knife cleaning?

B

btuner

Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
300
my grandpa just gave me his old jack knife and its solid and really sharp but its got stuff all over every blade that makes it look old and dirty like black gook that just wont come off. i tried metal polish with no luck, any suggestions?
 
well most of it looks like it patina'd nicely but there are spots all over the blades that make it bad. if the patina on was even all across then i wouldnt mind it but there are black spots all over
 
Maybe dirty wax buildup, try using a plastic spackle knife and scraping it off, if that doesn't work then you may need to sand and buff the whole blade.
 
Can you feel the gook with your fingernail? If you can't, forget about it. If you can, try the steel wool/WD40 or 400 wet or dry with WD40. If you have power tools, yo can find a buffing wheel that will fit one of them and clean it with buffing compound.
 
A buffing wheel won't remove pits. It will only smear them. The blade surface has to be taken down below the level of the deepest pits by abrasion.
 
You do not need to grind the entire blade down, chemical rust removers will remove all the oxide readily. Of course this will still leave the irregularity of the pit.

-Cliff
 
Chemical rust removers can also remove carbon from the blade's edge, making it too soft. They are not recommended for use on springs, or knife blades.
 
Bill do you have any references for this? Specifically the time frame involved I would be curious about. Have you seen this personally?

-Cliff
 
Birchwood Casey Blue & Rust Remover specifically says not to use on springs. A knife edge is very much like a spring.
 
I would think that it would be long term exposure such as soaking on very corroded springs, but it is an interesting point, many people do use/recommend chemical cleaners so any side effects would be of interest.

-Cliff
 
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