Knife Cleaning

[jmh58]

All well done David!!! NICE!!!
John

[OldKnifeCollector]

While everyone is talking about cleaning here. Does anyone have a good technique they use for cleaning the nail pull/groove on a pocket knife blade where you would use your nail to pull the blade out.

[cudgee]

While everyone is talking about cleaning here. Does anyone have a good technique they use for cleaning the nail pull/groove on a pocket knife blade where you would use your nail to pull the blade out.

Rubbing alcohol, small piece of thin wire, piece of cloth. Place a drop of the alcohol[ commonly called isopropyl , can use methylated spirits] in the nail groove, scrape out all the gunk with the wire, may take a few tries. Then finish with the cloth dipped in the alcohol wrapped around the wire and rubbed through the nail nick, hope this helps.

[dlr110]

I hadn’t thought of alcohol cudgee. If it is still black I don’t give it any special attention. If it is reddish, most likely rust. So then I do basically the same thing cudgee told you except I use distilled vinegar. I rub some in with a Q-tip, wrap a cotton patch around something like a small wire or paper clip and gentle remove the rust or any dirt. Do not slip and scratch your blade.

[cudgee]

I hadn’t thought of alcohol cudgee. If it is still black I don’t give it any special attention. If it is reddish, most likely rust. So then I do basically the same thing cudgee told you except I use distilled vinegar. I rub some in with a Q-tip, wrap a cotton patch around something like a small wire or paper clip and gentle remove the rust or any dirt. Do not slip and scratch your blade.

I have found that the alcohol works a lot better than vinegar. I also used to use vinegar, but have found the alcohol works a lot better. This method can be used on any metal that you want to clean up.

[dlr110]

I hadn’t thought of alcohol cudgee. If it is still black I don’t give it any special attention. If it is reddish, most likely rust. So then I do basically the same thing cudgee told you except I use distilled vinegar. I rub some in with a Q-tip, wrap a cotton patch around something like a small wire or paper clip and gentle remove the rust or any dirt. Do not slip and scratch your blade.

I have found that the alcohol works a lot better than vinegar. I also used to use vinegar, but have found the alcohol works a lot better. This method can be used on any metal that you want to clean up.

Thanks I'll give it a try.

[OldKnifeCollector]

I will try that tonight on a Burkinshaw knife I found at a flea market. Thanks for the info!

While everyone is talking about cleaning here. Does anyone have a good technique they use for cleaning the nail pull/groove on a pocket knife blade where you would use your nail to pull the blade out.

Rubbing alcohol, small piece of thin wire, piece of cloth. Place a drop of the alcohol[ commonly called isopropyl , can use methylated spirits] in the nail groove, scrape out all the gunk with the wire, may take a few tries. Then finish with the cloth dipped in the alcohol wrapped around the wire and rubbed through the nail nick, hope this helps.

[cudgee]

I will try that tonight on a Burkinshaw knife I found at a flea market. Thanks for the info!

While everyone is talking about cleaning here. Does anyone have a good technique they use for cleaning the nail pull/groove on a pocket knife blade where you would use your nail to pull the blade out.

Rubbing alcohol, small piece of thin wire, piece of cloth. Place a drop of the alcohol[ commonly called isopropyl , can use methylated spirits] in the nail groove, scrape out all the gunk with the wire, may take a few tries. Then finish with the cloth dipped in the alcohol wrapped around the wire and rubbed through the nail nick, hope this helps.

Let us know how you go.

[Papa Bones]

Also I cleaned the handles on all of them with an old
favorite of my mom's, Murphy Oil Soap and it work like a charm and left
no film or residue.
.
20200526_130526.jpg20200602_083458.jpg

Murphy's works wonders. Also, for wood handles, if you get some that have dents or impressions, sometimes you can take a moist cloth, wrap over them, then take a steam iron and hold it about 1/2 to 1 inch from the wood surface and steam it. Sometimes it will pull the dent out as well as pull out some of the oils that may have soaked in the wood from use over the years. This is an old trick that a lot of old Curio & Relic Firearm collectors use on some of the older walnut and beach stocks.

This is also a good method to use when you've cleaned walnut and want to re-impregnate it with boiled linseed oil. Take a clean cloth, rub in some boiled linseed oil on the wood, then take a cloth with boiled linseed oil, place on the wood, then heat it with a old hair dryer. Let it cool and repeat. Then finish rubbing down with a lint free cloth.

[cudgee]

Also I cleaned the handles on all of them with an old
favorite of my mom's, Murphy Oil Soap and it work like a charm and left
no film or residue.
.
20200526_130526.jpg20200602_083458.jpg

Murphy's works wonders. Also, for wood handles, if you get some that have dents or impressions, sometimes you can take a moist cloth, wrap over them, then take a steam iron and hold it about 1/2 to 1 inch from the wood surface and steam it. Sometimes it will pull the dent out as well as pull out some of the oils that may have soaked in the wood from use over the years. This is an old trick that a lot of old Curio & Relic Firearm collectors use on some of the older walnut and beach stocks.

This is also a good method to use when you've cleaned walnut and want to re-impregnate it with boiled linseed oil. Take a clean cloth, rub in some boiled linseed oil on the wood, then take a cloth with boiled linseed oil, place on the wood, then heat it with a old hair dryer. Let it cool and repeat. Then finish rubbing down with a lint free cloth.

Thank you, excellent tips, i have been looking for a way to get original color back into an oak scaled knives that has darkened over time. Thanks again.

[dlr110]

Just want to show how I'm cleaning blades. These were some old knives I had in the bottom draw that were in poor shape and I wanted to show how I go about cleaning the blades. 1) I use a "Super Eraser" on the blades and bolsters. 2) I then put a light film of "Sentry Tuf-Glide" oil on the surface of the blade. 3) Depending on the condition of the blade I will start with 240 to 400 grit paper on my dremel tool. Heavy pressure at first and in one direction from tang to tip moving very slowly. Then only lightly touching the blade moving slowly tang to tip. 4) Now add more oil and go up to the next grit and repeat step 3) again. After 400 grit I will use a combination of 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 3000, 5000, 7000, and 10,000 girt paper depending on how the blade is looking. When I've achieved the finish I want with the paper I will finish by polishing the blade with FLITZ polish and buff clean.
Sometimes there are cases that I only use the Super Eraser and the FLITZ polish on the blade, because of the overall condition of the knife. Anyway here are 3 knives I just finished the main blades.
Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

[jmh58]

Well done David!!!
John

[bladecollectorr]

Just want to show how I'm cleaning blades...

Nice work! I use a similar process. Using a Dremel on them always scares me a bit. You have to be so careful that you keep the wheel spinning in the right direction or it could catch and throw the knife at you. Same deal on a standard buffing wheel. There is some risk involved.

Due to this I usually hand-sand the blades up to 10,000 grit. Often they are submerged in water (if that won't wreck the particular handle material) during the sanding so the paper doesn't clog and the black sanding residue doesn't stain anything. I use my Dremel with some Flitz for the final polish. Similar results. I expect using the Dremel throughout would be much faster.

[dlr110]

I love a challenge, what'da think?
This was a mistake I received from an ebay seller.
After I finish, I'll post more pic's.

[cudgee]

I love a challenge, what'da think?
This was a mistake I received from an ebay seller.
After I finish, I'll post more pic's.
20200629_155956.jpg20200629_160029.jpg20200629_160043.jpg20200629_160103.jpg

I have the utmost faith in your ability, looking forward to the end result.

[dlr110]

Okay, believe it or not this is the same knife 6 hours later. I wish I could take better pictures, because this knife looks much better in person than it does in my poor photos. There are no stains on the blades, that is shadows. Those blades have a mirror finish on them with only a couple of pits and scratches left in them.
Now this is a good knife ready for more years of use.

[cudgee]

Okay, believe it or not this is the same knife 6 hours later. I wish I could take better pictures, because this knife looks much better in person than it does in my poor photos. There are no stains on the blades, that is shadows. Those blades have a mirror finish on them with only a couple of pits and scratches left in them.
Now this is a good knife ready for more years of use.
20200629_184044.jpg20200629_183242.jpg20200629_191134.jpg20200629_191201.jpg

Mate you are a genius. " Outstanding ".

[Doc B]

I think she feels the love, of her new home!

[bighomer]

Good job.

[Reverand]

Looks good again!

[jmh58]

John

[dlr110]

The little souvenir knife was easy to clean, but the PAL was a challenge. It still has a log of
pitting and scratches on the main blade and the bolsters were in bad shape. So that is about
the extent of my knife cleaning abilities.
.
Before....

After....

Before.....

After....

[dlr110]

Here is a little CASE that I was able to clean up with some polishing cream.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that short of new scales there is no
way to correct the green tarnishing.

[edge213]

Here is a little CASE that I was able to clean up with some polishing cream.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that short of new scales there is no
way to correct the green tarnishing.
20200706_095926.jpg

You are correct. From my experience it will only get worse.

[dlr110]

Craftsman U.S.A. 9473 Mini-Stockman 2 2/4" Long Closed.
After I cleaned this little knife up it was almost as if it came alive.
Everything is in great shape. It's tight, no wobble and the snap is
crisp in every blade. I think this was one of my best finds in a while
Now if I can find out who the exact maker was and around what year.