That is always a subjective topic, Bill. It all depends on the purpose for cleaning, how/if you use that knife, is it a patina or rust (and patina opens up a whole new world of debate), type of steel, collector knife or not...the list goes on. LOL

Personally, I tend to tailor my advice to the criteria above, so I'll wait to talk to you more about it. Meanwhile, try poking around in HERE for some information. Also, if you scroll all the way up on any iKC page, there is a Search field in the very top right corner. Try putting "cleaning" in there and see what comes up. And join us in the Chat, and ask any members in there what they think. Hope to see you there!

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It's as you say Bill people have strong opinions on whether or not to clean knives.

I only like shiny knives, on the other hand, I buy old razors and do as little cleaning as possible. 

Strange isn't it.

Welcome to iKC Bill.

Welcome to iKC Bill!