Cleaning and storage challenge (Pic heavy)

[heday60]

Before my dad passed away he gave me his collection of Case knives. Included in this collection were two that have tremendous value, only because of their sentimental significance. Dad had worked in the eastern Kentucky coal mines for over 40 years. He carried these knives and used them in his work for a long time.

He decided to stop carrying this one, as he'd lost a twin to it in one of the mines and replaced it with a folding hunter

The issue I'm running into is a build up of coal dust. I've blasted them both with compressed air, as well as WD-40, tried tooth picks and cotton swabs, but the stuff is packed in deep, and is proving very stubborn to remove. If I open the blade on the hunter I can hear it grinding as I swivel the blades. The coal is deep in the spring area and is embedded hard, but I couldn't get a picture of it, my camera isn't good enough to get the detailed shots I needed to illustrate it. You can see some of the issue in these shots.

And the center of this one shows a bit of the embedded coal particles.

Any advice on how to preserve these wonderful memories would be highly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[wilsonj1018]

Try some lighter fluid and toothpicks, qtips with the tips torn off, kerosene, denatured alcohol etc. lots of things you can try, those are about the best cleaners I can think for this situation really. You could always try Coca Cola soak its worked for some very cruddy old bokers I've picked up at flea markets.
As a last resort you can always send them in to case or a knife restoration service.

 

[Davor]

I would leave them as they are. It has the same coal and dirt your dad worked with. It gives the knives character.

 

[BBuser]

Like Davor said, I'd think twice about it. It's your dad's knives and the coal aspect was part of his life. Hat's off to him.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

An ultrasonic cleaner will remove most of it. Much of what you have pictured looks like corrosion, though.

 

[blanex1]

sentimental value,i would just leave them as is,they will always be your dads knifes.

 

[heday60]

Very true they will always be my dad's knifes, and his love of Case knives shaped my love of knives. I remember him using the yellow bone handled one to skin squirrel and rabbits after our hunting trip, as well as scaling fish. Lots of great memories and while coal was very much a huge part of his life, as well as mine growing up, coal dust is also what ultimately led to his death. Black lung disease is very devastating among miners and my main concern is that I don't want to the impacted coal to cause the slow decay of these knives, my main goal is a way to insure they are around to be passed down to my grandson as a lasting memory of my father. When I opened them to show them to him, the gritty grinding of the coal dust and then seeing the pitting on the hunter's blade I became concerned, and just want to preserve them.

Sorry for rambling on a bit there, but I really honestly don't know the best way to display and preserve his nice collection of knives.

 

[JR88FAN]

I would leave them as they are. It has the same coal and dirt your dad worked with. It gives the knives character.

^^^This without a doubt.

A huge part of what makes these knives special is that they still show signs of the work that your Dad did with them.