Rinse your folder under hot water? Good idea?

S

Slowstarter

Joined
Mar 21, 2006
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552
Is it ok to rinse your folder under hot water every now and the to get rid of dust and gunk? Or do you HAVE to take it apart and make sure every little screw is dry before you oil it and put it back together?

I just wanna rinse and dry with a cloth or paper and put back in to the pocket. Will my D2-steel folders (BM 710 and BM Nitrous Stryker) rust and fall apart before christmas if I do so?
 
especially the more "open built folders" are cleaned under the hot tap. I only take them apart when they are realy dirty.
 
You will be fine. Even with carbon steel you will be fine if you make sure to lube it. On my stainless knives I use water and soap and just shake it out when I'm done. Let it dry a little and then lube it up and wipe off the excess and you will be good to go.

Hot water is a little better because it will tend to evaporate a little faster but not really needed even for D2. If you are really worried about it you can spray a little WD40 (water displacer) and shake it out to get rid of the water that way. Then the following day lube it up with some real lube if you want. To be honest some knives I don't even use lube because it can attract dirt and lint and the washers are smooth enough. That is up to you though and whether you think the knife is smooth enough or needs a lubricant, although it will also help with corrosion on steels that are more prone to rust.
 
Slowstarter said:
Is it ok to rinse your folder under hot water every now and the to get rid of dust and gunk? Or do you HAVE to take it apart and make sure every little screw is dry before you oil it and put it back together?

I just wanna rinse and dry with a cloth or paper and put back in to the pocket. Will my D2-steel folders (BM 710 and BM Nitrous Stryker) rust and fall apart before christmas if I do so?
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Absolutly.

Buy yourself a few cans of that compressed air they sell for PC's etc... wash youf folder with hot soapy water , the hotter the water the easier I find it evaporstes for some reason unbeknownst to my scientifically challenged brain :D
Then use the compressed air to blow out the remaining water onto a paper towel , etc.
let it dry , lube and off you go !

Tostig
 
With the exception of natural handled knives (wood, bone, stag), you should be fine. I've cleaned a LOT of my folders using a little dish soap and water that's tolerably hot (to your hands). The hot water will warm up the internals of the knife, which will aid in rapid evaporation of a lot of residual moisture afterwards. I use a folded paper towel or rag to get into the liners/gaps in the handle, which will also pick up some of the droplets in there.

In addition, you could use a hair dryer to do additional drying. Thoroughly wipe down anything you can reach, then finish it off by giving the joints & other moving parts a little spritz of WD-40 (which is made for displacing moisture). You can also put a light coat of oil on the blades if you like.
 
The WD40 is gonna gunk up htat pivot. I'd use the hot soapy water, shake dry and then apply a drop of oil. The WD40 may be good to get the water out but it will attract dirt like crazy.
 
Thanks for your replies. Not so worried anymore. But is WD-40 really food safe? Will I survie a sliced cucumber after a WD-40 shower?
 
crom said:
The WD40 is gonna gunk up htat pivot. I'd use the hot soapy water, shake dry and then apply a drop of oil. The WD40 may be good to get the water out but it will attract dirt like crazy.
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I've never had this problem as long as it's used sparingly. Generally, I only use it ONCE, after the initial wash & dry. Haven't had any issues with dirt beyond that.
 
Any lube that stays wet will attract dirt to a degree. I believe it is mainly mineral oil which is left once the solvents evaporate from the WD40. Many people use mineral oil as a lube so it's not the end of the world and I use a wet lube often without a ton of gunk build up.

That said the WD40 isn't required. Nothing is really required unless you just want to use it. I live in Florida and I'm by the ocean a lot and never had a problem with rust and most of the time use room temp water with no air or WD40. Just shake it out and put a drop or two of oil on the pivot a couple hours later.
 
Tostig said:
the hotter the water the easier I find it evaporstes for some reason unbeknownst to my scientifically challenged brain :D
Click to expand...

Hot water has more excited molecules than cold water (definition of heat) and therefore is able to phase change to a higher energy phase (gas) easier than cold water is.

I always wash my knives with hot water and use soap if the knife is really dirty. I find that lube is good during the break-in period of a folder, I think it helps the washers wear off the high spots smoothly instead of galling. After a month or so, I stop using lube on my knives and they are smooth as can be and stay relatively lint free for a lot longer than if I lubed them.
 
Slowstarter said:
Thanks for your replies. Not so worried anymore. But is WD-40 really food safe? Will I survie a sliced cucumber after a WD-40 shower?
Click to expand...

If you're concerned about food safety, you can lube with mineral oil. Or, as I've stated earlier, use the WD-40 sparingly (just in the joints). You can then wipe down the exposed parts of the blade with something like Windex or isopropyl alcohol (I've done this frequently, especially after sharpening or stropping).
 
Keep an old toothbrush around and use it to get in the nooks and crannies of the folder. Make sure to use hot water and plenty of soap when cleaning. Once you're done cleaning, dry it thoroughly by either shaking the water out between the handle, or by using some of that canned air stuff. Last, but not least, is to make sure you relube the pivot. Oil the joints.
 
Yes, a toothbrush is really handy:thumbup:

Warm water and liquid detergent work very well, I use it on Old School Traditional when needed, does not seem to mess up bone or stag provided you dry it properly. Compressed air, hair dryer or paper(those things some people are mad enough to clean their ears with)and there is no problem on any steel. Dust or sand/grit are the things that mess up knives badly, so you need to flush 'em out from time to time.
 
If a folder cannot get wet, it's not much of a user. You can even use water on bone and wood and stag. Just don't soak em. Don't use any harsh cleaners that contain ammonia, vinegar, or bleach. The soap you use to hand wash your dishes works well. I like Dr. Bonners myself.
 
I use hot water & liquid dish detergent (cuts grease). I rinse thoroughly and dry with a blow dryer then re-lube moving parts. :)
 
That's what I do. Thorough rinse, shake them out, and towel dry. Sometimes a bit more thorough cleaning is called for.
 
I generally only wash the blade and not the entire knife when necessary. I also use a can of compressed inert gas to blast-out dust & lint from the internals.
 
I usually take hot water and a Q-tip and wipe out my knives, the ones with the open frames of course. I don't play too close to the pivot or anything just get out all the general dirt in areas where it might build up and effect performance or cosmetics.
 
With the phosphor bronze washers, after it's broken in, you don't need lube, they self lubricate. (Yay! technology!)
 
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