can i get bone wet?

M

Mountain-Aire

Joined
Apr 17, 2010
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Bone as in case knives, can they be washed with soap and water? Also is bone durable or do you need to be careful with it? thanks
 
I have several bone handled knives, but no Cases. In my experience, bone is a sturdy handle material and would certainly not be damaged by washing with soap and water. I had a bone handled Queen fixed blade fishing knife that was constantly wet and slimy with fish parts. Lasted until it disappeared. Lost, misplaced, or stolen - who knows?
 
Bone can be washed. The safest thing is to simply wipe them down with a damp cloth but, if they're really dirty, they can be gently washed with soap & water. Don't soak or immerse them under water, keep it flowing. After cleaning, just make sure to keep the handles sufficiently oiled/conditioned/waxed/etc., so that over the long term, they won't overdry and crack. If the scales are properly conditioned, that'll help to keep the scales from collecting too much dirt in the first place.

After I've washed them, I've been in the habit of rinsing my knives with water that's fairly warm (almost hot to the touch, but not too hot). The water will warm the internals of the knife, which, after wiping down, will allow most of the residual moisture to evaporate off fairly quickly. This helps to minimize any lingering of moisture in the joints and under the scales.
 
Yes, they can be washed with soap and water. Take special care not to beat the scales with a hammer, as they can crack, chip or break if abused sufficiently. Expected service life for bone scales is a hundred years or so in normal use. They do wear, getting smoother with handling, but it is a gradual thing that you probably won't notice until you compare the one you've been carrying for thirty years to a new one.
 
Bone as in stag type bone will shrink over time. I generally wipe mine down with food grade mineral oil. Hopefully it will slow the shrinking process down.
But the shrinking usually takes years.
 
getting bone wet then experiencing shrinkage...there are some jokes in here somewhere.

Water should be far less of a concern than the acids produced by your hands, and whatever detergents you may use. That said, I have seen some bone handled knives my grandfather carried and abused for 30+ years that appear to be OK but worn.
 
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