how do you clean your knives

I usually just wash mine in Dawn soap and hot water.

Wipe it dry, and if it's a folder and I have time I blow it dry with a shop fan.

Squirt of pivot lube and back in the pocket or drawer.
 
BJ987 said:
What kind of soup? And should I turn it midway thru drying in the toaster oven??
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Well, yes on Steel like M4 that will rust inside the pivot if left wet... I get it hot enough just to evaporate any water in the pivot... then oil...

Most of my knives are not stainless, M4, V4, K390 and are prone to rust quickly...
 
If I'm going to cut up something to eat, I'll clean the knife with Dawn and hot water first. After done cutting food, wash the same way, then shake it off and dry with a towel.

I keep a pickle jar filled with a mix of 50-50 mineral oil and kerosene for lubricating sharpening stones, and I'll generally dip a non-stainless folder into that, then work the oil into the pivot and shake off the excess before putting it back into my pocket (the kerosene dissolves any gum/glue from tape).
 
BJ987 said:
This is actually a very good point. I mostly do the alcohol wipe thing when I'm out and about because I always have those wipes in my car or bag. I also suppose I'm hesitant to wash my blades with soap and water because I feel like I'd get it all in the action parts and screw it up (forgot to mention I'm speaking exclusively about folders).

Would you just add oil to non-stainless blades and not worry about it for stainless and/or coated blades? I'm asking particularly because I kinda 'discolored' the DLC on one of my blades from all the alcohol wiping and I'm trying to 'restore' it with oil.
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Use oil where you want to, on stainless or otherwise. No harm in that. I can see it could help darken the DLC again, at least temporarily. I have one knife (Kershaw/ZT) with a black DLC-coated blade that did also lighten up after some cleanings with Windex and/or alcohol. I suspect when they're new, there's some kind of film on the DLC, at least from some makers, which gets removed with use and/or cleaning over time and lightens the color.
 
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Soap and water on all of them, including the axes and machetes I use in the woods.
On the blades for use in the jungle, regardless of the steel, a generous layer of WD-40.
On those that will remain unused for longer periods of time and on carving knives, I apply a layer of a homemade mixture of mineral oil and beeswax, in a 1/2 ratio (1 measure of mineral oil, to 2 measures of beeswax), to make it more pasty.
 
KenCaz said:
Well, yes on Steel like M4 that will rust inside the pivot if left wet... I get it hot enough just to evaporate any water in the pivot... then oil...

Most of my knives are not stainless, M4, V4, K390 and are prone to rust quickly...
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I'm sorry. I misread your post and genuinely thought you were joking.
 
Soap and water when needed. Then sewing machine oil, gun oil, clipper oil, mineral oil. Even 3-in-1 works but it smells up the house.

Can I make a suggestion if you're really a germophobe? Maybe a UV light? Personally I think it's more healthy to be exposed to bugs, but anyway I think UV light is probably safer on most materials than alcohol.
 
chalby said:
I wonder if you would feel the same way if every food production business had that attitude. What could go wrong
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Do you really think cooks clean their knives beyond wiping them down with a dirty rag? Bet you also think that when they drop food on the floor they don't just put it back on the plate and call it good.

(Unless they cut raw meat. Then they give it a quick rinse in the sink - maybe.)
 
jayjaygee said:
Can I make a suggestion if you're really a germophobe? Maybe a UV light? Personally I think it's more healthy to be exposed to bugs, but anyway I think UV light is probably safer on most materials than alcohol.
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Traditional near UVC germicidal lamps that are strong enough to kill germs are not safe for human eyes and skin. Use far UVC 222nm lamps instead.

"Conventional UVC germicidal lamps are effective at eliminating harmful pathogens in the air, in water, and on surfaces, although they cannot be used in occupied spaces due to potential health hazards. Standard 254 nm UVC germicidal lamps are known to be dangerous to human skin and eyes, making it important that those UV germicidal systems be closed systems with protection mechanisms. People should also wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when servicing or installing traditional UV disinfection systems.
Far UVC lamps, on the other hand, emit shorter wavelengths that significantly reduce the risk of human exposure, and some experts might even suggest that risk is reduced to zero. This allows for Far UVC light disinfection systems to run constantly without causing harm as opposed to traditional UVC lamps that can only operate in unoccupied spaces."
 
UV light is a great thing for disinfecting things that light can get to. I have used UV lighting to sanitize airflow in jail air handlers.
Light doesn't get inside a knife very well.
 
Kitchen knives. Hot water, brush, and an immediate drying. Meat being the last thing cut.

Most of my expensive pots and pans to include my knives for the kitchen, sit on a shelf, that's sitting by a glass sliding door. There's also houseplants on this shelf. Full sunlight. And I blow through Bar Keeper keeping my pots polished. Every knife has a see through blade cover. I don't do stains or dull knives. The cutting board is also on the shelf.

Pocket knives. Rubbing alcohol and a paper towel or some other rag. The hand sanitizer works too. If I have to heavy clean it. After cutting something gooey that gets in between the liners. Hot water rinse, blown out with air, wd40 and a tiny brush. More compressed air.
 
jayjaygee said:
Do you really think cooks clean their knives beyond wiping them down with a dirty rag? Bet you also think that when they drop food on the floor they don't just put it back on the plate and call it good.

(Unless they cut raw meat. Then they give it a quick rinse in the sink - maybe.)
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And if they dropped the food on the floor in front of you and threw it back on the plate, you would be perfectly happy to pay for the meal and eat it with no issue?
 
Another Shepherd said:
Traditional near UVC germicidal lamps that are strong enough to kill germs are not safe for human eyes and skin.
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They have these little UV disinfection boxes that you can put small things in (like your phone, or your keys, or a pocket knife) and then you close the box. Whatever you placed inside of the box is then bathed in UV light, and the light is unable to leak out so it won't cause damage to the eyes and skin of anyone standing nearby.

I started noticing these things gain popularity during the pandemic. Reportedly they do work, but the problem was that there were supposedly a lot of fakes being sold which didn't actually do anything.

Of course the other problem you would have is the light not being able to penetrate all the nooks and crannies of complex objects with moving parts.
 
I wipe my D2 down with a wet rag and just dry it off. I've used it on plenty of food and I live in a humid environment, it has yet to rust.
 
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