Care and Cleaning of your knives

[garrettwc]

I'm curious.

We always see lots of threads about the best cleaning routine, the best lube, CLP, etc. for our toys that go bang. But I have never really seen anything like that on knives.

When I was a kid all I ever saw dad with was a whetstone and a can of 3-n-1 oil. But with some of the better knives out there costing as much as a good pistol I would think there is more to it than that.

What does a knife require in care and maintenance? What is the routine you use? Do you use anything special?

 

[Al Thompson]

For sharpening, I've recently been exposed to the Spyderco Sharpmaker and it's essentially retired the rest of my sharpening stuff. It's about $55 but well worth it.

Care - I use Flitz or Gunbrite on my blades - keeps rust off and removes stains.

Pivot points on pocket knives get a drop of Tetra Oil. I suspect a good dry lube would be better, but I haven't found one I like.

 

[brownie0486]

The put aways are wet with clp on all exposed metal and sit in knife rugs.

The users are oiled with clp on the blades and thats it. I do not lubricate the pivot areas of the folders and prefer them dry. They are less apt to collect pocket lint, grit, grime, etc when left dry which reduces the possibility of gumming up the mechanism/pivot.

Never had issues with any of the knives I've had in this regard.

My carry knives [ for defense ] get a light coat of clp and wiped semi-dry and put into the pocket. When one hands their knife for another to handle and that person feels he has to leave his prints all over the blade I can just wipe the knife down with a tissue or sleeve of the shirt and it wipes clean.

When i get home that day I re-oil and wipe it down again leaving a light film of oil on the steel for the next time someone wants to fondle the blade.

Brownie

 

[Griff]

CLP, a toothbrush and pipe cleaner, and a Lansky (or whatever your choice may be, lots of good ones out there) sharpener; effective, simple stuff works best for me.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

Ditto CLP - good stuff.

 

[garrettwc]

Thanks for the input guys.

Sounds like it's a KISS process. And I can use the stuff I already have on hand for firearms maintenance.

Someone mentioned the Lansky sharpeners. This is an area where I am totally lost. Do these sharpening kits dummy proof the process?

 

[Al Thompson]

The Lansky does simplify things. I have one, but like the Spyderco much better.

 

[gryphon]

I like the Lanskey set. It is a bit on the "dummy" proof side. I think it's best assets are that it gives you a way of keeping a consistent angle on the edge and it doesn't scratch up the side of you knife while sharpening.

This is my first set of sharpeners, and I am new to sharpening my own blades, and this set has given me immediate success.

 

[dustind]

How does clp compare to hoppe's? I used hoppe's on my knife and it made my blade look cloudy.

 

[hso]

I use White Lightning (bike chain lube/antirust) and allow to "dry". I then wipe down with a Sentry Solutions Marine Tuff Cloth. I use this approach on everything from 440C to 5160 to damascus and don't have rust problems even here in the temperate rain forest of eastern Tennessee. I touch up every few weeks.

For sharpening I find that the Spyderco, Gatco, or Lansky products produce similar results if I do my part, i.e. form a wire edge and remove it properly. I can do it with flat stones and hand held "sticks", but prefer the V kits for functionality. I keep a large Gatco ceramic rod in one in my desk drawers for edgetation (medetation by sharpening )

A recent article in Blade magazine evaluated everything from WD40 to Renesance Wax to bowling aley wax and found that a furniture restoring wax (carnuba wax in solvent) resisted rust better than everything I'd ever used. Tempted to try it.

 

[brownie0486]

HSO:

A new word, I like it.

The meaning is great.

Brownie