care questions

[xyzkum]

I am, of course, concerned with maintaining my hoard as best as I can. Is there a preferred means of maintaining the surfaces for longer term storage? My collection are mostly NIB and stainless, although the number of carbon steel items is growing. Will a light wiping of the blades with a quality oil work? WD40? Is there any product that I should avoid due to possible discoloration of the steels or handle material? Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks - and by the way, this site has been extremely informative!

[Desert Golfer]

A Good coat of Renaissance Wax is what many of us use. Wipe on a good coat, wait a few seconds and wipe it smooth. Mike

[robpa]

Yep. a drop of oil for the joints.

[Mumbleypeg]

Please don’t use WD-40 as a protectant - there are many better products available. We all have our favorites, but Renaissance Wax (aka RenWax) is widely used and many swear by it. I use it also but my personal preference is Tuf-Glide (and its sister product Tuf-Cloth). I’ve used it over 20 years - it has never failed me, even in challenging situations. Used as directed it’s also easier to use than RenWax. I also highly recommend Sackups for storing and protecting your knives, and desiccant is also a good idea.

RenWax will also do a good job protecting the blades and is better for protecting handle materials, especially natural ones like bone or stag. With either Tuf-Glide or RenWax you’ll find that, used as directed, a little goes a long way.

Your question is one that is frequently asked. A keyword search here for “storage” will find hundreds of posts on the topic of storing and protecting your collection.

Ken

[garddogg56]

WD40=water displacement NOT a lubricant

[rea1eye]

All posted answers great advice. Inspect each knife yearly
and clean any surface irregularities and then recoat as
necessary. You would be surprised how some surfaces never
change yet some do.

Bob