Traditional cleaning?

Make sure your work station is set up with proper lighting and some kind of magnification. I prefer a magnification headset. Tools include cleaning solution ( Hoppes, mineral oil, rust remover, WD -40 ), dental picks (plastic and metal ), old tee shirt cloth cut in small squares, Popsicle sticks, and acompressor with air adapter. Always wear safely glasses.
First, check the knife for any loose parts. Then, blow it our with your compressed air, gently. Use an an old tee-shirt square with a dab of Tri-flow on it and clean out the inside of the knife. Being careful not to get any grit and grim between the liners and the back springs. I will then work on the inside of the knife with a plastic dental tool to pick out any debris that is left or trapped.

Then, only if needed, use a bit of Hops gun cleaner to clean out any gunk. Check for rust and eliminate as much of the rust and corrosion as possible using a bit of WD-40/ rust remover on a tiny square of tee. Note: depending on scale material...be very careful not to get any of these solvents on your scales as this could damage or discolor them.

I am of the school of thought that patina is good. We wait years for it to develop on it own, some even force it. Other still, worship it. Some...not so much.

I therefore, do not recommend cleaning your knife any further than this. Although, some resort to using 00 steel wool on the inside of the knife and the surface of the blade. I normally do not.

If you must, because someone has badly scarred the knife through misuse and you just can't stand it, then sandpaper may be used. Start with 600 ( wet/dry) if the scares and abrasions are deep. Then use 800...then 1000, then 1500...then 2500. Start with the higher grade if the damage is minor.

I found one beauty that looked as if it was sharpened on the sidewalk or something. I was able to restore it with this method. Many use use a metal machined bar that is machined perfectly flat and wrap the sandpaper around this and work slowly and methodically at varying angles to achieve a mirror finish. Some strokes are made perpendicular to the blade, some length-wise. Others change the angle between each successive grade of paper until a mirror finish is achieved.
Finally oil all pivots and work the blades and sharpen her to a razors edge.

You are now the proud owner of a well cared for knife.
 
Thanks! That's just what I was looking for. I got a Frontier knife at home that I plan on cleaning up this week to start carrying. I know theres older ones out there but this is the first one I have and I wanna try it first.
 
Could someone explain to what level of cleaning looses the value of an old knife?
 
Wow, that was a good answer re: cleaning. As far as value. Different folks value different things. I have some REALLY old knives that would not stand up to a cleaning. I have some moderately old knives that I clean with mineral oil. Chances are, unless you found some kind of holy grail knife, it won't make much of a difference. I like to use my knives. But none I have are super valuable either.
 
If you plan on using it, cleaning up and sharpening will be your natural choice.

If you have an eye on investment future, best not touch it just ensure further rust can't take hold.

If you do clean it, keep it away from buffing wheels or power tool grinders.......
 
One of the most under ratted cleaning tools for hobbies IMO is a quality pipe cleaner (one that doesn't shed fibers and fall to pieces when you use it) .

I am with willgoy, I use power buffers and grinders, but I wouldn't work on a nice old knife with one. Unless you want it to look new when you are done. As a matter of fact there is only one traditional I will touch with power tools and thats my whittler.

Keeping a new traditional clean is a simple task :)

I have found with the few old knives I have cleaned that sometimes the corrosion and patina and grime etc that has built over time is what is holding scales tight and so on. Just letting mineral oil soak into areas can break this lose and give you undesired results.

If its a user, I say address the rust and not much more. Lube the joints and forget it :)
 
Yes, a pipe-cleaner is a really excellent weapon in the war against corrosion/gunk.

Trouble is, pipe smoking is getting so rare these days (at least in Europe) that we may need to stock up on those cleaners:eek:
 
Thats very true Willgoy :)

There is one shop in DE that is in a really old time town that has the best stuff. Every visit I stock up on a few packs of pipe cleaners :)

I don't smoke a pipe, I just appreciate pipe cleaners :D
 
I use pipe cleaners they're great!! I try and clean out the joint(lint, tobacco, dirt, etc)
with pipe cleaners and then oil the joint and use some lemon oil on the scales (Bone, Wood) or you can use
Kerosene to clean the joints and the blades, Tony Bose said he uses a lamp fluid because it has low odor.
But either will work perfect. Good luck...

Jason
 
I smoke pipes. I own about 50 of theese smoking-woods.... I didn´t use the cleaners for cleaning knives, but I´ll try it.

You can get it on every smokingshop or even at any cigarette-store, here in Germany.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Gevonovich, that is a great summary, and I also stop short of using steel wool, sandpaper, or power tools. I have found that oiling the knife with gun oil using cotton gun cleaning patches, then letting the knife sit for a couple days, then wiping off all the oil, and then repeating the same process 3 or 4 times, is a great way to clean up a knife without removing metal. Using that process also keeps the soft grey patina color instead of ending up with bright shiny blades that have obviously been cleaned. It may take two weeks doing it this way, but it is not abbrassive or destructive to the knife. It also doesn't remove any etching, which always amazes me.
 
I'm not ashamed to admit I dump a bunch of knives in a big bowl of mineral oil on a regular basis. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top