How to Clean and Sharpen Pocket Knife? (June 2020)

A good lover of nature always carries with him his own pocket knife, whether it is to cut the rope, cook meals or carving woods as hobby. Repeated and frequent use will make the knife edge less and for sure it will lose the glaze. It makes sense to have a working knowledge of basic cleaning and sharpening techniques to keep your knife in top condition.

You may avoid the cost of taking it to a professional and sharpen your trusty knife by yourself with just a few useful tools. In general, pocket knives are made of high quality stainless steel, however it is important that you know best way to clean pocket knife, sharpen them, wash them and lubricate them as part of their maintenance, especially the best folding knives.

Keeping your knives clean will lengthen its life and maintain your aesthetic. All the characteristics and properties of each type of blade and tool of a multipurpose knife or knives are adapted to its specific field of application.

Image: Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife

So, if you are looking for the best way to clean your pocket knife, this article is going to give you some exceptional working tips, that you can use to clean and sharpen your tool for nature adventure.

Some of the folding knives (not all) usually have a number of pieces, and cleaning them can be a challenge, but there is nothing to fear, it is possible to do it easily in the following way. Just follow the techniques written below to learn the best way to clean pocket knife.

MATERIALS FOR CLEANING YOUR POCKET KNIFE

When cleaning multipurpose knives and pocket knives always try to use rubber gloves to protect your skin from the edge. Gather the necessary materials listed below. You will need some certain materials in order to clean and sharpen a pocket knife.

So make sure you have these materials before start to clean your pocket knife:

Soap.
Lubricant.
Soft sponge or toothbrush.
Nylon Pad.
Soft Cloths.
Rubber gloves for safety

Victorinox Huntsman Lite

SOAP:

For the primary wash use a mild dish washing detergent. The dish washing soap you use to wash daily dishes is good enough. Just don't use strong dish washing soap that is intended for dish washing as it is too strong for knife and can be the reason of rust and other damages.

LUBRICANT:

You will need some type of regular lubricant to remove the rust. The WD-40 usually works good on pocket knife. You will also need regular oil to lubricate the pocket knife after washing. The oil and lubricant you should be able to find in online stores like amazon. You'll also need a toothbrush or a soft sponge for the primary wash.

DRYING:

To remove the rust you will need a nylon pad. You will also need a soft, clean cloth to take away the liquids after the wash.

CLEANING PROCESSES:

Once the cleaning materials are assembled, you should start by opening the pocket knife or unfolding all the parts of the all-purpose knife. Some of the pocket knives, such as Swiss knives, has many parts and make sure it is fully open so that all parts are cleaned and not stored anywhere.

As I mentioned earlier, wear the rubber gloves for your safety as a preparation to start the cleaning process.

Tac-Force Tactical Spring Assisted Knife

SPLASH AND REGAIN CONDITION:

First remove stains from the knife with a regular dishwasher detergent and sponge. Soak the sponge in soapy, warm water and clean the blade of your knife. If you find that there is something stuck, spray dish washing detergent straight on the stain and let it stay for a couple of minutes. Then scrub again. Finally rinse with plenty of water.

USE OXIDE FOR RUST:

If there is rust on the blade you should use WD-40 multipurpose lubricant. Spray it on all oxidized parts and leave the lubricant and let it sit for 1 minute. Then use a nylon pad or fiber and rub the knife as long as the rust fully disappears. You may use additional lubricant to remove more stubborn rust. Once finished, wash the knife with clean water.

DRY AND APPLY SOME LUBRICANT:

At the end of basic washing and rust removal, dry the knife with a soft clean fiber cloth. Then add only a few drops of WD-40 lubricant to the blade of the pocket knife, to the elbows and to all parts of the multipurpose knife. Rub it with another soft dry cloth until the knife has a clean and shiny appearance.

Once the basic cleaning is done, proceed to sharpening process. For sharpening you will also need some materials listed below, assemble all the materials before the process for smooth operation.

=> Sharpening stone
=> Lubricant

Image: Kershaw Link Pocket Knives

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How to sharpen your knife?

Buy or borrow a sharpening stone, also known as a sharpening stone, at your local hardware store. Choose a stone that has coarse grain on one side and fine grain on other side, because coarse grain sharpens knife and fine grain sharpens blade.
Lubricate the bad side of the stone, using a lubricant based on mineral sharpening oil. Many of the same hardware stores that use grinding stones sell this lubricant, which is useful for reducing the heat caused by friction on your knife blade. It also keeps the stone free from debris like sharpening.
Raise the knife at an angle of 15 degrees to the surface of the stone. The degree to which the knife is held determines blades sharpness, that’s why you can adjust angle of the knife blade to meet your own need. Keep the pocket knife blade steady at same angle, and by tilting it during sharpening.
Press moderately on the surface of the stone and run the edge of the blade against it at a constant angle. Move the blade edge towards you and then away from you; This is simply a matter of personal preference.
Press moderately on the surface of the sharpening stone again, but this time, use the another side of the blade. Run both side of it on the stone between 6 and 12 times, depending on the desired sharpness.
Turn the rock to one side with the finest grain, to start the finer process of burnished grain. Press your knife blade against the thin side of the stone, use a moderate pressure once again. Run each side of the blade on the stone 6 to 12 times.
Test the sharpness of your knife carefully by using the blade over the hair on your arm. A sharp edge will act as a razor blade and remove hair. Keep the edge of the blade against a light to check for a flash, or reflection; This indicates that its sheet is still opaque.t

Tips & Warnings:

1. Determine which side of the stone has coarse grain or fine grain, you must run your finger on both surfaces of the stone. If you still cannot recognize the difference, pour some water on each side. The fastest water absorbing surface is the coarse grain side.

2. Use a wet wheel machine, if it is too difficult to maintain the angle of the blade constant. These machines are more accurate because the angle of the blade can be mechanically adjusted.

3. Be careful when handling sharp objects such as knives, and for safety must use rubber gloves.

Image: Kershaw Clash Pocket Knife

Final Verdict:

Finally, a quick wash and clean after each use will prolong your pocket knife's life, so it is advisable to keep some alcohol to clean the knife after each use, The more you take care your knife, the more return you will get from it.

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