edc knife...how often to take apart and clean?

[yablanowitz]

Simple Green leaves a residue that does not rinse off, it has to be scrubbed off. Trust me on this one, the place I work buys it in 44 gallon drums. I've used it a lot. Inside a pocket knife is not a good place for it.

 

[C_Kyle]

Simple Green leaves a residue that does not rinse off, it has to be scrubbed off. Trust me on this one, the place I work buys it in 44 gallon drums. I've used it a lot. Inside a pocket knife is not a good place for it.

I use Simple Green to clean old DE razors that I shave with. Once a week, I soak the razor for an hour, then rinse it off with water. It's always come out like brand new. I've never seen a residue; but, a DE razor has very few flat smooth surfaces, where you might be able to see a residue.

 

[neeman]

Never use Brasso on a knife!
It is too abrasive, and it is very difficult to remove the residue.

Use Simichrome, Flitz, NeverDull.

The list of cleaners are not availiable here.
Any other suggestions?

How abrasive is Brasso?
I have been using it on my slippjoints
I use a damp piece of cotton wool and it cleans the brass and nickle very well.
Will it damage the knives?

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

The list of cleaners are not availiable here.
Any other suggestions?

How abrasive is Brasso?
I have been using it on my slippjoints
I use a damp piece of cotton wool and it cleans the brass and nickle very well.
Will it damage the knives?

You could try tooth paste if nothing else.

I will run a gritty knife under some hot water and work the blade open and closed. Then shake it out as best as you can and if it is stainless let it dry on its own or if you have compressed air blow it out. If you want to get the water out blast it with some Water Displacer (WD40) and shake it out. Dry it with a rag and then apply your favorite lube to any moving parts.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I work on a lot of knives that have been Brassoed over the years. Brasso gets into the joints. When it dries it leaves a thick white residue that is very obvious. Toothpaste is even worse. Use a quality polish like Simichrome or NeverDull.

 

[neeman]

Bill,

Is Brasso abrasive enough to take the polish finish of a blade?

 

[elkins45]

brake cleaner or simple green ,,both degreasers

some q tips

then some mineral oil

good too go ,,

Simple Green is really the only choice if you're going to be doing this indoors. As others have stated, brake cleaner is a pretty potent volatile organic solvent that you really don't want to breathe very much of...unless you enjoy being dizzy and seeing dead relatives.

I've only taken apart one of my knives to clean it, and that was just because I was bored. Every time you take one apart is a new opportunity to lose one of those tiny parts. I've never had a knife so dirty I needed to detail strip it, and that includes folders I've used to process deer.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Brasso won't hurt steel-until you get it into the liner joint. There, it will embed itself into the softer liners and abrade the blade tang.

 

[harkamus]

I used to think WD-40 also acted as a lubricant. If I use WD-40, do I still need to follow up with some oil? Don't have a can handy to see if it lubes.

 

[eccvets]

i second using brake fluid to flush everything out and then hitting it with some good oil.

Personally i just buy new knifes but thats just me.

 

[Daniel]

I used to think WD-40 also acted as a lubricant. If I use WD-40, do I still need to follow up with some oil? Don't have a can handy to see if it lubes.

WD-40 is not a lubricant. You need to get as much of it out as possible and then use a lubricant like Miltec, Tuf-Glide, Rem Oil, etc.

WD-40 is a great product for what it is designed to do-water displacement. It works great in getting rid of the crap and surface rust but it dries out.

 

[harkamus]

Alright. I'll have to get my hands on Rem Oil. Wonder if Mal-wart has it.

 

[Daniel]

Wally has it

 

[Harayasu]

The only knife of which I know how to take it apart and get it back is my EKA Swede 60. But I usually don't take my knives apart. For cleaning my pocket knives I usually use just water and then clean them with kitchen towel.

Most of my work knives have carbon steel blades. I clean those blades with water, a dishwashing liquid and a sponge with rough surface. In Dutch we call it a 'schuurspons', but I couldn't find the English word. For me this works fine.

 

[mrmaigo]

I used to now and then, mostly I just to take it apart, but I've switched to Breakfree CLP (clean lube protect)
Flush with CLP, do a quick wipe down, put it on a rag in the corner where it won't make a mess and let it sit, then wipe it off again. Only use a section of rag/papertowel once, it clogs really fast

 

[Bill DeShivs]

WD 40 is a fair lubricant, but it doesn't last long before you need to reapply.
Manual pocket knives do not require exotic lubricants.

 

[Sword and Shield]

I've never bothered to take apart the few knives I own that actually could be taken apart. Hot water and liquid soap work well to clean them out, then oil and use again.

WD40 in my experience makes problems worse because of the residue it leaves behind. On one of my slipjoints, it gunked up a blade to a point where it had no snap at all. More WD40 made it work for a while, then stop again. The one thing that worked was a thorough cleaning, then a light oiling- it now snaps cleanly.

 

[razorback1595]

I used to be someone who was obsessed with taking apart my knives, then i got a byrd cara cara
It just was a PITA to reassemble it with the lockback
Now i just take the knife apart if it really needs it and if i can't clean it with anything else

 

[Glytch5]

I find the need to clean out my pivots after an Edgepro sharpening session. Even with all the care and tape I can give the knife, I always "seem" to get swarfy water into the pivot somehow, or maybe just plain water not sure which. The idea of swarf in the pivot system really bothers me, and after a good edgepro sharpening, my blades do not move quite as smoothly.

If it is a knife I do not feel comfortable taking apart (Griptilian!) I simple take some warm soapy water in a shallow plastic pan thingy, and swish the pivot area back and fourth in the water until I work up some suds, then I dry out the knife with compressed air. I THEN take benchmade blue lube cleanser, and do the same exactly thing, blow it out with air a bit, then drip some Diawa oil in the pivot area. Cleans er right up. I can't recommend Benchmade Blue lube enough for flushing, magical stuff. It also removes magic marker and gunk from the blades very well.

Taking care of a knife is very easy if you have an air compressor : )

 

[Honed_Edge]

There are way too many variables for some "every 115 days" type answer. The real answer will probably be very irregular and circumstantial. Here are some things to consider.

1. We all use our knives differently. If you butcher an animal blood will get places requiring take down. If it's an office queen then it's compressed air and not torx drivers.
2. The design of the knife and lock. A Sage 2 can be 100% cleaned fully assembled. It's flow through and open as hell. A Benchmade Barrage has so many places for filth to hide a disassembly is probably necessary from time to time.
3. The complexity (or risk) of taking different knives apart. The Endura has the plastic nub that holds the spring, it can break if assembled incorrectly. The quality of hardware and how easily it strips... Some knives are harder to work on.
4. Where you live. Salt might require one to take knives down periodically to ensure rust is not taking over, depending on steel humidity would also have effects. Say you have a non ss steel and it's cold where you live. Going in and out causes lots of condensation deep in the knife.

Take it apart when it needs it. Try the duster and cleaners. If that's not cutting it, then get out the real tools. Go slow, take pictures and remember how tiny the screws are compared to your fingers or arm!