Post by Lobster on Feb 24, 2016 14:38:24 GMT 3
Knife Care
This is my personal take on knife care, your mileage may vary as they say! A knife doesn’t require a lot of care, these 4 steps help me to maintain my knives in good condition.
Keep knife clean
Keep knife dry
Keep knife oiled
Keep knife sharp
Cleaning
It is a good practice to keep your knife clean. Always clean the entire knife, not just the blade. On Fixed blades you should pay particular attention to the area around the guard where grime can build and keep moisture trapped. Even blades made of stainless steel can corrode when they are exposed to the elements for a prolonged amount of time.
Folding knives need particular attention on the pivot and the locking mechanism, sand or built up gunk can lead to malfunction of the lock.
As it often is with these things, there are many different opinions on what the best way is to clean a knife. Personally, I use water with dish washing liquid, an old toothbrush and Q-Tips to clean my knives. Wooden Handles can be cleaned with furniture polish, brass bolsters with brass polish.
For fixed blades you should also remember to occasionally clean the sheath too.
Drying
After cleaning your knife it is essential that you thoroughly dry it. A lint free cotton towel and Q-Tips work well for me. Blowing air into the pivot and lock can also help displacing water residues.
With fixed blades it is important to remember that it is better to store the knife outside of the blade when not used for long periods of time, especially in leather sheaths because humidity can be trapped in there leading to corrosion.
Lubricating
Once your knife is cleaned and dry, particularly folding knives need some lubrication on the moving parts. Again, there are many opinions on what is the best product for lubricating a knife. I use Dry Lube for pivots and Ballistol for the blades except on blades used in food prep, on those i use food grade silicone grease. In my experience it is better to use lubricants lightly, too much tends to attract dirt particles and lint. For frame and liner locking surfaces, graphite is also working very well as a lubricant.
Sharpening
The old saying about the dull knife being more dangerous than a sharp one seems counter-intuitive but considering how much easier a sharp knife cuts and how much less force you have to apply it does make sense. Not every blade needs to be able to shave hair off your arm but keep your knife sharp enough for the task that it is up against and it will serve you well for a very long time.
And remember, use a knife for its intended purpose! It is not a pry bar, a screw driver or a hatchet. Use it with common sense!
This is my personal take on knife care, your mileage may vary as they say! A knife doesn’t require a lot of care, these 4 steps help me to maintain my knives in good condition.
Keep knife clean
Keep knife dry
Keep knife oiled
Keep knife sharp
Cleaning
It is a good practice to keep your knife clean. Always clean the entire knife, not just the blade. On Fixed blades you should pay particular attention to the area around the guard where grime can build and keep moisture trapped. Even blades made of stainless steel can corrode when they are exposed to the elements for a prolonged amount of time.
Folding knives need particular attention on the pivot and the locking mechanism, sand or built up gunk can lead to malfunction of the lock.
As it often is with these things, there are many different opinions on what the best way is to clean a knife. Personally, I use water with dish washing liquid, an old toothbrush and Q-Tips to clean my knives. Wooden Handles can be cleaned with furniture polish, brass bolsters with brass polish.
For fixed blades you should also remember to occasionally clean the sheath too.
Drying
After cleaning your knife it is essential that you thoroughly dry it. A lint free cotton towel and Q-Tips work well for me. Blowing air into the pivot and lock can also help displacing water residues.
With fixed blades it is important to remember that it is better to store the knife outside of the blade when not used for long periods of time, especially in leather sheaths because humidity can be trapped in there leading to corrosion.
Lubricating
Once your knife is cleaned and dry, particularly folding knives need some lubrication on the moving parts. Again, there are many opinions on what is the best product for lubricating a knife. I use Dry Lube for pivots and Ballistol for the blades except on blades used in food prep, on those i use food grade silicone grease. In my experience it is better to use lubricants lightly, too much tends to attract dirt particles and lint. For frame and liner locking surfaces, graphite is also working very well as a lubricant.
Sharpening
The old saying about the dull knife being more dangerous than a sharp one seems counter-intuitive but considering how much easier a sharp knife cuts and how much less force you have to apply it does make sense. Not every blade needs to be able to shave hair off your arm but keep your knife sharp enough for the task that it is up against and it will serve you well for a very long time.
And remember, use a knife for its intended purpose! It is not a pry bar, a screw driver or a hatchet. Use it with common sense!