SAK Handle Reactivity

E

EDCanAdamas

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Sep 8, 2013
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520
Today I felt the need to disinfect my SAK with some hand sanitizer (70% Ethyl Alcohol) only to find that the hand sanitizer had a chemical reaction with the red Cellidor handles. The red color of the SAK handle actually wiped off onto the paper towel I was drying the knife with. This SAK is a beater, so I tested another spot and found the same reaction. If left alone, I suppose the alcohol in the sanitizer would eat away at the handle which is technically Cellulose Acetate Butyrate according to wikipedia.

I also have noticed wear marks along the spacers between the tools. Are the spacers aluminum? If so, they might be reacting to the steel tools, as aluminum and steel react on contact.

Anyone feel free to comment on this. I'm merely an observer, not a chemist.
 
I wouldn't use hand sanitizer. Maybe isopropyl and a cotton swab but there's all sorts of other gunk in there that could be messing with it.
SAKs take well to a soap and water wash and steel isn't known for harboring bacteria so what makes you think it needs sanitizing?
 
Yes, the liners are aluminum. But in all the years I've carried SAKs, I've never had a negative reaction between the liners and the steel tools. Victorinox has been making SAKs for a looooong time. If there were negative effects of their tools contacting the liners, they would not make them the way they do.

As for cleaning a cellidor SAK, I've only ever used regular soap and water.

Jim
 
Be very careful of what you let come in contact with cellidor handles. This is why I've always preferred the nylon economy scales or alox. I had one SAK while I was in the army, that I had just put on some army issue insect repellent, and the stuff partly dissolved the SAK scale. Left a finger print in the red goo that was the result of the mosquito repellent.

Some gun cleaner solvents and alcohol will have a bad effect. Hand sanitizer is basic jelled alcohol.

I wish Victorinox would just make the nylon scales the regular handles.
 
I agree in wishing that Victorinox would upgrade their basic cellidor scales to something that is more durable and non-reactive.

Jim
 
To the OP, are your SAKs pretty old ones? Vic changed the composition of the scales at several points...the old Victoria ones would ignite and burn as well...ref p. 145 The Swiss Army knife Owners Manual - M. Young.

Just tested both a pre and post 85 cellidor model with 63% alcohol (all we had) hand sanitizer...no effect which is the norm for me as I regularly use HS to clean up TSA SAKs. I have however heard of DEET bug repellents reacting with certain plastics.

On the aluminum liners...they will, if not properly cared for, react with the steel tools. Have had several uncleaned TSA 91mm knives that were "welded" upon arrival and one Champion actually welded itself shut while waiting to be cleaned in my box. It was fine when I bought it (needed only minor cleaning, all blades moved freely) but it sat about a year in my storage box and now, every blade is frozen in place. Even resorted to dousing with WD-40 penetrating oil but no luck. Can't be opened even with pliers. Now every cellidor SAK I buy if it's not cleaned immediately, gets oiled at the joints with mineral oil till I can get to it. ALOX SAKs (93mm) are not affected in this way as they are built with either brass (till about '84) or nickle silver liners.

Hope this helps.
 
as metals oxidize they do expand a bit, so they would add more pressure the more layers involved. Oil helps when things are good, there are some penetrating machinist oils that might help unlock things. As for scale reactivity, I've had a lot of things react with them, I found the best is to just let the solvent evaporate away over a day or so, and things go back to normal, or near to it. I've wanted to experiment with chemically polishing the scales like some guys do with 3D printing, but havn't gotten around to it yet.
 
SAK Guy said:
To the OP, are your SAKs pretty old ones? Vic changed the composition of the scales at several points...the old Victoria ones would ignite and burn as well...ref p. 145 The Swiss Army knife Owners Manual - M. Young.
Click to expand...

I do not know the exact date of the SAK in question, it was a flea market find that I refurbished a little. I'd guess that it was made in anywhere from 1980ish to around 2005 because it still has "Rostfrei" on the blade.

The sanitizer did not really melt much of the handle material, but it seems to have eaten away whatever glossy varnish Victorinox had used. I actually experimented with using the sanitizer to melt away some of the dings in the plastic, but it does not melt the material that much.

I wonder if there is anything that can mimic the glossy finish that I could reapply to the handles. Also, just out of curiosity, does Victorinox replace the red handle scales? It's probably not worth sending the knife overseas for that though.
 
EDCanAdamas said:
I do not know the exact date of the SAK in question, it was a flea market find that I refurbished a little. I'd guess that it was made in anywhere from 1980ish to around 2005 because it still has "Rostfrei" on the blade.

The sanitizer did not really melt much of the handle material, but it seems to have eaten away whatever glossy varnish Victorinox had used. I actually experimented with using the sanitizer to melt away some of the dings in the plastic, but it does not melt the material that much.

I wonder if there is anything that can mimic the glossy finish that I could reapply to the handles. Also, just out of curiosity, does Victorinox replace the red handle scales? It's probably not worth sending the knife overseas for that though.
Click to expand...

You can use Flitz polish to polish the scales....some guys have made them look almost new using this technique.

Yes Vic does but you can buy scales on the bay, watch a youtube vid and easily change them yourself.
 
Basically any organic solvent will attack a SAK cellidor scale. In some cases, as mentioned, polishing with a paste polish will help restore the gloss.
Rich
 
I'VE never tried hand sanitizer but I know that insect repellent like deep woods Off will turn the scales into jelly! and destroy them ! soap and water is best to clean them and wash your hands after applying bug juice before you handle your SAK!
Revvie
 
It would be pretty cool if they made the handles out of Frn, price would go up. Gary
 
CELLIDOR® is an organic, thermoplastic cellulose ester which consists of approximately 45% cellulose, a renewable natural material. This means that, unlike traditional plastics, it is only partially dependent on finite fossil fuel resources. Not least because of its outstanding property profile, CELLIDOR® can already look back on over 100 years of market success: it combines the classic strengths of a thermoplastic with the advantages of a bio-plastic. These include a pleasantly warm and soft surface, a self-polishing effect as well as an almost unlimited range of possible colours.
•High tensile strength
•Excellent light transmission
•Permanent glossy surface due to self-polishing effect when used
•Unlimited colour possibilities

Perhaps because Cellidor is partially organic, that it may react adversely to certain chemicals as opposed to FRN, which is actually costlier to produce then Cellidor.
 
Nylon seems a better material for scales as it's tougher and more resistant to chemicals than cellidor, has a bit of texture to aid in gripping, especially if wet.
The only negative is that the Swiss cross logo wears off with use, which can be a problem if you need one to repel a vampire.
 
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