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EDC folder maintenance
- Thread starter BasserJim
- Start date
I put a sharpmaker on my Christmas list along with my benchmade 665 apb and Zero Tolerance ZT0900.
Any advice on what makes a good strop? Or a specific recommendation?
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,807
Why do you say a strop is unnecessary? Does regular stop use not wildly increase the longevity of a knife?
Strops load with metal particles and you can't really clean them. They round the edge. Stones can be cleaned and they don't yield, so they don't round the edge or burnish it. Stones are superior.
Cleaning and lubing? Usually pretty easy. A toothpick or Q-tip can get out a lot of crud. Soap and water and an old toothbrush can remove heavy dirt buildup and the grit that gets into the pivot. Rinse well and either shake out the excess water or blow it out with compressed air. Modern stainless folders really don't require lubrication but a tiny bit of oil can be used if the action feels rough. Traditional slipjoints can benefit from a little oil in the pivots and, if they're not stainless, wipe the blades lightly with an oily rag. Type of oil? Doesn't matter. Any light machine oil or gun oil does the job. I'm fine with 3-In-One, Ballistol, Break Free, Weapons Shield, Microil, etc., since those are all on the shelf nearby.
And be sure to buy a set of Torx wrenches that fit the pivot and grip screws. There are numerous brands...be sure to get a good set. I use the Gorilla Grip set that has all the common sizes and it has been reliable for me. I never recommend disassembling knives for regular cleaning but a set of wrenches is necessary for tightening the screws that sometimes come loose. You also might need to adjust the pivot in a new knife to suit your deployment method.
There are any number of tools and methods for sharpening. Pick one. Learn how to use it. Stick with it if it works for you. Everybody has a favorite and everybody who sticks with their procedure can get a good edge on their knives. I use stones (diamond and ceramic) and a strop. I frequently strop my knives. Works for me.
Enjoy.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2014
- Messages
- 2,930
I only wash my EDCs when they need it. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and full hot water. Then shake it dry followed by blow-dryer. Finally add a few drops of mineral oil to the pivot area and wipe down the blade with an oily q-tip then a dry cloth.
Disassembly is not really necessary.
After usage, I pass it over a strop for a few passes or a Sharpmaker for a dozen strokes as needed.
Disassembly is not really necessary.
After usage, I pass it over a strop for a few passes or a Sharpmaker for a dozen strokes as needed.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2014
- Messages
- 622
Stones will cut steel each time you use them though, no? I like a strop because it will fix the edge and put the edge back to where it was. The yield of a strop allows the edge to remain undiminished.
I like leather with green compound. I scrape off compound and reapply it when it gets too dark, but I have only done that once in two years of stropping. I strop my knives daily, both to repair any micro deformations and because it is therapeutic. If you don't use much pressure, you don't really have to worry about rounding your edge over.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 4,271
A Sharpmaker and a set of strops is what I use. The strops get most of the work because I don't do anything that really challenges an edge. Using loaded and bare strops allows me to straighten and repair an edge without removing much steel. I really like the balsa strops from HandAmerica. I load them with 3 micron and 1 micron diamond paste or spray. I finish up with a bare horse leather strop. Most of the time that's all my blades need.
High grit stones remove very little metal. Even daily touch ups would remove a minuscule amount. I've never seen a knife worn down from repeated daily touch ups on an ultra fine ceramic stone. In fact how many knives do we see on here that are used and sharpened enough to even be retired? Virtually none. Even if it were the case, knives are tools and eventually they will wear out.
I've been carrying a Bradley Alias every day for almost a decade now. It's seen a lot of use, including a lot of use, and exposure to all kinds of crud on construction sites. Even when I'm at home all day I still find myself using my Bradley at least a few times.
I can probably count on one hand how many times I've taken my Bradley apart. When it gets dust/crud in it I blow it out like a harmonica. I don't use lubricant, because lubricant collects and traps dust and grit.
Despite all this, my Bradley has no blade play, and I can't remember the last time I had to adjust the pivot. So I guess the bronze phosphorus washers haven't worn out yet. If they ever do, I'll replace them. A pair of bp washers costs less than a dollar.
When it needs sharpening I use a fine DMT Diasharp hone. And my blade shows no signs whatsoever of wearing out.
On the other hand, the lock shows a lot of wear from all the opening and closing over the years. I wish I could wear the blade out, because then I would really feel like I got every last bit of work out of that knife possible. But I'm sure the lock will wear out long before the blade.
Some people can get a bit anal about their knife maintenance. Like taking their knife apart for a thorough cleaning if they see the least bit of dust or lint in it. Or sharpening their knife after they cut anything. I'm not one of those people. But hey, to each their own.
Here's a recent pic of my Bradley. As you can see, plenty of life left in that blade. And it's never seen a strop.
I can probably count on one hand how many times I've taken my Bradley apart. When it gets dust/crud in it I blow it out like a harmonica. I don't use lubricant, because lubricant collects and traps dust and grit.
Despite all this, my Bradley has no blade play, and I can't remember the last time I had to adjust the pivot. So I guess the bronze phosphorus washers haven't worn out yet. If they ever do, I'll replace them. A pair of bp washers costs less than a dollar.
When it needs sharpening I use a fine DMT Diasharp hone. And my blade shows no signs whatsoever of wearing out.
On the other hand, the lock shows a lot of wear from all the opening and closing over the years. I wish I could wear the blade out, because then I would really feel like I got every last bit of work out of that knife possible. But I'm sure the lock will wear out long before the blade.
Some people can get a bit anal about their knife maintenance. Like taking their knife apart for a thorough cleaning if they see the least bit of dust or lint in it. Or sharpening their knife after they cut anything. I'm not one of those people. But hey, to each their own.
Here's a recent pic of my Bradley. As you can see, plenty of life left in that blade. And it's never seen a strop.
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2013
- Messages
- 226
Make yourself a strop, get a sharpmaker and if you want to be really cheap you can use cooking oils or even chapstick as a lube for your pivots. Compressed air is handy too...
I just got a Balsa strop & 1micron diamond spray from handamerican, gonna try it out today. When you first loaded your strop how many sprays did you use to apply the diamond spray?
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
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- 4,271
When the balsa wood was dry and unloaded, I used a little extra. I probably sprayed 3 or 4 locations on the strop and spread it with a rubber glove finger to try to get the coating pretty even while it was still wet. Then if I saw any spot that looked drier than other parts of the strop, I gave it a little extra squirt. This was on the first coating with a new strop. After that, it didn't take as much to maintain the diamond coating.
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,745
Instead of oil, I've been using a food grade grease in the pivots of my knives. its the kind of stuff they use on the bearings of big deli slicers.
I also live where its pretty hot and humid, so it works for me. some might consider that grit can get into the grease and actually increase wear, but I'm not that worried.
I also live where its pretty hot and humid, so it works for me. some might consider that grit can get into the grease and actually increase wear, but I'm not that worried.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2014
- Messages
- 24
I agree with this. My routine is strop lightly using the old home made strop and autosol. Never ever had a problem with rounding the edge. If has been used a fair bit I may go for a few light strokes on the CC4 with water. Mirror razor finish every time.
For dust and grime just open the blade and use cloth to get the dust/dirt out.
- Joined
- May 5, 2013
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- 3,618
I am not sure why you got nothing but "sharpening" answers, I don't see that question anywhere?!
As far as an EDC knife goes, taking it apart to clean it is rarely necessary, unless you get mud or some type of thick stuff into areas you can't reach otherwise.
The blade and handles can be washed with regular dish soap and warm water.
(If there is anything too sticky for the above to remove, use goo gone or a similar product)
Make sure to dry the knife well, blow out any water.
Use Q-tips to clean/dry hard to reach areas.
As far as lubrication goes, everyone has their favourite brand.
I recommend something thin and waxy so that it does not contribute to holding dirt around the pivot. I have had good success with BM Bluelube.
Application is easy, just drop a little bit into the pivot area, and allow it to flow through the pivot.
Open and close the knife quite a few times to work it through.
Let is settle/dry, and remove the excess with Q-tips.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2011
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- 27,473
If we're all gonna be honest, cleaning (other than wiping the blade down) and lubrication are generally unnecessary or very infrequently necessary. I've spent a fair amount of time unquestioningly breaking down my knives to clean and lubricate them and I finally stopped doing it to see if there was any performance difference. I honestly haven't noticed any. I recommend cleaning your knife if it is visibly very dirty, such as having food debris, pocket lint or mud and dirt stuck in it. Those things can potentially compromise the lock or increase wear on the pivot or blade if you get some abrasive particles in the wrong area. Even then, as others have said, soapy water and canned air do a pretty great job of cleaning and drying everything even without disassembly. As for lubrication, I honestly lube my knives about as often as I lube my door hinges and I essentially do it for the same reason. They've starting squeaking and I find it annoying. Regular lubrication is almost always only important on items that move very frequently and very fast, because then the friction builds heat which can damage all sorts of things that you don't want damaged.
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- Feb 2, 2005
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- 4,271
This is the path I've followed as well. Speaking just for me... I'm still OC and I still need a lot of therapy, but I don't get it by breaking down and cleaning / lubing my knives any more. And they still work just as well as they ever did.