All About Pocket Knives

I have recently purchased some older knives that need some cleaning and some just need polishing. I am learning more and more how important it is to do properly, so I was wondering where to start.

What should I use for polishing and should I use a different paste or polish for harsher cleaning? Is there a certain way to clean surface rust? I dont have many to work on but the ones that need work are pretty valuable so I dont want to mess it up!

All the knives are Case so they will be high carbon or stainless blades. I apologize if there is another thread on this topic but I couldn't find any.

I appreciate your advice! Thanks!

I recommend Flitz Metal Polish and a Flitz rag.....for polishing.

Steel wool and wd-40 are my tools for early stage cleaning.

Sandpaper (different grits) for deep cleaning....all mixed with elbow grease!!

For surface rust, a #2 lead pencil works great. It's gentle, doesn't remove patina and in addition to the surface rust it scrubs off any gunk that may be on the blades.

I recommend a sonic cleaner for hidden gunk (blade joints and blade wells). A decent one can be had for $2x.xx to somewhere around $100. It really gets to the hidden dirt and grime. A couple of drops of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in warm water does a nice job. Run two or three cycles, then rinse in warm water, blow dry with the air hose and lubricate. It's been my experience that the sonic cleaner is gentle enough to be safe for any handle material that can be dunked in water. I've lost count of the number of knives that have had the snap restored or improved after taking a bath in a sonic cleaner. Of course if the tangs are worn, nothing but a knife mechanic can fix that condition.

Some will stop there. If you decide to go further, as Scott said, Flitz works well as does Mother's Mag, Brasso and other metal polishes. However, they do tend to remove some of the patina. Those polishes are great for nickel silver bolsters and brass liners. For blades, not quite as gentle as a lead pencil but not more than a half step harsher.

Next step would be 4-0 steel wool. If you like, you can combine this with Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish (available at any auto supply store or maybe Walmart). I only recommend steel wool for the blades. In my opinion, it's too abrasive for the bolsters unless they happen to be steel or iron.

For old and valuable knives, my opinion is sandpaper is the court of last resort. Now you're removing metal and along with it, the patina. This is a personal choice depending on the knife in question.

For valuable knives, caution is the watchword. If you're nervous about taking the next step, don't.

For me, I find it alarming that sandpaper is mentioned at all. There must be many other ways to clean or polish a knife if that's what you have to do.

I appreciate all the info. Great advice. Never heard of a pencil!

Most of them are blade and bolster polishes. Is that wheel and aluminum polish a good last step before the oil/last coat before storage?

And where can I get a sonic washer? Most of them are also stag so is that ok to use with the sonic washer?

One guy recommended using the Rem wipes to wipe the metal surfaces before storage just like when I clean my guns. Does that sound reasonable? Don't want any issues later.

Thanks again guys!!!

http://www.harborfreight.com/ultrasonic ... -3305.html
Here's one for not a big investment.

Sonic cleaners are great. I have 2 in my shop, a small one and a larger one like in the link posted above.
They save me hours of cleaning time every month!

I also use 3M Micron Polishing Paper: http://www.knifemaking.com/category-s/870.htm
The type of abrasive leaves a much finer scratch pattern than sandpiper.
If you polish bolsters with it and finish with the 8000 grit (1 micron) it is almost as good a shine as jewelers rogue on a muslin buff. And it does not remove a lot of metal.

FRJ wrote:For me, I find it alarming that sandpaper is mentioned at all. There must be many other ways to clean or polish a knife if that's what you have to do.

If the corrosion and pitting are soooooooooooo bad, there is no other way. I wasn't sure of the depth of his "polishing" required.

Thanks again for all the info. I really appreciate the knowledge and expertise you guys have. The last thing I want to do is ruin a nice knife because I didn't ask......