Cleaning folding knives in soap water

[metalhed]

I will share my experiences with knife cleaning, all Spydercos.
When returning after Elk, Deer or Antelope hunting, I fill a large plastic cup up with hot water and dish soap. In go the knives, hour or two later out they come for some scrubbing and cleaning, rinsing with plenty of water. Then into the same cup but now with hot water and Bleach. Hour or so and rinse and dry. Light oil when dry and back into the pocket or pack.

I have done this with all my Spyderco knives used while hunting-- Kiwi, Native, SypderSaw, SS Robin, Cara Cara, Ladybug, etc

Never a problem. If I see a spot or tarnish= hit it with Flitz

[wec12]

Hm, I like the idea of using bleach. Wondering if bleach would have any negative impact on Spydies?

[chuck_roxas45]

I will share my experiences with knife cleaning, all Spydercos.
When returning after Elk, Deer or Antelope hunting, I fill a large plastic cup up with hot water and dish soap. In go the knives, hour or two later out they come for some scrubbing and cleaning, rinsing with plenty of water. Then into the same cup but now with hot water and Bleach. Hour or so and rinse and dry. Light oil when dry and back into the pocket or pack.

I have done this with all my Spyderco knives used while hunting-- Kiwi, Native, SypderSaw, SS Robin, Cara Cara, Ladybug, etc

Never a problem. If I see a spot or tarnish= hit it with Flitz

Is the bleach for disinfection?

[defenestrate]

Hm, I like the idea of using bleach. Wondering if bleach would have any negative impact on Spydies?

If they sit in the bleach long enough, depending on strength, yes there could be issues unless you are using H1 (and even H1 will corrode nastily in really highly concentrated chlorine conditions, though you're talking about highly toxic and corrosive conditions for most substances..

[bladese97]

Spyderholics ... so true :D The amount of knives some members here have, scares me :rolleyes:

Lol I know :eek:
I have roughly 400 in my collection, but sadly only 60-70 "ish" are Spydercos.

John

[Joe_Karp]

I use hot soapy water followed by the blow dryer set to the lowest setting, and then apply a drop of Tuff-Glide to each side of the pivot. I most always do this if a knife comes in used and gummy and otherwise only if the knife gets gummed up from food or meat prep.

[metalhed]

I use the Bleach to disinfect. Deer and Elk in Colorado could have Chronic Wasting Disease. Better safe than sorry.

I only use a cap full at most to a 30-50 oz cup

[jackknifeh]

Since the concern about cleaning the pivot with water is corrosion I think preventative lubrication and the different types of lubricant should be mentioned. A couple of years ago I was introduced to Sentry Solutions products, one of which is Tuf-Glide and the Tuf-Cloth as someone else mentioned in this discussion. Tuf-Glide is supposed to bond with the metal at a molecular level and leave a virtually permanent moisture barrier on the metal. I have been very happy with this product. Another lube I've heard about and just ordered is Quick Release. This stuff is supposed to leave the same permanent barrier and also be a far superior lubricant. Testimonies on their web site are very flatering to the Quick Release product.

Another type is parafin based lubricants. They leave a wax layer of protection against moisture as well as providing a good lubricant. I've been using the brand "Finish Line" and I like it. The wax lubes are used on bicycles and outside equipment where the environment is usually far worse than a folding should be exposed to on a regular basis.

Anyway there are products available now that I don't think were available when I was a kid and a firm believer in WD-40 and 3-in-one oil and disciplined use of them on knives will protect them from dirt and moisture gotten from normal use as well as protection from cleaning under the kitchen faucet. I started buying better (and more expensive) knives about 5 years ago which got me doing research in taking care of them. I've still got a lot to learn of course and maybe someone else could use this info as well. Please don't take my word for very much. Check it out for yourself to get a good understanding about lubrication.

Luck to all
Jack

[TrojanDonkey]

I live in the hot humid south.My Spydies live in my hotter more humid pockets.No rust yet on my VG10 blades.If the water is hot when you rinse it the knife will almost flash dry.Just like cleaning black powder guns with HOT water.It evaporates quickly if the steel is hot.I sometimes use computer cleaning cotton swabs that fit in the handle or WD 40 it.I am low on those swabs,they were given to me by a neighbor.Glad you like the Tenacious.Eventually I will get a SE and PE version.Great for the $ One thing I think was'nt metioned. City water has chlorine in it which causes more rust.Well water doesnt have chlorine.Copper pipes rust much quicker with city water vs well water.I just moved into the city 2 months ago-need to keep my eye on knives better now.

[davibocce]

Jack, thanks for the thoughts on lube. For the Tuf-Glide to bind with the metal, do you need to take the knife apart, and apply Tuf-Glide directly to the surface of metal/washer/liners?

For now, I just use mineral oil and put a small drop on each side of the blade with tip up, and let the oil move into the pivot area by gravity.

TrojanDonkey, if I live in hot humid area, I would get Salt to combat sweating - in fact I am thinking of getting a pair of Pacific Salt + Salt I for hiking/beach time.

[jackknifeh]

Dayliu,

You don't need to take your knife apart. The oil will get in all areas by working the blade back and forth several times. Check out Tuf-Glide at Sentrysolutions.com as well as their other products. Their Tuf-cloth works with the Tuf-Glide for applying to metal surfaces.

About taking apart a folding knife I called Spyderco the other day when I got one of the Michael Walker knives which I really like. It is now my favorite small knife (that I own) to carry all the time. In the advertisement they state it is put together with screws (instead of rivits I guess). I wanted to know if screws were used to make it possible for the user to take it apart for cleaning. I was told that taking the knife apart would void the warranty. I thought that was strange since they sell replacement parts for some of their knives. I plan on getting a confirmation on this. If anyone else has info on this I would appreciate any input.

Thanks,
Jack

[defenestrate]

jackknifeh,
While screw constructed :spyder: s can be taken apart, there is really no function in which they should really need to be that they shouldn't probably go back to the factory for. The only parts really sold regularly are clips and screws (mostly clip screws IIRC but they may have some for the rest of the knives as well, particularly if any are prone to wear down like pivot pin screws, etc.). There *is* an internet parts rebuild kit for both the D4 and E4. My suspicion is that if you take it apart and put it back together CORRECTLY, you wouldn't hear a peep if you sent it in, but officially, Spyderco does not want ELUs (End Line Users) to do this generally as the tendency for problems that are NOT the result of manufacture or materials defects to arise is greatly multiplied. So unless you are planning to modify a knife (also voiding the warranty generally), it is probably ill-advised, and many of the folks who have done so will advise against it if for no better reason than that it is a PITA to reassemble many of these for someone who doesn't work on them all the time. I have disassembled my Byrd Crow and though it is not nearly as difficult as some knives would be, it still took more fiddling than I expected to make everything go back together correctly.

[jackknifeh]

Keeping the joint clean and corrosion free has been a concern of mine also. The only knives I've had problems with are ones that haven't been used for a few years. Poor corrosion protection on my part. I've used 3-in-one and WD-40 all my life and never complained.

Now there are lubricants that claim to bond permanently to the steel to provide lubrication and moisture resistance. Then the liquid dries in a few minutes and leaves a protection on the steel than you "can't wipe off" to Quote Sentry Solution, Inc. who sells Tuf-Glide which is what I use. They also have a special cloth with the protectant built into it. Check them out at sentrysolutions.com.

Another lubricant that claims similar things is Quick Release. http://www.quickreleaseoil.com.

Another one that is interesting is parafin (wax) based oil used a lot for bicycles. This type of oil is highly recommended by another knife company. There are several brands (some made by the same company meaning the exact same oil). The only one I've tried and liked is Finish Line. http://www.finishlineusa.com

What I've tried to get at is as soon as you get a knife start protecting it from dirt and moisture. I have used WD-40 in to past to get rid of rust on pliers that wouldn't budge but wouldn't have had to do that if I had protected them first.

After all that you won't need to worry about running your pivot under the faucet, moving it around, then blow dry with compressed air, or let air dry and it should be ok. I think sweaty hands are your worst enemy so never pick your knife up with your hands. Just kidding.

I think lubrication is an important issue with any metal tools. I've worked near the ocean a lot where corrosion is terrible because of the salt in the air. Maybe a new thread on this subject would be good.