wax as often as you see the need, but at this point, I think a coat every 6 months should suffice if you’re good about regular cleaning and storage.

How do YOU prevent or treat rust on your armor? Please comment or use the contact form. I’d love to know!