Knife care

[TimW]

What best for wood, bone, and pearl handled knives. And can you use the same for the blade, bolster springs, and inside of knife. I've heard about lemon oil but was not sure if this would protect the metal in a knife. Just wondering how to best protect my collection for the future.

[tank]

Hi Tim,here is an outstanding thread on knife care and storage.
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... php?t=1539

[justold52]

GEEEEEEE WIZZZ one of my FIRST post July 31 2006...

Man have I come a long way since then.

Thanks for bringing up this. TANK

I still fell this should be in a Tab called Knife Care.
I see many new members asking how to take care of their knives.

[Hukk]

I just would stay away from petroleum products for wood. Just look at the nice old guns that were cleaned with solvents and gun oil, some are literally falling apart. I use the Ren Wax and Simichrome on mine, Rem Oil or WD 40 to clean gunk off blades. The products on the link work very well.

A word on stabilized wood:
I like using stabilized woods when making knives. Some don't like it because it doesn't feel like wood, but on many woods, it intensifies the wood pattern, one reason I like it. Just wipe it off and it's ready to go.
Also it is fairly impervious to oil and solvents, just about anything really.

[justold52]

I hope this HELPS many here at AAPK.

1.)Clean if necessary. I have Flitz
Yes very good with old clean t-shirt. I go in were the blades rest too.
I use Q-tips or a cardboard emery nail file rapped with a CLEAN t-shirt.
This way you can get in between the brass liners,and down in them too.

2.)Use the tuff glide on the joints and on the insides of the knife.
Very Good Just need a drop on the joints only.

3.)Use Ren Wax on blades, bolsters, and backsprings.
I use Ren wax on all the knife even inside.again Q-tip or file with rag.
You NEED to let the wax DRY before removing it. Just like waxing your car. I use that soft cloth to remove the dyed wax. You can wash the rag, but not with any sandy cloths. Some parts of sand will scratch the bolsters bad. Ren wax is like a sealer. What is in stays in and keeps out things that you don't want out like moisture. This will help the handles from drying out and shrinking.

4.A)Use Ren Wax on the handle material. Sort of my question area simply because I find the Ren Wax dries fairly quick and on rougher material does not come of easy.
OK here you need to think some. If it is REAL STAG use a Q-tip clean with Flitz first (the hole knife) except any lettering on the blade or handle. Then ONLY Formbys Lemon Oil (not any other lemon oil) on the stag if some gets on the steel or bolsters its ok. Let sit for a day. wipe off stag with clean rag. Then Ren Wax all the knife.

4.B)Wype down handle material with a very light coating of mineral oil or lemon oil.
This I do not do. My last step is the ren wax. I do not want any thing on top of my sealer (Ren Wax). NOT EVEN FINGER PRINTS.

Well this is what I do. (but Celluloid handles are a different story)

[Hukk]

I keep both latex and Nitrile gloves in my shop. They are not very expensive and for cleaning knives latex will do just fine. May have to change gloves after the first 50 to 100 knives.

[useem]

How can you remove food odor from carbon steel blades? If i cut a lemon, it smells like lemon until i cut the next fruit. Sometimes it smells really strong like STEEL, if i'm making any sense. You know like when you hold pennies in your hand.

[ilikeknives]

My 2 cents:
I used to be a Flitz polish devotee. I learned that the big difference between Flitz and Simichrome is; Flitz has a petroleum base and Simichrome has a latex base. Meaning, Flitz should be cleaned off any part thouroughly before using Ren-Wax (The ONLY sealer TO use) as to not discolor any metal parts or discolor any handle material. I have found Simichrome to be the better and less intrusive of the two. However, Flitz DOES work better at removing scratches on metal surfaces. Use Ren-Wax sparingly, but completely. Some use gloves, I use scads of Microfiber cloths as they require much less elbow grease and WAY less strokes (ie: TIME) to wipe every smudge off before and after Ren-Wax. Mind you, Flitz vs. Simichrome is a debate, perhaps try both and use what you like. I thought I was a Flitz man, all the way. I have since converted, through many an hour of trial and error, to Simichrome.
Hope this helps.-Glenn