Beginner resources on knife/dagger maintenance/care and sharpening?

IcyNoxx

IcyNoxx

Hard dance enjoyer
Joined
May 14, 2024
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Is there a particular thread(s) on this site or external resources you all would recommend on these topics aimed at a total beginner?
 
There are a lot of pinned threads at the top of this sub forum. But in terms of care it depends on the materials, like carbon or stainless blade and what handle material.
 
You can find many helpful information here and on other sites. Watching videos about how to sharpen a knife properly on YouTube might be helpful, too.
You are not the first newbie to be confronted with that question. The Bladeforums can give you all the help you need. Don't hesitate to ask.

There are many ways how to sharpen / maintain a knife. How are you going to sharpen? Do you have stones or sharpeners already? What kind of result do you want to achive? A good working edge? A hair-popping, mirror-polished bevel?
Everybody might have a different understanding about sharpness. It would be helpful if you could give some mire information.
 
Drop bear said:
You are here now. May as well ask the questions.
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Ok most basic one: how often should I oil my daggers, and what is the technique? I keep them on a magnetized wooden block thing in my a/c-ed room. Also have a dehumidifier in there.

I bought some mineral oil for this purpose but if I need something more specialized I'm all ears.

Are there any other things I need to consider to ensure they stay in peak condition (like how to care for the handle and scabbard)? That's my most immediate concern, I can take my time with learning how to use a whetstone I figure.
 
IcyNoxx said:
Ok most basic one: how often should I oil my daggers, and what is the technique? I keep them on a magnetized wooden block thing in my a/c-ed room. Also have a dehumidifier in there.

I bought some mineral oil for this purpose but if I need something more specialized I'm all ears.

Are there any other things I need to consider to ensure they stay in peak condition (like how to care for the handle and scabbard)? That's my most immediate concern, I can take my time with learning how to use a whetstone I figure.
Click to expand...

If they are daggers and you don't care about cutting food with them. I would use wd40 silicon spray. Which is of course a bit poisonous.

Leather is looked after with leather products. I like neutral dubbin. And wood is looked after with wax. Which is basically what dubbin is.

Handle will get a bit slippery for a bit though.

The technique is oil and a bit of cloth.
 
If not for food, and we are talking just display items, they make silicon impregnated cloths for firearms. Wipe off any fingerprints any time you handle it.

Super easy, no mess little to no smell.
 
IcyNoxx said:
Ok most basic one: how often should I oil my daggers, and what is the technique? I keep them on a magnetized wooden block thing in my a/c-ed room. Also have a dehumidifier in there.

I bought some mineral oil for this purpose but if I need something more specialized I'm all ears.

Are there any other things I need to consider to ensure they stay in peak condition (like how to care for the handle and scabbard)? That's my most immediate concern, I can take my time with learning how to use a whetstone I figure.
Click to expand...

It depends on what steel they are made of. If they're not some type of stainless or highly corrosion resistant steel and you use them to cut something damp or moist, then clean and oil them afterwards to protect them from rusting.

Since you're being insistent about keeping them in "peak condition", I assume this means that you don't want a patina forming? A patina isn't going to hurt the knife, and many people actually prefer to force a patina to form on purpose (mustard works well for this if you want to create a cool looking pattern, but you can use other things such as vinegar) or by cutting food to form a more natural looking patina. The patina offers a little bit of protection and many people enjoy the way that it looks.

But of course this doesn't apply if the daggers are stainless. You don't need to worry about it and you can't form a patina on them anyways. The only time I've ever seen stainless rust is from really bad neglect in terrible conditions.

As far as the handles go, are they wood? If so, then you do need to oil them periodically to keep them from drying out.
 
Wicked Wax, recommended and used by Winkler knives, is a great all in one product I use for wood, metal, synthetic materials, etc.
 
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