Imperial Kamp King rust removal problem

C

colekmiller11

Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
176
I see a lot of you guys on here who buy old knives and clean them up, so I wanted to try it.I bought an early Kamp King (the metal handled one) and considering it's age it's in great condition.However, it does have some rust inside the knife in the pivot area, and I'm finding it really hard to get it out because I can't get anything in there to sand/ scrape it out. Any tips? BTW, my camera is currently MIA so please don't say " pictures would help".
 
I have a couple of old hacksaw blades that I've broken over the years. They make good scrapers to get into tight places.
 
I use a jeweler's screwdriver, they come in different widths so you can find one that works for you.
 
I spray WD-40 into the pivot, and use feeler gauges to work around the pivot and along the back of the handle. Just start the feeler gauge from the inside & push it through to the outside, and remember to wipe it off with every pass (so you don't pull any crud back into the crevices). Use the thickest that will fit, and it shouldn't loosen anything up.

Do this a few times over several days, and it should clear out a lot of the gunk in the gaps. After that, I'd do it every time you oil the joints, to keep it clear. I've found that with the old Imperial shell-handled knives, that a lot of what is in them isn't so much rust, as packed in pocket lint and debris. Let that stuff build up, add oil occasionally, and you get this hard, waxy buildup that's a pain to deal with. It's very much worth the effort though, because some of the best steel I've encountered has been in the old Imperial shell-handled pocket knives. I have an Imperial/Prov. RI Kamp King that's one of my best slicers. :thumbup:

Keep us posted on how it goes. Put that knife to good use. It needs it. ;)

~Chris
 
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+1 on the jewelers screwdrivers, the sizes are usually just right to get right in there. Also, dental picks work well. WD-40 or mineral oil. Once you get a little slurry going, you can wipe it up with a Q-tip, or try blowing it out of the joint with compressed air.

Just a note of caution, be extremely careful using these types of metal tools on any knife that has value, as you can scratch things up very quickly if not careful.
 
I have a couple Imperial Kamp-Kings, love those knifes! One is in good shape and I don't use it, but the other one was found in my tackle box from when I was a kid. The last time it had seen light had to be in the mid-1980s LOL. This was a couple years back. Well the blades were orange with rust, but the pivots were in decent shape, so I was lucky. I was able to get the rust off the blades, but they were pitted, so I cold blued the blades LOL...which actually made them look a bit like Damascus Steel in a way...if you look at it right, sort of LOL. Anyway, other than that, I just oiled the joints and sharpened it (very easy to get sharp, I do good at getting older Imperials sharp)...then the most important part...I put it on my key ring and carry it everyday now. I think just keeping it in use keeps it in good shape?
Mark
 
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