Properly cleaning for photog and sale?

[Birkster]

Hey all, let me first say that what I've learned here in a matter of weeks would've undoubtedly taken ages otherwise, and for that I thank you all! This is truly a great community.

I'm sure this is a topic that has been posted/discussed by newbs like myself over and over and I do not intend to waste anyones time.

I'm in the process of cataloging a large collection that has been untouched and in storage for almost 4yrs now and as you can imagine..they are filthy. Everything from dust/dirt to tarnish, light corrosion, old oil residue and minor rust...it hurts my heart to see otherwise mint cond. beauties (many customs) in this condition

Aside from not even knowing WHAT exactly I should so much as attempt to clean, I have little to no idea what products to use on which materials..as there are many.

The time it will take me to clean and photograph each knife alone is daunting and I would love a simple process I can SAFELY perform on each knife to be rid of harmful elements as well as unsightly ones as I do not want to photgraph/sell/re-store them in their current condition.

So I guess some serious "dos" and "Donts" would be excellent as well as products to use...

Sorry for the ramble, any help would be wonderful!
Birk

 

[jimnolimit]

I'm in the process of cataloging a large collection that has been untouched and in storage for almost 4yrs now and as you can imagine..they are filthy. Everything from dust/dirt to tarnish, light corrosion, old oil residue and minor rust...it hurts my heart to see otherwise mint cond. beauties (many customs) in this condition

Aside from not even knowing WHAT exactly I should so much as attempt to clean, I have little to no idea what products to use on which materials..as there are many.

So I guess some serious "dos" and "Donts" would be excellent as well as products to use...

don't experiment with knife cleaning/restoration on expensive knives unless you are willing to except that costly damage might occur. if you don't know where to start, i suggest you start with finding a reputable knife restorer/maker to possibly hire or learn from first hand. another idea is to contact the original knife makers and talk to them about this. good luck.