Best way to keep a knife SPOTLESS

[DPRMUSKETCUTTER]

I was wondering what the best way to keep a knife 100% spotless is? I have a dupe of a knife that i carry often that id like to keep unused and completely flawless for as long as i can, whats the best way to do that? I live in upstate ny so i see all kinds of weather and humidity. Thanks a lot!

 

[norcalAF]

Desiccant pack and vacuum seal after some clp

 

[norcalAF]

Submerged in a coffee can of motor oil

 

[JBoone]

Desiccant pack and vacuum seal after some clp

I think NorCal is thinking big. Assuming the bag doesn’t degrade, and come to think of it even if it does, his combined methods should out last a human life .

His first suggestion is probably sufficient without the motor oil.

However, should you want to get even more extreme, I think the bag in the oil needs to go in a clay pot and then be buried in a desert environment.

 

[norcalAF]

I think NorCal is thinking big. Assuming the bag doesn’t degrade, and come to think of it even if it does, his combined methods should out last a human life .

His first suggestion is probably sufficient without the motor oil.

However, should you want to get even more extreme, I think the bag in the oil needs to go in a clay pot and then be buried in a desert environment.

There is always cosmoline and then sealing it in a PVC tube

 

[JBoone]

I am sure there is still 100+ year old army surplus small arms entombed in that stuff. Assuming you can get it all off () I am sure that you would find no rust.

No air no rust

 

[RokJok]

Desiccant pack and vacuum seal after some clp

Yup, a very good start. Then place in an airtight metal ammo can, padding it well with more dessicant packs, to protect the plastic vacuum bag from abrasion or puncture.

Then put the ammo can in your concrete underground survival bunker.

 

[Ilikesharpstuff]

I've lived in multiple states in even more apartments and houses and never had an issue with my belongings, knives, guns, tools, etc. rusting or otherwise tarnishing while just sitting around. Realistically, wipe it with a light coat of oil and store it somewhere safe. If that somehow doesn't satisfy your desire for protection, there are plenty of great suggestions above on how to go above and beyond.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Short of the bag sealed method, I recommend a wax polish rather than oil. It'll retain a hard and unbroken film on the surface better long term than oil will. But for sure, vacuum bagging it will do a fantastic job. You can also pop it in a VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) bag with a silica gel pouch and you'll get a similar effect. VCI bags have a chemical in the plastic that will slowly leach out of it to form an inert anti-oxidative atmosphere inside the bag. They're usually either blue or yellow to indicate their protective nature.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I lived in central Texas for 20 years and collected the vast majority of my 200+ knives while living there. The climate there could vary widely between extremely muggy & rainy to pretty arid. My knives that weren't stainless were kept in NEW, CLEAN Zip-Loc bags rolled to force out most of the air and then sealed tightly. I also made absolutely sure the knives were as clean & dry as they could be before sealing them in the Zip-Locs. If I handled them at all, I'd wipe them down with some Windex to remove any finger oils/prints from the blades, after which I'd seal them back in the bags. I never had any issues with rust, keeping them that way.

 

[Wowbagger]

knife that i carry often that id like to keep unused

?

 

[eveled]

If you have a nice knife you want to use, but are afraid to.

Take it outside, wear white cotton gloves. Coat it with oil or wax, Hold it firmly in your hand. Then skip it across a parking lot.

Once it is scratched, then the true joy of ownership begins.

Seriously just use if with reckless abandon. It’s a tool not jewelry.

 

[Gottagofishn]

If you don’t use it you will get old and die, then your children will sell it at your estate sale for $3.00. Use it!

 

[spict]

If you don’t use it you will get old and die, then your children will sell it at your estate sale for $3.00. Use it!

I kind of agree with the sentiment. Buy two, use one. Or some such.

 

[Wasty]

If you carry it, and don't use it, it'll be still worn down, slowly and imperceptibly.
Lint, dust , humidity and other stuff in your pocket will slowly rub it down, atom by atom...

If it's something that you carry as a token or it has an emotional value, but not a tool, give it a good clean, enclose it in resin and give the resin a polish now and then.

But get yourself a knife that you enjoy working with and you will be very happy, even when it looks well used. But the memories you make with this tool are worth every chip or blemish.

 

[eveled]

Its hard for some to appreciate an old worn knife. But when you made it that way from normal use, there is nothing better.

 

[abrasivetools]

degrease with a clean solvent (alcohol...) and cover with a thin layer of oil. A thick layer will retain moisture.
Do not touch the blade with your fingers, as fingerprints will cause corrosion

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I think the most recent responses have misunderstood the OP. By a "dupe" of a knife I believe he means a duplicate, as in a duplicate of his main carry knife as a backup, and he wants to keep it protected in storage. His main user IS being used and it's the duplicate in storage that he's trying to protect and preserve.

 

[abrasivetools]

I think the most recent responses have misunderstood the OP. By a "dupe" of a knife I believe he means a duplicate, as in a duplicate of his main carry knife as a backup, and he wants to keep it protected in storage. His main user IS being used and it's the duplicate in storage that he's trying to protect and preserve.

It does not matter
dry place, thin layer of oil and do not touch
blades do not lose weight for years
tested on sartorius laboratory scales

 

[Danke42]

Maybe nothing, maybe something.

Tell us what the knife brand/model is and confirm the blade steel.