Cleaning folding knives in soap water

[davibocce]

Ok, my first thread after lurking around and commenting in other threads for a while :)

First up, a little introduction - I am a knife newbie and have been learning as much as I can from others who are knowledgeable about knives, and there are a lot of you in this forum! So, a big thanks to the regulars here and to Spyderco for running this great forum! I bought my first spyderco, and also my first serious knife, a few months ago. It's a humble Tenacious :) . And despite the low price, it's a very nice and sturdy knife. I've been carrying it on me a lot and really liking it. I've also acquired a few other Spydies since then and am becoming a fan - although I try to make sure every knife I get serves a purpose - this may change sooner than later as I read more and more of this forum and crave one Spydie after another :D

So, here is my question:

Many people recommend rinsing/washing a knife in soap water to clean it. But I've always wondered whether it would lead to rusting - I mean, you can wipe off water from the blade and handle, but what about the pivot area where you cannot get to without dissembling the knife? Especially on a lot of knives with steel liners, there are metal on metal contact at the pivot, between the blade steel, washers, and liner steel. I would imagine there will be a small amount of water stay in that area for a few hours at least. Would that lead to rust (especially after repeatedly cleaning), based on your experience? Do I need to blow dry the knife thoroughly afterward? Or, perhaps the blade/liner steel are stainless enough that this would be a non issue?

I wanted to use my Spydies for food prep (flat grind!!) but haven't done so because of this doubt I have - I know, I am probably being a bit paranoid here... Would appreciate if you can share your experience!

[jzmtl]

I blow out any water and leave it open to dry for a while, then oil the pivot, never had any rust problem.

[davibocce]

Thanks for your reply, jzmtl.

Just saw this in a thread about Stretch: http://spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php ... stcount=24

But, we dont know whether it was the stay water after washes, or his sweat, that caused all those rust on the liners.

[The Deacon]

Too many variables for a "one size fits all" answer.

From what I've read, the steel used for the Tenacious is neither the most, nor the least, rust resistant of the steels Spyderco has used. But, if you live in a reasonably dry climate, rinse the knife with hot water, blow/shake it dry, and put it in a pocket which does not get dampened by sweat, it will probably be ok. By the same token, the fewer of those variable that are true, the greater the chance of rust. Your location would appear to be one strike against you.

[Johnny Boy]

Just spray the knife down with good old WD-40. Let it air dry and the spray will evaporate in a day or so. The WD stands for water displacement iirc so there ya go.

[chuck_roxas45]

If your wife has a hair dryer, that would work.

[marcus1]

I've never had an issues; however, I don't typically dunk the knife in the water, just put the blade under the tap and/or use a sponge to wipe off whatever it is I'm trying to get.

[P40_Warhawk]

This is a great opportunity for me to bring up a subject regarding cleaning a 154cm blade.

A few nights ago I was fooling around with my Manix 2, blade type 154cm. as luck would have it, I fell asleep with the CLOSED knife in my hand. I woke up a few hours later put the knife down and went back to sleep.

The next day I was examining the knife, as I love it, and found the oils and natural substances on my fingers left some unsightly stains on the blade. I tried what I normally do to clean up a dirty knife blade.... I washed it with warm water and a little bit of mild dish soap and soft scrubbing. To my chagrin I could not get the stains off the blade.

I then went to the next step that has worked for me when it comes to removing tarnish or stains on older knives. I broke out some Cape Cod cloth, and polished the knife blade very vigorously. The stains came out. And I know have a blade that is polished and relatively stain resistant (at least for a little while).

Have other people experienced a problem like this with 154cm?

[v8r]

I usually wash mine with dish soap and hot water.I let the water get as hot as i can stand and wash the blade and sometimes the pivot area.I shake the excess water off, wipe with a towel, and then let air dry.I then oil the pivot with a light oil such as Rem oil. I have never have a problem.I treat my kitchen knives the same way(minus the oil). I think you will do more damage to the blade by letting gunk build up on it rather than keeping it clean. Don't worry yourself too much about washing it out,just don't put it in the dishwasher or leave it in the sink for long periods of time. :)

[Jazz]

If I do wash mine, I blow out as much as I can, paper towel what I can reach, and put it in a sunny windowsill for a while. Don't forget to lube the pivot (I do the lockbar too on backlocks) when it's dry. Just wash your blades before and after food prep and you'll be fine.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[Evil D]

Just spray the knife down with good old WD-40. Let it air dry and the spray will evaporate in a day or so. The WD stands for water displacement iirc so there ya go.

This is what i've always done with my knives especially as far as the insides go. It will dry out completely and won't leave the inside greasy.

I'm also into riding BMX and we've used WD-40 to install handlebar grips for decades. Most people freak out when they see you spray it inside the grip because a lot of people think of WD-40 as a lubricant, which it is not. It lets the grips slide on super easy but when it dries they're on rock hard.

[CanisMajor]

If I do wash mine, I blow out as much as I can, paper towel what I can reach, and put it in a sunny windowsill for a while. Don't forget to lube the pivot (I do the lockbar too on backlocks) when it's dry. Just wash your blades before and after food prep and you'll be fine.

- best wishes, Jazz.

I do the same thing, and have had no problems.

Canis

[Simsmac]

I'd be interested in hearing when you guys disassemble a knife to clean it. Obviously not all knives can be disassembled, and disassembly is more time consuming, so this isn't always a viable cleaning option.

[Evil D]

For the ones i have that can't be disassembled (namely my Native but also other brands) i've always stuck with basically washing the knife in WD-40 and then washing/rinsing the blade off so if i do any food prep with it i'm not eating WD-40. From what i can see of the insides of my Native there's no rust whatsoever. I think it's part because of the water displacement aspects but also because it coats the metal. I've used WD-40 to clean ratchets and sockets and other tools with also. I don't plan on taking apart my Delica unless it gets super dirty or if opening becomes gritty feeling.

[The Deacon]

I'd be interested in hearing when you guys disassemble a knife to clean it. Obviously not all knives can be disassembled, and disassembly is more time consuming, so this isn't always a viable cleaning option.

As of yet, I've never found that necessary.

[HellHound]

Any1 that is to lazy to lube there knife blades go to the kitchen and make a sandwhich while ur at it dunk the blade in cooking oil I found that olive oil does the trick :D

[fret]

I wash my older Delica in warm, soapy water. Then rinse it with hot water and towel dry it and blow some air into the liner area. I don't have any metal liners tho. It is frn. I have no rust at all on it anywhere. I live in a humid area but have no rust. I do put mineral oil on it when I think of it which is very rarely. Hard for me to find a better knife. I have looked at a lot of knives but they don't compare with the Delica I have. After I towel dry it , I clip it in my right front pocket . :)

[npueppke]

I've gone from taking apart once a month/cleaning/oiling to now I can't remember the last time I oiled a knife. I don't think it's necessary.

I normally don't get gunk in the pivot of my knives cause I don't really use em that hard, so I just wash the blades. If I get something in the pivot I've also washed it out and shaken to dry without any problems. Not sure what I'd do if I get something nasty in there like sand, that hasn't happened to me yet.

[defenestrate]

I use my tenacious for food prep regularly, and all I do is throw it under hot water when I'm finished (and wipe it down to ensure I'm getting all the crud out), if I get foodstuff in the pivot, I will clean a little longer and harder (usually just hot water is sufficient for the blade, but I may well add a little soap to get into the pivot better), and while it likely does not require it, I do occasionally put a drop of mineral oil in the pivot/lock area. I use that stuff liberally on my carbon steel blades (I have a letter opener made from a railroad spike and an Ontario machete (the kind the US Army issues) and they both get a full oiling regularly). While the 8Cr13MoV may not be the MOST stain resistant blade steel, it is a "stainless" and if you don't leave corrosive acids/salts sitting on the blade for long, it should be fine. hose it off and dry it - oil the pivot if you like/oil the whole thing if it makes you feel better, but basically just wash it and let it dry and you should be okay provided you don't use extremely iron-heavy or salty water.

[angusW]

Welcome to the forum dayliu. The Tenacious was my first Spydie as well. Great knife.

I've given all of my knives a hot soapy bath at least once. I shake the excess off, towel it and then a can of compressed air to get rid of most of the moisture. I'll then use either Tuf-Glide or mineral oil on the pivot and then Tuf-cloth or mineral oil on the blade. Don't do that very often now a days but no rust yet.