Found rusty knife. Is there any value in it? Pictures. How should I clean rust?

First, please read this sticky. It's pinned to the top of the page with lots of capital letters for a reason.

As for how to clean it, I can only view the thumbnails unless I create an account there, which I have no intention of doing. Looks like nothing some steel wool and a new edge can't fix, though.
 
Random links to other forums asking questions that are against the rules? Um, no.
 
As far as the question - "Is there any value in it?", that question could be interpreted in a variety of ways. Like for example-

1. "Is it a good knife?"

2. "Is it a decent enough knife that it would be worth the time an effort to clean/fix it up?"

3. "What is the dollar value?"

It's hard to know exactly what the OP means unless he clarifies. Different people will phrase things in different ways. And if English is not his first language, that might add to the confusion.

My answer to questions 1 and 2 that I mentioned are- They look like the kind of very inexpensive set that one might get at Walmart. But not having inspected them, and not knowing the brand/maker, I can't say that for certain.

As far as whether they would make decent users, I think the only way to know for sure is to try using them for their desired tasks.

As for their condition, they don't look too bad. Some steel wool, or fine grit sandpaper, or rust removing solvent might work. But you want to be careful using any solvents as they might have a negative reaction on the handles.
 
I took the OP's question to mean he wondered if there was any value in keeping/using the knife- just like if I were to ask if there is any value in having rules interpreted by other members. Maybe people around here should lighten up a bit and leave the admonishment and moderating to the moderators? Gentle reminders are one thing, but quoting rules (when it isn't even your place) doesn't make for a welcoming environment.

The kit appears to be discount chain style. I've never heard of or seen anyone around here ever discussing Maxam knives? If they work for you though then you scored a great user for free.

Some steel wool or fine grit sandpaper should clean them up nicely.
 
Based on my knowledge and experience, Maxam is an inexpensive brand near the lower end of the scale. But that doesn't mean they are worthless or useless. Cheap knives can often be useful depending on the particular task. Many people on this forum have been very surprised by how useful a cheap knife proved to be.

I own a small Maxam lockback. I've had it since I was a teenager (long time ago). It's not a high-quality knife, but it's decent and I've put it to a lot of use. And it's still going strong.

A sharpened piece of steel with a handle attached can serve a variety of purposes, even if it's just popping/chopping weeds up out of your yard. And a knife doesn't have to be at the high end of the price/quality spectrum to do that.

Asking how much you can sell them for on Ebay is out of line here. That wasn't there the first time (edited post). I suggest you re-edit that part out of your post.
 
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wire brush, steel wool and oil.
get as much rust off as you can, oil the blade, sharpen it for your use.
it would take a lot of work to make it perfect and it isn't worth that, but wouldn't take that much work to clean it up to make it usable.
 
chris0827 said:
I took the OP's question to mean he wondered if there was any value in keeping/using the knife- just like if I were to ask if there is any value in having rules interpreted by other members. Maybe people around here should lighten up a bit and leave the admonishment and moderating to the moderators? Gentle reminders are one thing, but quoting rules (when it isn't even your place) doesn't make for a welcoming environment.

The kit appears to be discount chain style. I've never heard of or seen anyone around here ever discussing Maxam knives? If they work for you though then you scored a great user for free.

Some steel wool or fine grit sandpaper should clean them up nicely.
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I agree. I think his question about value was it it worth cleaning up.
 
"leave the moderating to the moderators"... Perfect response, Chris!
As far as responding to the OP - if they can be made to be sharp they have a use.. that being said, I wouldn't want them..
 
Makael said:
I agree. I think his question about value was it it worth cleaning up.
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OP has since edited/deleted his posts, but at the time of several of the comments (including mine), he was unequivocally asking how much he could sell it for.
 
Nap said:
OP has since edited/deleted his posts, but at the time of several of the comments (including mine), he was unequivocally asking how much he could sell it for.
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Besides what it says in the title, there was no mention of "value" in the original post. Nor was there any question regarding how much the OP might sell the items for in his original post. If there had been, I never would have posted in this thread. Only much later did the OP add a question about selling on Ebay, which I addressed in my second post, after the line was added (and later removed by the OP).

When Moderators see a thread started by a "registered" member who is clearly asking for the dollar value of a knife, they lock that thread (like a recent thread where a registered member asked for the dollar value of a Swiss Champion). But the moderators didn't lock this thread.

I believe that moderators have the ability to review posts in their original form, even after they have been edited. I certainly wouldn't waste their time asking them to review the OP's original post, especially since I assume they read it. I'm just mentioning that I believe it's possible for them to check, in case anyone actually wanted to make an issue out of it, which I don't.

As far as the quality of Maxam knives, I've been very happy with the edge-holding capabilities of mine, although it's only seen "light" use. Maybe I just got lucky with a good one (older model, made in Japan).
P1010058%20800x600_zpsavbbcfme.jpg
 
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As many here know, if not most, Gerber was once a top brand. Many of those quality knives are available on the secondary market. Even now "Gerber" includes some decent quality knives.

Maxam is near, or defines, the bottom of quality. Within the inconsistent range of their heat treatment might Maxam brand an individual knife that holds an edge ? Sure. Even a blind squirrel etc.
 
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