I cleaned some M4 today

[bdblue]

I've been carrying my Manix2 XL M4 for the past few days. I noticed a touch of surface rust on it so I wiped it off yesterday. I had the idea this morning to clean my various carbon steel blades and put some protection on them.

Mostly my knives pick up tape residue from cutting open packages, but I also occasionally cut an apple or something like that. I noticed that there is a sharp corner at the end of the plunge line on my PM2s, This corner can collect dirt and I think that can lead to more chance of corrosion, plus from a fracture mechanics standpoint this is not a good location for corrosion pitting. I think Spyderco would do good to put a gentle radius here when they are grinding instead of a sharp corner, but until then the owners should watch this area and be diligent about keeping it clean.

I cleaned 5 blades in M4, one each in Rex45, K390 and Cruwear. The closest thing I had handy for protection was Renaissance Wax which is a little tricky to work with. Then I remembered that I had a small bottle of protective coating sold by A.G. Russell so I'll try that next time. Amazingly all that cleaning and wiping and rubbing, no cuts anywhere on my fingers.

[Bill1170]

Chapstick works as a moisture barrier on blades, and it’s food safe.

[prndltech]

I use ballistol for, well... everything.

Guns, blades, leather, wood, etc. it’s non toxic, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it but ya know...

[nerdlock]

Personally I use Froglube on my GB2. The blade smells like mint afterward, makes you want to lick it. Lol.

[odomandr]

I like frog lube too. I wipe the paste all over the blade then set it in the sun to get warm. It becomes viscous and does a great job getting into the pores a bit and leaves a slick surface that just feels nice too. I didn't like the way edci left it feeling squeaky clean. And I don't like the way balistol smells. 2md on the pleasant frog lube minty

[M Sea]

Personally I use Froglube on my GB2. The blade smells like mint afterward, makes you want to lick it. Lol.

Ha!! That's awesome.

[The Mastiff]

The closest thing I had handy for protection was Renaissance Wax which is a little tricky to work with.

I have been using it on mine for years now. I clean the knives off and then wax. If the surface has scratches or deep grinds I give it a second coat. The micropolishing effect makes the knives look really good and I don't seem to ever get rust with wax on it. I find it super easy to use and it takes very little time. I keep clean cloths just for the waxing. If there is grit particles trapped in the cloth it can scratch the blade. Oil on the rag or blade messes up the application. Other than that I find it as easy and fast as using that liquid silicone from A.G.Russell.

[bdblue]

The closest thing I had handy for protection was Renaissance Wax which is a little tricky to work with.

I have been using it on mine for years now.

Renaissance wax dries pretty hard, and mine is somewhat dried out so once you put it on the blade it dries fast. I found that if I put it on both sides of the blade then pick up a cloth for buffing, the first wax put on was dry and hard to wipe off. On the rest of the knives I put the wax on one side at a time then buffed. I was buffing the wax off by pushing my finger against the back side of an old sock, I didn't want to do vigorous buffing near a sharp edge with my fingertip just behind a layer of cloth.

[kobold]

Personally I use Froglube on my GB2. The blade smells like mint afterward, makes you want to lick it. Lol.

Ha!! That's awesome.

Famous last words. :p

[kobold]

The only correct answer is bacon.

[dj moonbat]

The only correct answer is bacon.

This is true for so many questions.

[The Mastiff]

Renaissance wax dries pretty hard, and mine is somewhat dried out so once you put it on the blade it dries fast

I have to wait for mine to dry a little before buffing it. Maybe my can is newer and not as dry?

Joe

[Bolster]

If you use your knife to prepare food, is there a better option than mineral oil? Or is that about as good as it gets?

[odomandr]

I think both frog lube and edci are food safe.

[JD Spydo]

I use ballistol for, well... everything.

Guns, blades, leather, wood, etc. it’s non toxic, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it but ya know...

I like BALLISTOL myself and use it for a lot of different cleaning and lubrication jobs. However when it comes to seriously cleaning any stainless blade I mostly use "Bar Keeper's Friend". BKF is a cleanser type product that you can get at most grocery and hardware stores along with big box stores like Target, Walmart ect. You can get the really tall cans at Target for right at $2. If I ever find anything that can clean and polish stainless like BFK then I start

I like the fact that it doesn't leave abrasive scratches and it removes any type of corrosion about as safely as anything I've ever used. But if any of you know of any better product I would love to try it.

[Bolster]

I think both frog lube and edci are food safe.

Looks like you are correct, both say nontoxic. Wonder what they are made of? The idea of a non-petrolium based rust inhibitor blows my mind a little.

However when it comes to seriously cleaning any stainless blade I mostly use "Bar Keeper's Friend".

Good tip. Tried it this evening on an M4 blade and it removed most of the discoloration. Thanks JD!

[odomandr]

I think frog lube is coconut oil based. That's all unconfirmed but what I have found mentioned in multiple places and seems to be the concensus best guess. Frog lube read this and giggles probably. Edci I am unsure. I don't prefer it over frog lube but I'll continue to try it and see if I find a benefit to it. The frog lube did well with vegetable juices from the garden in the fall but I failed to give the edci I comparison test

[prndltech]

I use ballistol for, well... everything.

Guns, blades, leather, wood, etc. it’s non toxic, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it but ya know...

I like BALLISTOL myself and use it for a lot of different cleaning and lubrication jobs. However when it comes to seriously cleaning any stainless blade I mostly use "Bar Keeper's Friend". BKF is a cleanser type product that you can get at most grocery and hardware stores along with big box stores like Target, Walmart ect. You can get the really tall cans at Target for right at $2. If I ever find anything that can clean and polish stainless like BFK then I start

I like the fact that it doesn't leave abrasive scratches and it removes any type of corrosion about as safely as anything I've ever used. But if any of you know of any better product I would love to try it.

I use BKF on sharpmaker rods and sharpening stones and many other things around the house. Never had to get that serious on cleaning a knife blade :D I’ve never bothered polishing them.