How to clean old knives, verdigris, etc

[shootershack]

How do you handle cleaning up stuff in your collection that's maybe been sitting around for years. Items that are still new in the box never carried never sharpened. Something you wouldn't want to be abrasive with. I haven't tried anything yet but I really need to clean some of the old Schrade, Western, Buck etc stuff in my collection. How can I spiffy them up without damaging value? I'm familiar with the verdigris but have no idea really how to deal with it.
Thanks
Alan

 

[jbmonkey]

the verdigris i rub off with a paper towel. done it on Buck brass and nickel silver for years now. if i want it shiny again I use flitz to polish it back up..

 

[shootershack]

the verdigris i rub off with a paper towel. done it on Buck brass and nickel silver for years now. if i want it shiny again I use flitz to polish it back up..

I do like Flitz for other stuff and I think I probably have some of their knife polish here somewhere. Thanks.

 

[Daniel]

The trick on the green crap is to get it off regularly before it starts pitting metals. Store knives separate from sheaths and pouches.

 

[cudgee]

Store knives separate from sheaths and pouches.

 

[shootershack]

The trick on the green crap is to get it off regularly before it starts pitting metals. Store knives separate from sheaths and pouches.

Well you nailed it. When I acquired many of those they were stored in their sheaths.

 

[The Mastiff]

Much can be done with a wax coating using Rennisance wax or similar products. It cleans most stuff off old blades. For nasty, pitted or bad verdigris I use Flitz or similar product then wax it. None of this is really time consuming. Make sure to keep the cloth clean of abrasive stuff and oil when waxing. The wax coating does at least as well as a light coat of oil for storing knives.

 

[The Zieg]

I have had good luck with windex and kitchen countertop sray type cleaners for cutting verdigris. They are rather mild and don't cause any scratching. If I need to get into pits, cracks, or crevices I will use an old toothbrush, even a sonic toothbrush with those solutions.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Flitz can also work pretty well for verdigris stains on natural handle materials like bone or stag. If the material near brass pins is stained green, as often happens near the pins, dab a little Flitz onto the stain and gently rub/buff it off with a clean rag (microfiber towels work great for this). I used this method to clean up some green staining around the pins on my 1970 Case 5220 stag-handled Peanut and was impressed at how it turned out.

I think some mild ammonia content in Flitz's suspension might play a role in breaking down the verdigris. It has a bit of ammonia smell to it, so I think it's in there. And I could see the above recommended Windex-type cleaners working the same way. The toothbrush suggestion is also good for scrubbing.

 

[The Zieg]

It's also worse in humid climates. Not so bad here in Colorado, but still a concern.

 

[RPZIP]

Why I don't like brass.