How do you normally clean your pinned knives?

[mrappraisit]

I spent all weekend re-doing my landscape drip lines around the pool. I used my Native II PE extensively to cut the 1/8" drip line, and the 1/2"main lines, no surprise it handled the cutting like a champ. But now I have noticed a gritty sound (lots of dirt in the garden) coming from the pivot, and the knife doesn't open as smoothly as normal. I have cleaned out all the "visible" crud from between the scales and such, but was wondering what you guy's use to get the pivot area on pinned knives clean? I have thought of a few ways to clean it, but thought I would ask first since some of you are much more experienced with :spyder: than myself.
BTW, Does anybody else get a warm and fuzzy feeling when they get to use a :spyder: all day long? :D

[WinstonWolf]

Air Compressor, then relube with a dry lube like Slide-All, should be good as new.

[araneae]

I would give mine a bath in dish soap & warm water. Scrub around the pivot with a brush. Dry. Spray the pivot thoroughly with WD-40 to remove any thing still left. Wipe off excess and let dry. Lubricate with a good lube- I use mineral oil, or Militec.

[Steel Vader]

Don't laugh. This has always worked very well for me with pinned knives.

1. Close the knife.

2. Place in a ziploc bag.

3. Fill the bag about half full with rubbing alcohol.

4. Close the bag and zip it shut. Be sure to leave some air in the bag.

5. Turn the bag sideways and hold each side in one hand.

6. Tip the bag back and forth repeatedly to "swish" the alcohol through the knife.

7. Empty the dirty alcohol, and repeat steps #3 - #6 as needed.

8. Remove the knife from the bag.

9. Open the blade.

10. Wash the blade with soap and water. You can avoid using water in the handle area if you wish, and just let the alcohol evaporate out of the "innards" of the knife.

11. Let dry in the open position.

12. Relube the pivot if necessary with the lube of your choice.

-SV-

[D-Roc]

Or you could give it to a mechanic buddy or someone who works in a shop- I soak mine in penetrating oil for about an hour, then clean in the parts tank with solvent, after that throw it in the Typhoon then rinse with clean water and blow out with compressed air- good as new.
A can of brakleen and a can of that compressed air used for keyboards would work for those who don't have that access

[Agent Starling]

good thread...I bought 2 Meerkats last year...1 opened smooth as silk...the other went "crunch, crunch"...I'll have to try some of these suggestions!

Agent Starling :D

[dedguy]

Don't laugh. This has always worked very well for me with pinned knives.

1. Close the knife.

2. Place in a ziploc bag.

3. Fill the bag about half full with rubbing alcohol.

4. Close the bag and zip it shut. Be sure to leave some air in the bag.

5. Turn the bag sideways and hold each side in one hand.

6. Tip the bag back and forth repeatedly to "swish" the alcohol through the knife.

7. Empty the dirty alcohol, and repeat steps #3 - #6 as needed.

8. Remove the knife from the bag.

9. Open the blade.

10. Wash the blade with soap and water. You can avoid using water in the handle area if you wish, and just let the alcohol evaporate out of the "innards" of the knife.

11. Let dry in the open position.

12. Relube the pivot if necessary with the lube of your choice.

-SV-

Nice technique. I was wondering about this earlier today. My most used knives are all screw construction and to clean them I just take them apart.

[jaislandboy]

Nice technique. I was wondering about this earlier today. My most used knives are all screw construction and to clean them I just take them apart.

That's very thorough :D :D BUT, i will give it a try real soon
I just take mine to the shower and give it the old soap/hot water cleansing routine, then dry thoroughly.....I use lots of Qtips ....if you break off the swab part and use the "stick" to clean out the "slot" in the handle, then Tuf Glide to relube the pivot pin, and if the handle is G-10, I give it a good mineral oil rubdown using a Qtip, a Clipits best friend :rolleyes:
incidentally, after I diassembled a Yojimbo to clean it up....and saw how small areas of corrosion that occur on the nested steel liners especially around pin/screw holes....I now value the "all screw" construction over pinned to allow complete diassembly for maintenance reasons in any Clipit w/ nested steel liners.

[Agent Starling]

Don't laugh. This has always worked very well for me with pinned knives.

...

-SV-

hey Steel Vader, good to see ya around since many a moon...and the new avatar rocks!! :)

Agent Starling

[aj1985]

honestly I just use water when it gets dirty.

A fixed blade for garden duty would be quite beneficial to you.

aj

[Mr Blonde]

My first SAK came with cleaning instructions that I've followed ever since. Warm water and soap to brush the knife, dry and apply the lube of your choice. Occasionally I use a hairdryer to help the drying proces of difficult to reach nooks and crannies in the handle; Q-tips help too - I flatten mine with the pliers on my LM Pulse so they fit inside the handle.

Wouter

[mrappraisit]

Don't laugh. This has always worked very well for me with pinned knives.
-SV-

SV I didn't laugh. I used to work in the semiconductor industry, so I know how well Isopropyl works for various cleaning duties. Good suggestion.

Or you could give it to a mechanic buddy or someone who works in a shop- I soak mine in penetrating oil for about an hour, then clean in the parts tank with solvent, after that throw it in the Typhoon then rinse with clean water and blow out with compressed air- good as new.
A can of brakleen and a can of that compressed air used for keyboards would work for those who don't have that access

D-Roc I don't know anybody with access to that equipment, too bad because if that method doesn't get a knife clean, nothing will.

A fixed blade for garden duty would be quite beneficial to you.
aj

AJ - That's why I'm on-board for the next Mule :)

My first SAK came with cleaning instructions that I've followed ever since. Warm water and soap to brush the knife, dry and apply the lube of your choice. Occasionally I use a hairdryer to help the drying proces of difficult to reach nooks and crannies in the handle; Q-tips help too - I flatten mine with the pliers on my LM Pulse so they fit inside the handle.
Wouter

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Keep them clean and sharp!

[mrappraisit]

That's very thorough :D :D
I just take mine to the shower and give it the old soap/hot water cleansing routine, then dry thoroughly.....I use lots of Qtips ....if you break off the swab part and use the "stick" to clean out the "slot" in the handle, then Tuf Glide to relube the pivot pin, and if the handle is G-10, I give it a good mineral oil rubdown using a Qtip, a Clipits best friend :rolleyes:
incidentally, after I diassembled a Yojimbo to clean it up....and saw how small areas of corrosion that occur on the nested steel liners especially around pin/screw holes....I now value the "all screw" construction over pinned to allow complete diassembly for maintenance reasons in any Clipit w/ nested steel liners.

Mineral oil for the G-10? I have to try that on my Robin, it's looking a bit beat-up on the G-10. Thanks Brian.

[Fred Sanford]

Here's what I wrote in another thread about this. :)

I take my Spydies and first blow them out with compressed air. After that I let them soak in a Tupperware container filled with hot water and dish washing soap (like Dawn) for about 10 minutes. I then scrub them with an old toothbrush while they are sudsy. After that I rinse them off with hot water under the tap, and then blow them out with compressed air again after toweling them dry. Lastly, oil them up with some mineral oil (the laxative kind) and open and close them a few times. Done deal. :)

[mrappraisit]

Thanks David. I was about to order some Tuf-Glide when I realized I already had some mineral oil on hand for our bamboo cutting board. I'm going to try that first before buying some tuf-glide.

[rkh]

Steel Vader that is an excellent way to clean a pinned folder. Thank you for the idea. I usually clean with warm tap water and dawn dish washing soap and then use alcohol on a pipe cleaner and then finish with WD40 to dry any water left. After the WD40 dries I lube with Ballistol or Mil-Tec. BTW, Ballistol works great on G10 handles to restore the finish.
RKH

[bladese97]

:spyder: :spyder: :cool: :spyder: :spyder: Hey Shaun; I don't know if it's the best way, but I allways use a cue tip, or tooth pick, and soap, and water, followed by a dose of compressed air. I realize not everyone has axcess to compressed air, so cleaning it with soap, and water, and drying it as thoroughly as possible(perhaps a hair dryer as cool as possible)will due. Hope this helps :)

[MAT888]

If you don't have a compressor. Compressed air also comes in spraycans . You can get them under the name Dust-off in local computer stores fe.

I use a toothbrush and dishdetergent with hot water. If very dirty a good WD40 soak first to loosen the glue or other gunk.
Q-tips for the small areas.

After that a rins with boiling hot water . Dry and compressed air for the inner parts.