Restoring a bit of family history

[winstonsmith]

When rifling through the tool box the other day, I found this old pocket knife. It's a 3 blade Böker deal, but it's all gummed up with rust and paint. Yeah, you heard me, paint. God knows why...

I brought it to my dad and asked him what the deal with it was. He said that it was my great grandfathers. Talk about OLD! Man, if that knife could talk. We don't have many heirlooms in our family, were not big on that. But that makes this one all the more beautiful. I really want to restore this knife, and I'm proud that my dad is allowing me. I can't wait to see this knife in its former beautiful condition.

But I need your help. Man, it's really gummed up with rust. Pictures are forthcoming. The blades are caked with it, the inside is caked with it. It even opens kinda roughly. Luckily the bolsters and rivets are made out of something that doesn't rust. Nickel maybe? This knife is in dire need of help! From what I have heard before, I should get CLR or something and put it on the rusty parts and let it sit for a bit. Then get at it with steel wool or some other rough thing, sandpaper maybe. Then sharpen it like normal. I'm not sure, so before diving in, I'm consulting you guys.

Thanks alot!

Jack

 

[winstonsmith]

As promised, heres the first of four pics:

 

[winstonsmith]

Other side:

 

[winstonsmith]

Logo Detail

 

[winstonsmith]

Blade detail (I have my work cut out for me)

 

[Bruz]

Hey Winston, nice knife...was not abused too bad since the scales do not appear to be cracked. If you are not experienced in making or tearing apart knives I think you have the right idea to take it slow starting with like a 120 grit sandpaper on a hard sanding block, then 240, ending up with 400 to 600. When you are done give it a lite coating of oil and just keep working the blade, hopefully the movement will work the oil in and the crud out.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[Drjones]

Man, what a find! Congrats!

I'd say you should shell out some cash (or guilt your parents into paying for it ) and take it to a good, reputable shop that could clean that thing up for you.

I personally wouldn't want to do it myself...

 

[winstonsmith]

I personally wouldn't want to do it myself...

Yeah, objectively, I wouldnt trust myself neither. But for me, this is sort of a trial, to see if I'm responsible enough to be entrusted to have this heirloom. And guess what? It's coming out all right. To get off the gummed on rust, I used a solution that was one part WD40 and 4 parts elbow grease. Its all cleaned up and opening fine, there are just specks of rust on the blades that wont come off. Is that normal? Is there any way to get it really polished up?

 

[brownie0486]

Get some flitz or metal glo.

Lots of elbow grease.

Brownie

 

[hso]

Send an email with your address and I'll send a rusty old knife restoration kit to you or you can make one of your own.

Art gum eraser (yes, you'd be startled what one can take off)

Tooth brush with soft bristles.

Flitz or Wenol

Light machine oil like 3 in 1


Use the eraser on every exposed tarnished/rusty surface

Brush any remaining tarnish/rust with Wenol

Clean with 3 in 1

Repeat

ibid

 

[winstonsmith]

Thanks anyway, HSO. I can get those things easily enough. You dont have to go through the trouble. Awful nice you though. After I get some metal polisher, I'll post after pics. I bet you guys will be blown away.

 

[AJ Dual]

Pink pencil eraser also works great.

I use it to clean the crud out of my bead-blasted finish on my ATS34 Benchmade/Emerson.