Best solvent for cleaning knives?

A

ABN

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Nov 28, 2003
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For years, I have been using Hoppe's No. 9 gun solvent to clean both firearms and knives. However, I have heard this solvent is very bad for nickel-plated guns. Does the same hold true for nickel silver bolsters on knives?

If so, can anyone suggest a good solvent or oil to clean and protect knives? Ideally, it would be something that would not harm natural materials like wood and stag, and not be absorbed by micarta, etc.

Any suggestions by the resident experts here would be greatly appreciated. :)

Happy Thanksgiving, -Alex
 
Just use a good metal polish on the blade, bolsters, tang etc. Use a tuf-cloth afterwards if rust is a concern. I never do anything but wash off G-10 or micarta with soap and water, and I don't have any stag handles but I've heard that Renaissance Wax is the best thing out there for all parts of the knife.
 
Plain old mineral oil bought at any pharmacy, it's safe on bone and stag handles, and it's also a great lubricant for knives.

Almost all these other fancy oils are just mineral oil with different chemicals added.
 
indeed, i use medecinal grade alcohol to degrease (pharmacy) , and then protect it with a very thin layer of mineral oil (pharmacy), this oil is neutral and won't stain or attack any steel or finish? This is the same thing people use thru out the world to clean and protect their vintage Japanese swords with, so u can't go bad with these one. Don't drink the oil, it is non toxic but is used as a laxative though, that's why the japanese added a scent to their pure mineral oil (choji) so the housewife would not use it for cooking! :D
 
loki88 said:
indeed, i use medecinal grade alcohol to degrease (pharmacy) , and then protect it with a very thin layer of mineral oil (pharmacy), this oil is neutral and won't stain or attack any steel or finish? This is the same thing people use thru out the world to clean and protect their vintage Japanese swords with, so u can't go bad with these one. Don't drink the oil, it is non toxic but is used as a laxative though, that's why the japanese added a scent to their pure mineral oil (choji) so the housewife would not use it for cooking! :D
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That's right, those expensive scented oils sold for Samurai swords are nothing more than plain old mineral oil with scent added. It's the only oil I use on my Elk and Stag custom Buck 110's and it has never stained or hrut them.
 
so you guys recommend plain ol' mineral oil vs something like tuf cloth to prevent rust?
 
One more vote for WD-40 here. Cures about everything. For greasing pivots, I use TSL; just about the slickest stuff on earth.
 
i would recommend the mineral oil for long term preservation or everyday use, if u want to go rough and tough with your blade i would suggest a high tech lubricant that forms an almost "molecular bond" with the surface, like tuff cloth, but with the added danger of affecting the surface. The mineral oil just covers the bare steel with a inert layer, so no aggressive particles or oxigen can reach the blade. This means it great for daily and light use, and preservation, but dust particles and sand could get trapped in the oil layer. If u are going to use it in adverse conditions like hiking, camping or military operations i would suggest tuff cloth and militec 1. It is very simple , mineral oil for your collector or long term storage blades, militec or tuffcloth for EDC.
 
The Last Confederate said:
That's right, those expensive scented oils sold for Samurai swords are nothing more than plain old mineral oil with scent added. It's the only oil I use on my Elk and Stag custom Buck 110's and it has never stained or hrut them.
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Ah so, puhaps is onry minelal orrra, but velly spesha minelal orrra!

Scent come flom Passion frowa which broom onry at midnight in Feblually duling foo moon. Masta gatha scent by taking deep bleth an hohding bleth til dawn (he tlain spesha fo years to do), then bleethe back into pot of minelal orrra.

Not good use otha kind minelal orrra. Possibry DAMAGE brade.

Best to use onry OFFISHA scented minelal orrra on varyuabba brades.

;) :D
 
I don't hear about it much here, but I love Flitz, especially for stainless of any kind. Any time I've gotten any rust on a stainless blade, I use a Flitz and clean the whole blade. After that, it seems that I never have a rust problem again.
 
madfast said:
so you guys recommend plain ol' mineral oil vs something like tuf cloth to prevent rust?
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Yes, I do. It's the only oil I use, and I have less problems with rust that I did using Rem-Oil.
 
Lavan said:
Ah so, puhaps is onry minelal orrra, but velly spesha minelal orrra!

Scent come flom Passion frowa which broom onry at midnight in Feblually duling foo moon. Masta gatha scent by taking deep bleth an hohding bleth til dawn (he tlain spesha fo years to do), then bleethe back into pot of minelal orrra.

Not good use otha kind minelal orrra. Possibry DAMAGE brade.

Best to use onry OFFISHA scented minelal orrra on varyuabba brades.

;) :D
Click to expand...

Was there a point to this, or are you normally this much of a dumb***?
 
ABN said:
For years, I have been using Hoppe's No. 9 gun solvent to clean both firearms and knives. However, I have heard this solvent is very bad for nickel-plated guns. Does the same hold true for nickel silver bolsters on knives?
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Nickle plate is applied over copper plate with firearms. I imagine it is the same way with knives. No.9 is a copper solvent. It dissolves copper. It can get under the nickle through scratches and cause milkiness or flaking due the copper being ate away.
 
The best stuff for getting gunk of a blade is Zippo fluid. Box tape, glue of any kind, all that random goop, none of it stands up to Zippo fluid.
To polish, here is another vote for flitz.
 
on anything that doesnt have a natural handle material, I use dish soap and hot water w/ a toothbrush. On knives with natural handle materials I use either ballistol or camellia flower oil (mineral oil with a small amount of camellia oil) and a soft rag.

Edit: oh yeah, protection and stuff. On stainless steel I'll either just leave the blade alone after cleaning or do a quick polish with simichrome/flitz/similar. Carbon steel just gets a light coat of one of the two aformentioned oils.

Nickel silver bolsters shouldnt be a problem, because it isn't a plating, it's a solid alloy of copper nickel and zinc, so there shouldn't be any flaking or other severe damage, I'd still be careful if this was an old collectible though.
 
WD-40 is okay for use on knives, but NOT for use in items with actions.

Actions such as firearms, or even locks for that matter. It (WD-40) attracts and holds dirt, dust, etc.
 
Polish???? I never thought of it. Why? I mean that as a serious question, I am not trying to be a wise ass.

I use break parts cleaner spray, then follow up with a Tuff Cloth and Break Free on the pivot. For getting gunk off the blade I use nail polish remover or WD-40.
 
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