How would you restore this old timer?

[lightskyam]

My father brought out this older looking knife(Old Timer) to throw in the drawer for simple cutting tasks. He said it's at least 30 years old with Shrade, N.Y on the knife blade. It's in rough condition with the blades not easy to open, dirt and dust on the inside, lots of patina, and no snap when you bring the blade all the way back. I looked up online how to restore but didn't see much. How would you go about restoring this pocket knife? I have a photo but it's telling me I can't post attachments.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94131443@N08/8557697435/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94131443@N08/8558804932/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94131443@N08/8557735467/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94131443@N08/8558843110/in/photostream/

 

[Bob W]

Soap and water, toothpick, and q-tip to clean the inside of the knife. Open and close it as you're running water on it too.

Then a drop of oil in the joints.

Sharpen the blades.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

You can post pics using a photo-hosting account via photobucket or other similar service. Upload your pic there, then link the IMG url in your post here.

With dirty knives, I've always started with a heavy flush with WD-40 while working the joints. Then, a bath in HOT water + dish detergent (Dawn, Ivory, Palmolive, etc), also while working the joints. Rinse thoroughly in HOT water again (~120°F, or whatever your hands can safely tolerate). The hot wash & rinse will warm up the internals and that helps evaporate off residual moisture from the nooks & crannies. After it's dry, a little spritz of WD-40 into the joints will additionally flush out any remaining moisture. That's pretty much all I do with mine.


David

 

[lightskyam]

You can post pics using a photo-hosting account via photobucket or other similar service. Upload your pic there, then link the IMG url in your post here.

With dirty knives, I've always started with a heavy flush with WD-40 while working the joints. Then, a bath in HOT water + dish detergent (Dawn, Ivory, Palmolive, etc), also while working the joints. Rinse thoroughly in HOT water again (~120°F, or whatever your hands can safely tolerate). The hot wash & rinse will warm up the internals and that helps evaporate off residual moisture from the nooks & crannies. After it's dry, a little spritz of WD-40 into the joints will additionally flush out any remaining moisture. That's pretty much all I do with mine.


David

thanks i just posted a few photos on my first message.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

thanks i just posted a few photos on my first message.

That knife looks pretty nice. :thumbup:

I'd just give it the treatment I described earlier. These Old Timers always look best with that patina'd 'character' yours seems to show. Wouldn't worry too much about polishing or anything like that. Just get it clean & free of the grit/grime, and maybe oil it a bit afterwards. Depending on how gritty it is, it may take a couple of flushings/washings to get it all out. Just take your time with it, and keep working the joints as you clean it.


David

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Well, your photo skills need work, but it looks like you got a stockman pattern. It's a good pattern and a great classic knife. Clean it up as described above, then see what you got.

 

[jc57]

My approach would be:
- Use compressed air to blow out any gunk first
- Dawn diswashing liquid and water and wash it out.
- Rinse well with warm water and work the blades while rinsing.
- Dry with towel and use compressed air again to blow out all of the water
- WD 40 on the joints (WD stands for Water Displacer) to get rid of the last water.
- Work joints with the WD 40 to get it in there.
- Fine steel wool or Scotchbrite pads to get rid of any rust on the blades
- Medium graduating up to fine polishing compound on the bolsters
- Polishing compound on the blades if you want. They'll be shinier but still have an underlying patina.
- Use a stone or diamond hone to get the edges profiled and beveled
- Finish up with your choice of sharpening method

YOU may not want to do all of that, but that's what I would do. I happen to already own all of the supplies mentioned so it wouldn't cost me anything other than time.