All About Pocket Knives

Hi folks.

I'm new here, and also new to the finer points (heh heh) in knife maintenance for that matter.

I have a Robeson 633594 Premium Stock. It probably isn't worth much but it does have a lot of sentimental value. It belonged to my grandfather, and I intend to pass it along to a family member soon.

The problem is that upon pulling it out of a storage box, where it has remained for decades, I found to my disappointment that the surfaces have deteriorated. You see, I was a dumb-s... earlier in life (well, maybe I still am) because I didn't keep any kind of preservative on it.

I'm hoping there is someone out there who is willing and able to advise me in how best to restore the knife to a more satisfactory condition prior to giving it away. Or possibly recommend an expert that could do a better job than I can. I certainly don't want to make it any worse than it currently is.

I think the knife was manufactured sometime in the mid-forties or so. Apparently the blades are some kind of carbon steel, because they do appear to be magnetic. Would the blades be chromed? If so, will I be able to remove sufficient material to restore the shine without removing the chrome too? It doesn't appear that the surface pitting is very deep.

Also, according to the information I found on RobesonRme.com, the Bolsters and Liners are nickel-silver. What would be the best abrasive to use in restoring them?

Structurally, the knife appears to be in good condition. I can't see any problems other than the cosmetic issues mentioned above.

The pictures don't do a very good job of showing the surface imperfections, but it's the best I could get.

I will appreciate any help.

Thank you

Hey Edge,
I am no expert by far. But I use semichrome to polish the bolsters and shields on my knives. It will work on the blades as well if they are not to far gone. As far as the handles, I use mineral oil on them. But there will be someone else who knows more about this subject than I do. This is what I do. Oh, be sure to use a soft rag. I use cotton t-shirts.

I agree on the Simichrome paste (or Metalglow) for cleaning/polishing the blades.

If there is crusty rust on the blades, use another knife blade to scrape away the rust, then use the Simichrome on a cloth rag to polish the blades.

You won't get the blade back to a mirror shine (they would need to be refinished with an abrasive for a true polish), but the knife will look better.

When you are finished cleaning the knife, make sure you oil the joints and wipe a thin film of oil on the blades. Mineral oil is fine for this.

And since the handles are plastic, no need to oil them.

--Karl

Hey guys, thanks for the responses and the advice.

I'll give the simichrome a try and see how it goes. In most of the problem areas, it just appears as more of a discoloration. However, in the two darkest areas on the big blade, you can feel a difference in the surface texture when you run a fingernail across it.

I'll report back with the results.

Thanks again.

simichrome or metal glo will shien the surfaces of the blades, backsprings, liners, and bolsters, but it will not remove any metal to take out the pits in the blades and any nicks, dings or dents in the bolsters, fr that you are either going to need a a professional re-work or you could shine it and leave it at that.

Hiya Edge,

Not having the knife "in hand", just looking at the pictures - I would start with steel wool on the blades, to take off the active rust. Then dip the blades in boiling water to kill the oxidation, followed by a metal polish.

I picked up the boiling water tip, when I was piddling with guns. I don't know any law of physics to explain it, but it seems to work for me. Obviously you don't wanna leave the blades in the water too long, or that'll accelerate the rust - just long enough to bring it up to temp.

I'm no expert by any means, but that's how I would tackle the job.

G'luck,
JR

Hey there JR,

Thanks for the tip. I appreaciate the response and I'm looking forward to trying that technique on a few other items.

Have a good one.