Cleaning tips for your knives.

T. Erdelyi

T. Erdelyi

Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
32,359
These are old motorcycle cleaning and polishing tips that work very well on knives, (I would save these tips for your users).

Use cotton string with polishing compound/car wax to polish and clean around pivots spacers thumb studs ect, any irregular shape.

Pipe cleaners are your friends, they're soft and hold their shape for gettin' to those hard to reach places.

A soft bristle toothbrush and a can of compressed air, (like the kind ya get in the electronics store).

Always remember, when ya change polish or cleaner always use a different lint frree cleaning cloth than the one you buff with, that one should always be clean.

Mostly anything you use for detailin' a bike or car will work with your knife.

Anyone got any other tips?
 
Disposable masscarra brushes are very useful. They have soft bristles and you can bend the tip if you need to.

I like your technique using the String and polishing compound, I'll have to try it.
Ric
 
I'm not sure I'd recommend this as a general purpose cleaning method but my Spyderco Calypso Jnr went through the washing and drying machines once.

Didn't hurt it in the slightest and came out cleaner than new. Few drops of lubricant here and there and we're good to go.

:)




.
 
I cut a small square piece of cardboard to clean out the inside housing of my knives. It is good for removing dust and lint. In "renewing" a newly acquired older knife inside the blade housing area, I use a little flitz on the cardboard corner. It is a good way to clean rust out of the inside spring piece area and polish it. I made sure I ran a clean cloth and some canned air afterward, followed with some light oil of course. Labor of love....
CJ
 
gajinoz,

I've tried your method several times, but it is not worth the grief i get from my wife:D.

I taught my 10 year old how to carefully clean tape adhesive off a knife blade with 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Ric
 
Phydeaux said:
gajinoz,

I've tried your method several times, but it is not worth the grief i get from my wife:D.

I taught my 10 year old how to carefully clean tape adhesive off a knife blade with 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Ric
Click to expand...

A great thing for getting sticky gunk like that off things is eucalyptus oil. It's also useful as a disinfectant and a bunch of other things as well. Easy enough to get in Oz, not sure about your part of the world.

http://www.tec.org.au/safersolutions/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=133





.
 
As long as there is no plastic on the knife, I like to use motorcycle chain degreaser or if really gunked up, carburetor cleaner! DO NOT USE IF THERE IS ANY PLASTIC!!!

Another trick I use is to put the knives into the tank I use for cleaning eye glasses or jewelery. It's just a small plastic tank that sits on a battery powered vibrating base. I use dishwashing liquid soap and warm water for the easy stuff, and alcohol for the dirtier jobs.

After the baths, I use my wife's hair dryer to completely dry the knives, then re-lube them well.

Stitchawl
 
I use paper matches (stole this ideal from the traditional forum a while back, from the story writer over there jackknife.) just tear the match out and use the torn end to mop the dust out and then dip the end in a little oil and viola nice and clean.
 
Zippo lighter fluid works well at removing tree sap, tar, tape, residue, ect. from blades quite easily. Also works well at getting the sap off your hands.

Rem Oil is your friend.

Dremel is your other friend.
 
WD 40 is very handy. It WON'T gum up, or hurt your knives. It is a great cleaner, solvent, and water displacer. Use a heavier oil for lubrication and rust protection.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top