How do you guys clean your knives?

[JaM]

Mineral oil (lamp oil actually), and/or soap and water.

I've thrown my Salt in the dishwasher too, and my Tenacious.
Works fine for me. Just make sure you put some oil in the mechanism afterwards.
Besdies, the Tenacious is a beater anyway. :)

[Fred Sanford]

Dawn dish-washing liquid with hot water and a toothbrush. I keep the water as hot as I can without it burning me. once it's all soaped up I open and close the blade about 10 times letting the suds and soap work into things. I use the toothbrush to scrub the pivot area (while the knife is still fully assembled). Then I rinse with hot water while opening and closing the blade a few times. Dry with a towel. Shake off the water really hard with the blade open. Dry it again with a towel. Dry even further with a canister of compressed air. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Lube pivot area with a few small drops of mineral oil applied with the end of a toothpick. Done deal. Has worked flawlessly for me for the last 6 years.

[fishtale]

I usually just put the Salt in the shower near the drain and let the shampoo make it silky smooth :) Quick rinse, then back in the pocket.

[KLJTech]

This is some very helpful info as I'd like to use my Bravo 2 in the kitchen, I'm a single dad and really need to start cooking our own meals at home rather than eating out so often.

I usually use either RustFree or TUF-Glide wipes on my A2 knives (after blowing them clean with compressed air) but I want to make them safe to use for food prep and then afterward re-coat them before putting them away until the next time their needed.

[JD Spydo]

One time I had 2 Spyders get really greasy and grimey and I very carefully took a soft bristle toothbrush with some mineral spirits ( paint thinner) and very carefully removed the automotive greases from the 2 Spyders. I then took rubbing alcohol and got what remaining solvent residue off the blades and handle assembly. After that I took a strong solution of Blue Dawn dishwashing soap and carefully finished the cleaning.

Times I've had a bit of flash rust on certain areas of my Spyder users I've used that great scouring powder called "Bar Keeper's Friend" with a soft bristle toothbrush. In 90% of the cases I've found that BKF is great for minor rust removal and it doesn't leave the blade looking like it's been scrubbed with any type of abrasive ( which is what I really like about BKF).

Then when cleaning is done I use either Millitec or one of the other space age lubricants for the moving parts of the folders. On fixed blades I use Flitz metal wax on them after cleaning.

[Jowens]

Is it wise to "Flitz" up a brand new blade? Will that help put a protective coating on it?

I just bought a couple of new Spydies, so the blades aren't broken in yet, but was wondering if going ahead and putting on some Flitz would help keep them in tip top shape?

[butterknife]

I use lukewarm water and and a paper towel for most cleaning. Then lube it back up with 3-in-1 oil when it's dried out.

I have to clean out bearings and other tiny metal parts pretty often, and my go-to source of gunk remover is lighter fluid or mineral spirits (paint thinner).
I avoid rubbing alcohol like the plague, because it almost always contains water to thin out the ethanol. When ethanol strips away the oil and evaporates, it leaves trace amounts of water that evaporates quickly, and can cause oxidation. I'm sure the tougher steels of blades are more resistant to that kind of corrosion, but it's just a carryover from my other work. I've seen too many bearings that got rusted out because of some new guy and his rubbing alcohol.
Mineral spirits have no oxidizing agents in them whatsoever. And they evaporate quickly.

For food knives, hot water and soap, followed by a thorough drying before going back in the block.

[Lord Bear]

For gummy tape residue, 100% acetone and paper towel. It's cheap, readily available and works fast.

[Toad310]

Hot water and dish soap with a brush in the kitchen sink, air compressor, then Tuf-Glige, and Tuf-Colth.

They come out perfect!

Great thing about our hot days, and desert air, is that if you just set them outside they dry in just minutes.

Toad

[Bluntrauma]

I have found to get something gummy off the blade quickly just squirt a little lighter fluid on it and wipe it off. Works great for me.

[p3pe]

I was advised to use a hairdryer to heat up the knife after applying Militec-1. i used a 1600w dryer, and the knife got very hot. I am concerned about ruining the heat treatment. Does anyone know what that would take? (in celcius please)

[The Deacon]

Exact figure probably varies a bit by steel, but it would have to be well over 100º celcius, and probably over 150º. A heat gun might be able to get a blade hot enough to be a problem, but I doubt a hair dryer could.

[p3pe]

It got to hot to touch for more than a fraction of a second, but I didnt get burned by it.

[The Deacon]

It got to hot to touch for more than a fraction of a second, but I didnt get burned by it.

"Too hot to touch for long" is not really all that hot. It would be well below the boiling point of water, probably somewhere between 150º and 180º F (65º and 82º C) for most folks.

[p3pe]

Thanks, I got really concerned.

Got a little to exited of the Militec-1 properties used with heat. I would not do it again. I focused the heat mostly on the liners and lock, but steel leeds heat very well.

[feed_the_animals]

would olive oil as a lubricant work on a knife that often used to cut food? of course it will be washed with soap and water before the olive oil.

Speaking from experience, I too would say mineral oil over olive oil. Olive oil is too viscous. It loves to attract lint and grime and it can make the action stiff in cold weather, not that that would be a major concern where you live.

[Evil D]

Soap and warm water usually. Then spray it out with compressed air until nothing sprays out of it anymore, then oil the pivot.

[Frapiscide]

Usually hot water and soap to clean off the blade. If I need to relube, I like to take the knife apart and wipe off the old lube buildup and relube. This voids the warranty, though.