how should I clean and repair old knives?

G

gawabaiich

Joined
Dec 21, 2025
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Hi everyone - brand new here. So, I bought some old butchering-type knives at an auction recently, with the goal of cleaning/fixing and reselling them. I think they 'might' have some value to a collector, but maybe not, lol. So I'm not sure if I should just give them a light cleaning to remove rust and dirt - or if they'd have more value if I sanded or even replaced the handles, and really cleaned and sharpened the blades.

I totally understand we can't ask questions about the value of the knives! I'm just looking for some guidance - for someone to say 'leave them as original as you can', or 'they're really not worth much so make them look new and functional'.

One has a symbol/logo that I can't identify also. It's like a capital J and D (or P) connected, with a small capital I inside the D/P. Just says CUTL MFG under that.

One is a Stalvaru A-B from Sweden, and another is a Solingen made in Germany. They all have blades around 5 inches long with round tips.

All the handles are pretty worn, one has gaps either side of the tang, and 2 of them have someone's initials primitively carved into them.

I don't seem to know how to post pics unfortunately.

Thank you!
 
OK so if they have any value to a collector the condition must stay as is. Any attempt at home restoration will decrease the value. Sometimes to the point of making them worthless.

You can put some oil on them but you can't do anything else till they've been properly appraised.

If you photograph them, upload the pictures to Imgur and post the BBCode links here you'll get some further input.
 
Danke42 said:
OK so if they have any value to a collector the condition must stay as is. Any attempt at home restoration will decrease the value. Sometimes to the point of making them worthless.

You can put some oil on them but you can't do anything else till they've been properly appraised.

If you photograph them, upload the pictures to Imgur and post the BBCode links here you'll get some further input.
Click to expand...
Ok thanks - I'll do that and will post this afternoon!
 
Here are pics. Again, I know I can't ask the value, but it would be helpful to know if they DO have collectible value and how I should clean them - or if they're really not worth much and I should replace the handles, etc. and sell them as 'cool' knives to non-collectors.

You should be able to see the insignia on one - the 'J' 'D' 'I' logo - if anyone could tell me what that is I'd appreciate it. Thanks folks!
https://imgur.com/a/LuX1Uyp
 
I hope you didn't pay more than $8.

drh6E9Q.jpg
 
So many junk knives out there. I just sharpened a batch of low quality knives for someone. That cost them more than the value of the knives...
 
Sometimes, even old knives perceived as 'cheap' can sharpen up beautifully and be made into great users. I've frequently been impressed with the 'old steel' in such knives, especially carbon steel, which I've found to (usually) take great working edges. The real beauty in an old knife like this is that you can use it as hard as you want and never worry about scratches, scuffs and other wear.

Sharpen them up and see how they respond. Any other work done to refurbish them probably won't be worthwhile if the steel can't take or hold a decent edge in the first place.
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
Sometimes, even old knives perceived as 'cheap' can sharpen up beautifully and be made into great users. I've frequently been impressed with the 'old steel' in such knives, especially carbon steel, which I've found to (usually) take great working edges. The real beauty in an old knife like this is that you can use it as hard as you want and never worry about scratches, scuffs and other wear.

Sharpen them up and see how they respond. Any other work done to refurbish them probably won't be worthwhile if the steel can't take or hold a decent edge in the first place.
Click to expand...
I was foolishly hoping they had collector's value - but the fact that I got all 5 at an auction for $17 should have been a clue LOL. To be honest, it will be more fun for me to clean, shine, sharpen, and replace the handles. In this case, taking things people were almost going to throw away and giving them another life. Any idea what the logo/insignia on that one knife is? the J D thing?

And one of them is Solingen from Germany which I think has a good reputation, and the Stalvaru is interesting because I think it was a fairly short-lived company.
 
gawabaiich said:
I was foolishly hoping they had collector's value - but the fact that I got all 5 at an auction for $17 should have been a clue LOL. To be honest, it will be more fun for me to clean, shine, sharpen, and replace the handles. In this case, taking things people were almost going to throw away and giving them another life. Any idea what the logo/insignia on that one knife is? the J D thing?

And one of them is Solingen from Germany which I think has a good reputation, and the Stalvaru is interesting because I think it was a fairly short-lived company.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I've no idea what that logo points to. I'm searching either "JD", "JDI" or possibly "JP" or "JPI" (the "D" possibly being a stylized "P" instead). Not finding anything remotely similar to the knife you pictured though. That's pretty common in old knives with unique stamps like this. They're often nearly impossible to pin down.
 
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Given their age, style, and condition, I'd say any collector value is negligible. There are a number of ways to potentially refurbish them for use, mostly depending on how involved you want to get with it and what materials and tools are at your disposal.
 
Refurbish them to the level you prefer, sharpen them up, and use them. And enjoy! I have a set of Sabatier (sp?) carbon steel kitchen knives that I inherited from my parents when they died. Probably no value on the market whatsoever, but they sharpen up and hold a great edge, are fun for me in the kitchen, and remind me of both my parents when I use them. It's nice for me to see a set of knives from the 1950's still doing the job.

Win - win!
 
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