There is still treasure at the flea markets

Hickory n steel · Mar 26, 2018

Great save on that Boker stockman there, should serve well.

zolthar · Mar 26, 2018

Wow, great job!

jblyttle · Mar 26, 2018

Jak3 said:
Nice find. I agree there is still treasure hidden in flea markets. It just isn't easy to find it.

Great work on the restoration. What did you use to clean the blades and back springs?

Thanks

sharkattacksw said:
Wow! Looks great. Do you mind sharing a few tips on how you got it looking so good?

Because there was rust/pitting and it was destined to be a user I was able to be fairly aggressive.

WD-40 soak, Simple Green toothbrush/toothpick cleaning, WD-40 pivot flushing, Simple Green flushing. Light wire wheel on blades/backsprings avoiding the bone, Simple Green then WD-40 flushing. Light buffing of exterior surfaces then Flitz the heck out of everything, Simple Green flushing. Sharpening & full oiling with the Norton honing oil, full wipe down and strong hand rubbing with paper towels. Rub on jeans lol. That's pretty much it.

Jak3 · Mar 26, 2018

jblyttle said:
Because there was rust/pitting and it was destined to be a user I was able to be fairly aggressive.

WD-40 soak, Simple Green toothbrush/toothpick cleaning, WD-40 pivot flushing, Simple Green flushing. Light wire wheel on blades/backsprings avoiding the bone, Simple Green then WD-40 flushing. Light buffing of exterior surfaces then Flitz the heck out of everything, Simple Green flushing. Sharpening & full oiling with the Norton honing oil, full wipe down and strong hand rubbing with paper towels. Rub on jeans lol. That's pretty much it.

Nice. The finish you managed to get looks pretty even to me. The pitting also makes it look cool. Maybe I'll attempt this soon enough.
Thanks for sharing.

sharkattacksw · Mar 26, 2018

jblyttle said:
Because there was rust/pitting and it was destined to be a user I was able to be fairly aggressive.

WD-40 soak, Simple Green toothbrush/toothpick cleaning, WD-40 pivot flushing, Simple Green flushing. Light wire wheel on blades/backsprings avoiding the bone, Simple Green then WD-40 flushing. Light buffing of exterior surfaces then Flitz the heck out of everything, Simple Green flushing. Sharpening & full oiling with the Norton honing oil, full wipe down and strong hand rubbing with paper towels. Rub on jeans lol. That's pretty much it.

Thank you so much. Excellent info. It’s appreciated.

Dirk D · Mar 28, 2018

You´ve done a really nice job on your find :thumbsup:

I really appreciate fleamarkets and searching in the trashy, unsorted boxes under the tables. Every once a while you can find a real treasure there

Amir Fleschwund · Mar 28, 2018

jblyttle said:
This was a $5 find, and for the entertainment value I got from bringing it back into service, it was even more of a bargain. It was very difficult to open, now walk and talk are superb and it is sharp. It will be in my pocket tomorrow.

IMG_20180318_174417 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180318_174426 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180325_224626 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180325_224646 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180325_224757 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180325_224729 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20180325_224825 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

Nice!

Amir Fleschwund · Mar 28, 2018

I’ll confess to seeking out abused or neglected knives for the fun of cleaning them up.

The only time I use abrasives is if they have already been molested by using a grinder.

STDK · Mar 28, 2018

Great job, I really like the carbon steel that Boker used on those old knives. I own quite a few of the old Boker USA stockmen and carry them quite often.