how do you clean your knives

Pretty much the same since I was a kid. Soap and warm water. Kitchen knives, pocket knives, slipjoints, IKBS and washers. I am not a fan of stripping a knife to clean it based on my own experience on drilling rigs and working in remote areas.

Victorinox Care Tips

Sometimes use an old baby bottle cleaner brush to get in deep. Apply some oil and good to go.
 
Depends on the blade and the contaminant. For my leatherman that gets tape-gummy, it's denatured alcohol prior to sharpening (actually it's 85% ethanol with bitrex added, read your MSDS and be sure) Kitchen knives get soap and water after meats, or similar. EDCs get the pant leg unless I've done some food cutting, and then it's generally a clean napkin. Since discovering ballistol, that's a good wipe down for carbon knives, and it's mildly antiseptic on it's own. But I generally don't go ham on cleaning blades. Steel is a bad surface for bacteria, so it's an unlikely point of contamination unless it's visibly dirty. I have to worry about other contaminants (allergens) so my knives stay away from stuff like that, because that can cause real harm that is not killed by time.
Processing game or other really messy tasks (my fillet knife gets a really good cleaning) have a need for some soap and water, but unless you are just about to do surgery, alcohol is not helping you much. The reason I bring this up is that even though I'm a fan of "if it makes you feel better" If you are missing an actual risk because you are looking in the wrong direction, feeling better doesn't matter. Most guys are not getting animal brain matter on their knife, but long term that's more dangerous than bacteria and needs real cleaning, not just an alcho-wipe, because those prions are not impacted by alcohol.
I also want to make it clear that when I'm looking at harmful contamination, I'm counting in the PPM for what's going to be bad for me, so I'm not just a "rub dirt in it" kind of guy, even a "clean" knife going back into the butter from your toast means that butter is yours. I've also done large scale group sanitation, food safety, and dealt with communicable diseases, so I'm also not just talking about what's good for me. It's a complex topic and overall, I think it's okay to be safe, but you need to know what your margins are so you aren't precious when you just need to get something done. But really, ten seconds in your pocket is more grime than cutting a properly cooked steak. So just know what you are doing and why and not just being scared.
 
gadgetgeek said:
Depends on the blade and the contaminant. For my leatherman that gets tape-gummy, it's denatured alcohol prior to sharpening (actually it's 85% ethanol with bitrex added, read your MSDS and be sure) Kitchen knives get soap and water after meats, or similar. EDCs get the pant leg unless I've done some food cutting, and then it's generally a clean napkin. Since discovering ballistol, that's a good wipe down for carbon knives, and it's mildly antiseptic on it's own. But I generally don't go ham on cleaning blades. Steel is a bad surface for bacteria, so it's an unlikely point of contamination unless it's visibly dirty. I have to worry about other contaminants (allergens) so my knives stay away from stuff like that, because that can cause real harm that is not killed by time.
Processing game or other really messy tasks (my fillet knife gets a really good cleaning) have a need for some soap and water, but unless you are just about to do surgery, alcohol is not helping you much. The reason I bring this up is that even though I'm a fan of "if it makes you feel better" If you are missing an actual risk because you are looking in the wrong direction, feeling better doesn't matter. Most guys are not getting animal brain matter on their knife, but long term that's more dangerous than bacteria and needs real cleaning, not just an alcho-wipe, because those prions are not impacted by alcohol.
I also want to make it clear that when I'm looking at harmful contamination, I'm counting in the PPM for what's going to be bad for me, so I'm not just a "rub dirt in it" kind of guy, even a "clean" knife going back into the butter from your toast means that butter is yours. I've also done large scale group sanitation, food safety, and dealt with communicable diseases, so I'm also not just talking about what's good for me. It's a complex topic and overall, I think it's okay to be safe, but you need to know what your margins are so you aren't precious when you just need to get something done. But really, ten seconds in your pocket is more grime than cutting a properly cooked steak. So just know what you are doing and why and not just being scared.
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Wow. Great points. I suppose I picked up most of my habit during the pan when I gave into the 'must sanitize everything' mindset. However, I have had OCD tendencies associated with cleaning as long as I can remember. With that being said, the most regular 'contaminant' I get on my blades is tape from opening packages. I also just like to keep all my blades visibly clean and in line with what you mentioned, knowing I removed (albeit partially) whatever matter particles that my blade picked up from the Amazon envelope I just sliced does make me feel better.
 
BJ987 said:
Wow. Great points. I suppose I picked up most of my habit during the pan when I gave into the 'must sanitize everything' mindset. However, I have had OCD tendencies associated with cleaning as long as I can remember. With that being said, the most regular 'contaminant' I get on my blades is tape from opening packages. I also just like to keep all my blades visibly clean and in line with what you mentioned, knowing I removed (albeit partially) whatever matter particles that my blade picked up from the Amazon envelope I just sliced does make me feel better.
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That's totally understandable. I think someone mentioned using 99.9%, and oddly the reason you normally see disinfecting alcohol around the 70% range is that if it's too high, it both flashes off too fast before everything dies, and it can harden the cell wall of some bacteria and so it doesn't kill them at all. Also, visibly clean is totally fine too, I just open too many boxes in a day now to really worry about the gunk until it'll be a risk to my stones. But as I said, I'm totally okay with people doing what makes them happy, but having read a lot of risk assessments that missed the point, I know that sometimes we all need to re-calibrate, myself included.
 
I wipe on pants or sleeve for EDC, if outdoors and need sterilization a pass through flames on the fire, for clearing out pocket fluff or gunge from a folder a cut down toothbrush while rinsing, pass through flame on gas cooker to dry and then a drop of sewing machine oil on the pivot. I find this keeps my pen knives silky smooth. It's surprising when you first use a light oil, even on a knife you think is clean, how much fine particulate is flushed out from the pivot area.
 
Regarding the use of alcohol, I'm just throwing this in...

Need to be careful with Victorinox's 'cellidor' plastic covers on their Swiss Army Knives. They're vulnerable to softening and warping with exposure to some solvents like isopropyl alcohol (IPA), especially at the higher concentrations (> 70%). I learned that the hard way after simply wiping down the covers on one of mine with some IPA. It softened them enough to leave my fingerprints embossed in the plastic. I used a little more to wipe those away. Covers also warped after it dried, which created retention problems for the toothpick in the recess underneath the handle cover - it kept falling out.

I'm not aware of other types of plastic like delrin, FRN, nylon, etc., being affected in such a way by alcohol. None of my other knives in such materials have ever had problems with alcohol. When in doubt, just use liquid dish soap & warm water instead.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Regarding the use of alcohol, I'm just throwing this in...

Need to be careful with Victorinox's 'cellidor' plastic covers on their Swiss Army Knives. They're vulnerable to softening and warping with exposure to some solvents like isopropyl alcohol (IPA), especially at the higher concentrations (> 70%). I learned that the hard way after simply wiping down the covers on one of mine with some IPA. It softened them enough to leave my fingerprints embossed in the plastic. I used a little more to wipe those away. Covers also warped after it dried, which created retention problems for the toothpick in the recess underneath the handle cover - it kept falling out.

I'm not aware of other types of plastic like delrin, FRN, nylon, etc., being affected in such a way by alcohol. None of my other knives in such materials have ever had problems with alcohol. When in doubt, just use liquid dish soap & warm water the.
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I was wondering about this myself. Does alcohol affect handle scales? Not just the ones mentioned, but even G10 or Aluminum, titanium even? I've wiped down aluminum scales with an alcohol wipe before and noticed they felt a little chalky afterwards. I think the effect subsided eventually but now I wonder if it was ever so slightly permanently affected or if it just always felt this way.
 
BJ987 said:
I was wondering about this myself. Does alcohol affect handle scales? Not just the ones mentioned, but even G10 or Aluminum, titanium even? I've wiped down aluminum scales with an alcohol wipe before and noticed they felt a little chalky afterwards. I think the effect subsided eventually but now I wonder if it was ever so slightly permanently affected or if it just always felt this way.
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If the metal had any sort of clear coating on it, I could see alcohol removing it or altering it. I know some decorative metal items have been clear-coated with lacquer or something similar to protect against oxidation, tarnishing, scratches, etc. It's done a lot with brass in particular.

But completely bare metal, by itself, shouldn't be affected at all by alcohol.
 
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BJ987 said:
I've wiped down aluminum scales with an alcohol wipe before and noticed they felt a little chalky afterwards. I think the effect subsided eventually but now I wonder if it was ever so slightly permanently affected or if it just always felt this way.
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"Alox" is short for aluminum oxide. I don't know if isopropyl has some effect on it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

edit: oh I forgot that you use ethyl alcohol wipes. Not isopropyl. My bad.
 
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Guy McVer said:
"Alox" is short for aluminum oxide. I don't know if isopropyl has some effect on it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

edit: oh I forgot that you use ethyl alcohol wipes. Not isopropyl. My bad.
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I only use ethyl now because I started buying regularly buying the wipes. If I really wanted to work on some adhesive residue or something I would use isopropyl and a cloth. I don't know the difference to be honest.
 
Guy McVer said:
"Alox" is short for aluminum oxide. I don't know if isopropyl has some effect on it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

edit: oh I forgot that you use ethyl alcohol wipes. Not isopropyl. My bad.
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Well.....no, it isn't short for aluminum oxide. It shouldn't be confused by the common usage of Alox when talking about sharpening stones as shorthand. From Victorinox:

"After being punched from aluminum and embossed, Alox scales go through a process called Eloxal which uses anodic oxidation to create a protective layer. It is this final layer which allows for the coloring of the scales." Anodic oxidation basically creates an oxide barrier that improves wear and corrosion resistance in different applications. It's also used with titanium. As mentioned alcohol won't harm the metal.

Ethanol tends to be gentler on things for sure compared to isopropanol.
 
BJ987 said:
I only use ethyl now because I started buying regularly buying the wipes. If I really wanted to work on some adhesive residue or something I would use isopropyl and a cloth. I don't know the difference to be honest.
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Ethanol is slightly better for disinfecting in some situations(has higher efficacy against some microbes). At least that is what I have read. Both are very effective disinfectants at the optimum concentration though.

Isopropanol is more harsh on some molecular bonds. As you say, it is better for stuff like removing tape residue but will be harder on stuff like varnish on wood etc.
 
For my Victorinox knives, rinse in water (or soap + water) - practically anything and no problem in 45+/- years. Maybe some oil in the joints/pivots (whatever's on hand) just for kicks on occasion. When my primary blade becomes sticky or gummed up (happens fairly often from opening packages), a spray of Goo Gone on a paper towel brings it back to a good state (then water +/- soap if I feel like it).

For my Beckers (stripped): some 0000 steel wool for any areas in question; then, like some others have also mentioned, a general rub down with some Ballistol (use it for everything from metal to wood to my cowboy boots).

So far, so good...
 
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Either wipe 'em down with a piece of parachute silk moistened with organic applejack or on my jeans, whichever is more convenient .
 
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