Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

How do you clean your vintage knives

Howdy from Texas y'all,
I'm new to knife collecting and over the week been buying knives at estate sales and Craigslist,All the knives I've acquired have been either rusty or covered in black gunk on the blade. So my question to the community is how do you clean collectable knives that have rust and gunk on the blade?( materials you use, cleaners, etc.) Thank you for the info.

Below are some pictures on my knives that need to be cleaned so you can get a idea of what I mean.

2 members like this

Attachments:

image.jpg, 2.1 MB
image.jpg, 1.1 MB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael Squier on June 9, 2015 at 8:44

To get some of the thick crusty rust off I have used a razor blade to slice the rust away, carefull though as it can scratch and leave a shiny scratch in the patinaed metal. Or I use a sharp edge of a scrap of copper to scrape it away, this wont scratch but it can leave tracea of copper behind which can be cleaned off with never dull or some other method.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 28, 2015 at 7:59

First I want to say that I'm not going for patina...I'm going for shine.

I've collected 20 or so knives with very abused blades...the ones that some idiot used a grinder on or steel wool or wire wheels. They're all collectible brands and models with bone handles. At first I tried buffing compound and a dremel..that will make them shine but the pits multiply at an alarming rate. I'm going for a polished shine...leaving patina on the blades is not an option with these knives. I start with 320 dry sand paper to get the major gouges out. Then I go to wet dry paper...600, 1000, and finish with 2000. This method definitely removes metal but that is necessary with the ones I'm working on. When sanding, I go straight back and forth and then re-sand cross grain at each step. When I'm satisfied with the wet dry 2000 I use green buffing compound on a felt wheel at a very low speed. I finish with Flitz on a loose cotton wheel. I do all the buffing and polishing with a variable speed dremel,. Here are some pics taken with a USB. microscope.

CAMILLUS 72 BEFORE This was one of the better blades

Same blade after

finished knife

I know polished blades aren't for everyone and this method isn't for every knife. I trying to turn a $10 knife into something I can enjoy. I should add that I do most of the sanding while watching TV in the evening.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 28, 2015 at 8:20

I should have added that when I want to leave the patina and remove rust etc the best thing I've found is Super Eraser...made in Germany just search KNIFE ERASER on Ebay and you'll find it. I know it sounds goofy but it works great.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Bamford on August 28, 2015 at 12:09

Great results you are getting Doug , I am in favour of shiny steel never have been keen on patina !

I guess patina is good on an old valuable or historic knife but I would be unable to own one cos I would have to shine it up .

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on August 28, 2015 at 15:23

Doug-You must have been looking over my shoulder when I was restoring some of mine--The only difference, is I run up to 12,000 grit. However, Although they are always vastly improved, I still have problems removing all the pitting- Any suggestions??- BTW, do you use your wet/dry wet or dry? I use mine dry. I have one old OVB (our very best) knife that baffles me. I have gone through my normal procedures twice, but the knife still has dark spots & light pitting throughout the blade. My routine is on page 1 of this discussion-, except that I have also used green buffing compound on this knife with a dremel and a felt wheel. Before & after pics follow-

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 28, 2015 at 17:21

It looks like you didn't go far enough with a coarse grit. I start with 320 grit dry. Circles don't work.I wrap the sand paper around a block of wood, put heavy pressure on the blade and go back and forth until I have 95% of the divots out. Then sand it straight up and down...90 degrees to what you did first. the first time you sand, you leave groves in the steel. if you don't sand cross grain and just go to the next grit all you do is fold the top of those little ridges over. You have to do it on a hard surface so the blade is flat. after the 320 dry, I use 600, 1200 , and 2000 wet. You have to go both both directions with each grit. After the 2000 it should be almost mirror shine. Then I use green buffing compound but at a very low speed and with very little pressue. Push too hard or use too high a speed and the divots start popping out again. I wipe the blades down with a wool cloth and then use Flitz polish...low speed again, To clean the jigging I dip the knife in warm water and dish soap and use a nylon brush on the dremel. After getting it good and clean with soap and water I put enough Flitz on the bone to cover the jigging and get after it with the same nylon bristle wheel. That really cleans the jigging out. Then polish with a cloth wheel. For the bolsters I use black, then green and then blue buffing compound...unless there are some real gouges, then I use some Dremel's 511E and 512E finishing abrasive buffs...The are 180,280 and 320 grit. Their 403 and 404 nylon bristle brush work the best for cleaning the jigging. I use the 414 and 429 felt polishing wheels for buffing compound and then the 423E cloth polishing wheel for the final shine with Flitz. Those numbers are just for reference so you see what I'm talking about. I buy other cheaper ones off Ebay.

1st 320

2nd 320

1st wet 600

2nd wet 600

after 1200

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on August 28, 2015 at 17:51

Doug- Thank you so much for the tips-- I already used the cross sanding method, but the buffing techniques and the process for cleaning the jigging is insightful- Thanks again- I also appreciate the wet/dry sanding process knowledge.I have gone down to the grits you state, but failed to use a sanding block- Maybe the difference.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ms Data on August 28, 2015 at 18:13

That's pretty impressive Doug. I have used Naval Jelly before. I saw that question in an earlier post. For a severe case I used

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00631GZEU?psc=1&redirect=true...

but I like Doug's sandpaper method too.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 28, 2015 at 18:16

If you are working on a stainless blade you might have to start with a coarser sandpaper...also you can get away with more pressure and speed on the buffing compound. Some of my blades are so pitted that I'm going to pick up some coarser paper... no sense making more work out of it than necessary. Here are a three Schrades, a Camillus, an Ulster, a Case and an Imperial I've finished.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 28, 2015 at 18:27

I know a lot of you are going to laugh at the idea, but check out some of the videos on youtube about using sandpaper and a mouse pad for sharpening a knife. Using that method, I swear that if my dog had thumbs, she could sharpen a knife.