How to "smooth" the opening action?

MTHall720

MTHall720

Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
2,957
I am a relative new comer to traditionals. I am used to smooth one handed opening modern design blades but I am really excited about traditionals. So far I have a toothpick, clasp knife, and barlows. Other than using a lube spray are there any tips on the break-in process to make opening a little smoother and easier?
 
Wash&brush up! Warm water, soap and a tooth brush, scrub it out in the joints,liners etc. Dry carefully, compressed air or moderate hair dryer, some WD-40, dry again, tiny drop of oil or whatever you use on other knives in the joints. Ready for smooth action. This is especially so for newly delivered knives that often have manufacturing residue. Been thinking about graphite as an alternative, not sure though...
 
Keep the inside of the knife clean of pocket lint. Pocket carry knives do collect stuff from the inside of the pocket. If the knife is new it may need a cleaning of the stuff used during the making of the knife. Wash the knife in the sink with diswashing liquid, dry it well with compressed air and oil it.
 
Never thought of washing. Do you think the heat of a dish washing machine would be too hot if I tried that method?
 
MTHall720 said:
Never thought of washing. Do you think the heat of a dish washing machine would be too hot if I tried that method?
Click to expand...

I don't know if the dishwasher would hurt it or not, but I definitely wouldn't do it. I just finished washing/drying/relubing an old peanut this morning. Only took a few minutes to do. Just hold the knife down under warm soapy water, open/close each blade a few times and the use a brush to clean out the liners and the back side of the gap that's open when the blade is half open.

Then I dried it with a hairdryer, took it outside and soaked it down with WD-40. Let the WD-40 dry, then wipe it down. I rewashed just the blades (so its clean if it comes into contact with food), then put Mineral Oil in the joints and on the blade and opened/closed the blades a few more times before wiping down with a clean cloth.

Good as new!
 
Flint Hills said:
I don't know if the dishwasher would hurt it or not, but I definitely wouldn't do it. I just finished washing/drying/relubing an old peanut this morning. Only took a few minutes to do. Just hold the knife down under warm soapy water, open/close each blade a few times and the use a brush to clean out the liners and the back side of the gap that's open when the blade is half open.

Then I dried it with a hairdryer, took it outside and soaked it down with WD-40. Let the WD-40 dry, then wipe it down. I rewashed just the blades (so its clean if it comes into contact with food), then put Mineral Oil in the joints and on the blade and opened/closed the blades a few more times before wiping down with a clean cloth.

Good as new!
Click to expand...

This is what I do. I wouldn't put a knife of mine in the dishwasher.
 
I would never put a knife in a dishwascher in any case. This will destroy the finish and the edge.

I´d go with a ultra-sonic cleaner (for glasses, for example), some handwarm water and a little soap and clean it in there. That´s what I do with the "heavy-dirty-ones".
 
Powdered graphite works well on a new knife to smooth things up. Used it on a stubborn GEC 73. Worked pretty good. Applied graphite worked the opening and closing then flushed with solvent and then a drop of lube oil.

NO DISHWASHER. The dishwasher soap is quite caustic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top