Cleaning pocket knives

[Aladinsane]

Hi! New member here, and I was wondering what everyone uses to clean and maintain their pocketknives? I use a Sharpmaker for sharpening, but was also wondering how you clean out the flug from the pivot and inside between the scales, oiling the pivot, etc…. I would like to coggle a kit together from what I can find at the hardware store. Any advice?? Thank you!

[Mk-211]

There are all kinds of kits out there that you can buy.

https://www.knafs.com/collections/knife-maintenance

I would buy a torx kit for all the small screws on your knife. Some pipe cleaners and Q-tips for cleaning. That and an small oil bottle with a needle tip, to get started.

[Aladinsane]

There are all kinds of kits out there that you can buy.

https://www.knafs.com/collections/knife-maintenance

I would buy a torx kit for all the small screws on your knife. Some pipe cleaners and Q-tips for cleaning. That and an small oil bottle with a needle tip, to get started.

Thank you! I’d never heard of Knafs. Definitely need some tiny torx drivers. Ah yes pipe cleaners too!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Welcome to the forum. Great question.

[TkoK83Spy]

There's a lot of threads around here regarding maintenance on knives, just have to do a little searching.

[RustyIron]

These are pocket knives, not space shuttles.

If the knife is covered in filth, put it under the faucet in the kitchen sink and squirt some dish soap on it. If there's stubborn goop in there, use a Q-Tip. If the scrunge doesn't dissolve in warm water and soap, hose it down with brake cleaner or WD40. Maybe you'll want to use Windex or alcohol. It's doesn't really matter.

When you're done cleaning the knife and you've dried it, you can put a drop of oil on any of the pivoting or sliding surfaces, as well as the non-stainless metal. You can buy fancy-pants oil with pretty labeling for $20 an ounce, or you can use whatever you use on your guns, sewing machines, machine tools, or roller skates. Again, we're not building rocket ships here.

[Aladinsane]

These are pocket knives, not space shuttles.

If the knife is covered in filth, put it under the faucet in the kitchen sink and squirt some dish soap on it. If there's stubborn goop in there, use a Q-Tip. If the scrunge doesn't dissolve in warm water and soap, hose it down with brake cleaner or WD40. Maybe you'll want to use Windex or alcohol. It's doesn't really matter.

When you're done cleaning the knife and you've dried it, you can put a drop of oil on any of the pivoting or sliding surfaces, as well as the non-stainless metal. You can buy fancy-pants oil with pretty labeling for $20 an ounce, or you can use whatever you use on your guns, sewing machines, machine tools, or roller skates. Again, we're not building rocket ships here.

Great points! Thank you for your reply. I’m getting back into knives after being away for several years and am interested in learning more about how to do things properly. I wasn’t involved in any forums back then, so I’m wanting to find more out from people who know!

[vivi]

I agree, keep it simple:

- Mineral oil for lube or coating carbon blades
- Q tips for cleaning pivots and lubing them
- Hot soap and water + green scouring pads to clean scales loaded with grease and oils (everyones micarta here lol)
- bar keepers friend to scrub away rust
- Rubbing alcohol can also be useful for cleaning pivots and washers before re-lubing

[Aladinsane]

I agree, keep it simple:

- Mineral oil for lube or coating carbon blades
- Q tips for cleaning pivots and lubing them
- Hot soap and water + green scouring pads to clean scales loaded with grease and oils (everyones micarta here lol)
- bar keepers friend to scrub away rust
- Rubbing alcohol can also be useful for cleaning pivots and washers before re-lubing

Thank you!

[XjJunky]

Faucet, Dawn dish soap, toothbrush and a air compressor is all I use. I live in the desert so no oil needed.

[Ankerson]

These are pocket knives, not space shuttles.

If the knife is covered in filth, put it under the faucet in the kitchen sink and squirt some dish soap on it. If there's stubborn goop in there, use a Q-Tip. If the scrunge doesn't dissolve in warm water and soap, hose it down with brake cleaner or WD40. Maybe you'll want to use Windex or alcohol. It's doesn't really matter.

When you're done cleaning the knife and you've dried it, you can put a drop of oil on any of the pivoting or sliding surfaces, as well as the non-stainless metal. You can buy fancy-pants oil with pretty labeling for $20 an ounce, or you can use whatever you use on your guns, sewing machines, machine tools, or roller skates. Again, we're not building rocket ships here.

Exactly.

K.I.S.S.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Faucet, Dawn dish soap, toothbrush and a air compressor is all I use. I live in the desert so no oil needed.

That is good. What about WD 40?

[zuludelta]

Lots of good tips already posted, but I'll add that WD40 and a rag or paper towel are pretty good for cleaning adhesive tape residue on the blade in a pinch (I don't do this on knives I use for food, though).

I used to take apart my primary work folder every 6 months or so to do a total cleaning and check the liners/hardware/pivot area for rust, but these days I mostly just resort to blowing any dirt out with compressed air & using a pipe cleaner & an old toothbrush for more stubborn gunk in the knife's nooks & crannies.

[XjJunky]

Faucet, Dawn dish soap, toothbrush and a air compressor is all I use. I live in the desert so no oil needed.

That is good. What about WD 40?

No WD 40, not a big fan of the smell. I just blow it out real good with the compressor. For adhesives I just use rubbing alcohol.

[Ankerson]

Faucet, Dawn dish soap, toothbrush and a air compressor is all I use. I live in the desert so no oil needed.

That is good. What about WD 40?

Works great to get glue etc off the blade, just spray on, wait a min and wipe it off.

Easy WD-40 removal, just spray Windex on the blade and wipe it off and done.

[jwbnyc]

I clean my knives with oil. It works well to remove adhesives too. The only time I use soap and water is for use with food.

[JSumm]

I agree with simple. Dawn dish soap and Bark Keepers Friend are always under my sink for cleaning. Mineral oil is under there as well. I use it for wood cutting boards and a wood bar top in my basement. I also use mineral oil for pivot lube. It is stupid cheap and thin enough to get to difficult places and low enough viscosity that I do not feel it builds up too much grime. I do use WD-40 for cleaning slip joints or knives I cannot dissasemble.

There are a lot cool products out there specifically made/marketed to the knife industry. I am sure they are great and they do have some cool applicators, so go for it if you want. I just find too many uses for Dawn, BKF, and Mineral Oil to buy anything else. They are cheap and you get a lot.

[jwbnyc]

EDCI is good for corrosion protection.

[JSumm]

Vasoline works great for corrosion protection too. Plus it is cheap and comes in large containers.

[Paul Ardbeg]

This is my go to. And some q-tips come in handy as well. Get a good set of torx bits.