Best Cloth Fabric & Polish/Cleaner for Blades? Your thoughts please...

[HorseloverFat]

What do you recommend for wiping off fingerprints and dirt from knife blades? What do professional knife makers use? Also, please suggest the best cleaner and polish for blades...

 

[buckman110]

I use the dremel fabric pads with the no.421 polishing compound. It takes out light nicks and cleans very well. I also use the dremel on the lowest speed possible, otherwise you will get long swirls that are almost impossible to get out.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

For simple dirt & fingerprints, just a wipe with a Windex-moistened paper towel gets it done for me; that's how I clean my blades about 99% of the time. If used on a non-stainless blade, you might re-apply some light oil afterwards, if you think it needs it for keeping rust at bay.

For sticky stuff on blades, like glue, tree sap, tar, etc., some Goo-Gone handles that well. Could also use WD-40, lighter fluid, mineral spirits, etc. for those jobs.

For just polishing, Simichrome or Flitz should be fine, rubbed on and polished off with a soft cloth or microfiber towel.


David

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Professional knifemakers use paper towels, Kleenex, whatever is handy. WD 40 is an excellent cleaner.
Dremels are not good for cleaning or polishing blades as a rule. They can do more harm than good.
The gold standard knife polish is Simichrome. Polishes are only good on previously polished surfaces. They don't work very well on blasted or satin blades.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Professional knifemakers use paper towels, Kleenex, whatever is handy. WD 40 is an excellent cleaner.
Dremels are not good for cleaning or polishing blades as a rule. They can do more harm than good.
The gold standard knife polish is Simichrome. Polishes are only good on previously polished surfaces. They don't work very well on blasted or satin blades.

Well, this ruins my idea of polishing my Manix 2 as it happens to be a " satin " blade .

Thanks for the tips, Mr. DeShivs.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Well, this ruins my idea of polishing my Manix 2 as it happens to be a " satin " blade .

Thanks for the tips, Mr. DeShivs.

The metal polishes will still clean up oxidation or rust, by removing metal on a very fine scale. On a 'satin' blade, the finish would be made 'brighter', but still essentially satin, with the grind lines still visible. As implied though, they won't refine a coarse finish on a blade (such as satin) up to 'mirror' by themselves. In order to do that, the finish would need sanding in a tight sequence up through 2000+ grit (for 'mirror' or better), then following with the metal polish. It'll be somewhat more work on your Manix's S30V blade (assuming it's what you've got), as that steel is much more abrasion-resistant.


David