Safe to wash 110?

KeithAM

KeithAM

Joined
Dec 15, 2003
Messages
3,154
The 110 I got for $23 at Walmart is kind of gritty, and I wondered whether it would be safe to flush the pivot with dish detergent and very hot running water while working the action (followed by drying and then a drop of Miltec-1). This method worked for me in the past on other knives -- very simply it flushes the grit out. I know the wood scales are treated, but is dish detergent and very hot water going to be a problem?
 
I did that to my Alaskan Guide 110 after I drowned it with WD40 to flush everything that shouldn't be in the lock work out. After the hotwater and detergent treatment, it was blasted with 60 PSI of air to dry and so far after 1 month of use, the wooden finish is still nice and intact.
 
EDITED: nagamitsu has much better and faster typing skills than I.....sigh.

KeithAM,
I believe you could also flush it out with WD40, (with or without the hot water treatment), then, blow out the WD40 real well with air (canned air works good for this) so there is no residue. Wipe it down, and then a drop of your choice of lubricants. Should be good to go.

JMO.

Bill
 
I've also washed them in the sink with soap and water. I hand dryed it and used a Q-Tip to dry the inside where the blade rests when closed. Then used a hair dryer on the cool setting to finish the job.
Scott
 
Thanks guys. That is the answer I was hoping for. With any luck I'll get this 110 opening smoothly tonight.
 
It's a solid knife, don't worry about it. There is a reason why it's a classic. I've washed mine off in a mud puddle before, You do what you have to do while hunting.
 
I recently bought a Buck 426 from an eBay seller (the 426 is a Bucklite version of the 110 produced in the 1980's). It was very difficulty to open and close (both blade and lockback) because of dried gunk in the mechanism.

I tried all the usual remedies others have described in this thread but nothing worked. I went to Lowe's to see what oils, etc. they had in stock to find inspiration, and I bought a (new?) product called DuPont Teflon Multi-Use Lubricant (4 oz bottle for about $4 or $5).

I was AMAZED. This lube is some newfangled technology I'd heard of but never seen. In a nutshell, the Teflon is a powder suspended in a liquid. It looks like milk when you squirt it on a surface, but after several minutes, it begins to dry to a crusty consistency and, after several hours, it becomes a loose powder (loose as in I could pick some off the knife with my finger, not loose as in flying off like talcum and making a mess).

I absolutely BATHED the 426 in the stuff two or three times -- blade pivot, lockback spring, almost every exposed surface. After drying, the Teflon clings to dirt and grime and can be wiped off, at which time repeated treatments got it cleaner and cleaner, and easier to open/close.

I've tried it as a "pure lube" (i.e., no repeat treatments for cleaning, just a little applied for lubrication) and it seems to work well -- makes moving parts move smoothly but without oil beading, as happens with oils or other lubes.

The only downside I can see at this point is that it's petroleum based and is toxic if swallowed, so I can't cut apples with any knife lubed with the stuff.
 
I washed the 110 out last night as described above, and then gave it 1 drop of Miltec-1. It went from gritty to smooth as silk. :D :thumbup:
 
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