folders in a sandy environment

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
Been carrying my saks alot lately. My buddy was talking to me about taking his sailboat to a private island for a little campout..sounds like fun but I started to imagine how horrible it would be to get sand inside the workings of a folder...anybody ever experience this??? How would you clean it out? any tips to avoid it other than be careful? Thanks.
 
Usually, I just run mine under a faucet and dry it out as best as I can afterwards. A pretty good trick is using an air jet nozzle on an air compressor to really blow the grit out. Q tips work great if you are headed somewhere without the other two.
 
An old toothbrush works great with soap and water. I cut down old paint brushes for cleaning too. +1 on compressed air, but watch your eyes.

Take a mora :thumbup::thumbup:
 
i have taken an SAK through alot of different environs, and i must say that they are powerful little guys. i wouldn't worry too much about sand, as long as you aren't rubbing your knife around in it. i once was digging out a ditch in a few layers of soil to lay down some plumbing, and we went through clay and that loose sandy soil. my other knife i had on me got all seized up and didn't want to work, but the SAK did just fine. i did get in the habit though before that to blow on the joint before i opened the knife up, to get rid of the gritts from my pockets.
 
Spray them with Ronstan Sailfast, a silicon spray designed for lubricating yacht fittings. The stuff works absolute miracles on metals exposed to salty and sandy environments. If your mate's a sailor he'll probably have some - if not, you can get it from any decent sailing shop.
 
Also, make sure when opened that the blade is fully engaged (lock or no lock) so it is less likely to close on your fingers. A grain or two behind the pivot can keep it from fully opening.
 
I use Q-tips for the big greasy stuff. To blow out the inside, i use that compressed air in a can, the kind you use on your keyboard (just because i have it laying around). The straw on the nozzle gets right in there. Then i oil everything lightly.
 
We go camping out at Assatique Island National Seashore alot in the warm months. They have back country campsites that are acsessable only by canoe or kayak, so we are camping in a very sandy envronment. On those trips I carry my folder in a nylon belt pouch with a velcro sealed flap. Keeps it nice and clean.

If a little sand does get into a sak, just rinse it our with a little water from a canteen. It may crunch a little, but it won't hurt things. Just rinse it out well when you get home.:thumbup:
 
i had a crkt m21 which went with me in alot of different environments. it did come into contact with alot of sand. while out in the field a good rinsing in water followed by some quick lubrication seemed to keep it working in good order (sometimes out for 7 days).

if you're worried about your saks take a mora like mentioned above. fixed blade, no moving parts, no problems :)

you can get small canisters of compressed air that fit into your pocket at computer stores. they're fairly handy to have and dont cost too much.

cheers :)
 
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