Spyderco byte September / October - Edge-U-Cation®Folding Knife Cleaning and Maintenance
Edge-U-Cation® Folding Knife Cleaning and Maintenance
Folding knives are, by nature, mechanical devices. Like any other machine, if you want them to function properly, you need to maintain them well. With that goal in mind, let’s take a look at some tips and tricks to keep your folders in top working condition.
Routine Cleaning
One of the most important things you can do to keep your folding knife functioning well is to keep it clean. Although knives are meant to be used, try your best to avoid exposing your folder to dirt, sand, and other debris. Similarly, try to avoid adhesives and other substances that can stick to your blade and potentially work their way into the knife’s action.
If your blade does get dirty or sticky, wipe it off the best you can before closing the knife to keep from introducing dirt or other substances into the handle’s interior. At the earliest opportunity, clean the blade by wiping it with a cloth or paper towel wet with rubbing alcohol, WD-40®, or an adhesive remover like Goo Gone®. Work from the spine side of the blade and avoid letting your fingers come near the edge. If a cloth isn’t aggressive enough, place the blade on a folded towel and use an old toothbrush with the cleaning solvent to scrub the blade clean. Then rinse it and wipe it dry.
No matter how careful you may be, pocket trash and lint will still accumulate in the knife’s handle slot and lock mechanism. This is particularly common for knives carried loosely in a pocket but is still a concern for folders carried clipped to the top of the pocket.
The easiest way to clean a folding knife is with an air compressor or the canned air available at computer supply stores. First open the knife and blow out the handle slot and, for liner lock knives, the area between the lock bar and the handle scale. For best results, use the extension tube on the canned air for a precise, focused stream of air. To clean back lock knives, open the blade to 90 degrees, turn the handle slot down, and depress the lock release while blowing air through the gap between the blade tang and lock bar. Then, open the blade and blow any dust or dirt out of the rest of the handle slot. This cleaning method also works for other types of closed-back folders and, if performed regularly can help you avoid more involved methods.
If compressed air isn’t enough, you can clean the interior of your knife’s handle with rubbing alcohol and some cotton swabs. To fit into the slot of the knife’s handle, flatten the ends of the swabs with pliers or a tap from a hammer. Then dip them in the alcohol and swab out the inside of the handle. You can also use swabs to clean around the tang of the blade when the knife is closed.
For back lock folders, you should pay particular attention to the locking notch on the back of the blade tang. Dirt buildup in this notch can keep the lug of the lock bar from seating completely and compromise the lock’s function. Use a toothpick, dental pick, or similar pointed tool to regularly clean all dirt and lint from this area.
For liner locks, pay close attention to the lock bar recess in the inside of the scale. This relieved area is where the lock bar nests during the blade’s opening arc. Lint or dirt between the scale and the lock bar can keep it from nesting deep enough and causes the detent ball to drag on the side of the blade during opening. Again, canned air or a toothpick should do the trick.
Bath Time
If your knife is really dirty, you might need to run it under hot tap water while scrubbing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and some dish detergent. For the inside slot of the handle, use a straw cleaning brush typically used to scrub out drinking straws. Once your knife is clean, dry it thoroughly with a towel and blow the interior surfaces dry with compressed air.
For the ultimate cleaning experience, consider investing in an ultrasonic cleaner. Available in a variety of sizes and price ranges, these cleaners use water and ultrasonic vibration to clean jewelry, gun parts, and other components with complex shapes and recessed surfaces. They are particularly helpful for classic Spyderco designs with riveted handle construction, since they reach areas that no other cleaning technique can. Again, once your knife is clean, make sure you dry it thoroughly and blow any residual water out of the handle interior with compressed air.
Cleaning your Handle Scales
Peel-ply-textured G-10 and fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) are very popular handle scale materials. Sometimes, however, dirt can accumulate in G-10’s fine, checkered texture or the Bi-Directional Texture™ pattern of FRN. The easiest solution for this is a quick scrub under hot water with a toothbrush and some dish soap or other mild detergent. Ultrasonic cleaners also make short work of cleaning the minute nooks and crannies of textured scales. As always, rinse your knife thoroughly after cleaning and dry it completely, inside and out.
If, after cleaning your G-10 scales, they appear duller, you can restore their appearance by applying a few drops of mineral oil and scrubbing it in with a soft toothbrush.
Unpolished Micarta® handle scales have a matte finish and a somewhat porous quality. Many users prefer this finish because it absorbs skin oils and naturally patinas—or ages—over time to give your knife visual character. If you prefer a cleaner look or need to remove a surface stain, a toothbrush, a mild detergent, and a little elbow grease should bring it back close to its original finish. Once again, rinse and dry your knife thoroughly—especially if its Micarta scales are paired with a tool steel blade.
Lubrication
Cleaning a knife thoroughly can also wash away any lubricant that was present on its working parts. As such, a freshly cleaned knife should also be properly lubricated before it’s put back to work.
Oil attracts dust and dirt, so don’t get carried away with too much lubrication. Use a high-quality gun oil or similar lubricant with an applicator needle that allows you to precisely control the amount of lube dispensed and where it goes. Alternately, you can place a drop of lube on a toothpick and use it to apply the lube exactly where you want it. Put one or two drops on each side of the blade tang when it’s in the closed position and let them flow into the pivot. Then open and close the blade a few times to coat the pivot and the contact surfaces on the side of the blade.
In back lock knives, the outside of the blade tang is in constant contact with the lock bar, so put a small drop on the back of the tang to ensure these parts move smoothly. Sometimes, the lock bar itself can stick and affect the knife’s action. If this happens, a small drop of oil at the lock bar pivot usually does the trick.
One common issue with liner locks and Reeve Integral Locks (aka “frame locks”) is that the ball bearing for the detent mechanism, which holds the blade in the closed position, galls or scrapes against the side of the blade tang. If your knife suffers from this problem—especially after it is freshly cleaned—open the blade partway and look into the handle near the blade to find the protruding ball bearing in the liner. A drop of oil directly on the ball usually solves the problem and smooths out the action. A dab of lithium grease applied with a toothpick is even better, since the grease is more viscous and will last longer.
Disassembly and Cleaning
You may have noticed that all the methods described in this article involve leaving your knife in one piece while you clean it. We recommend that strongly. First, it allows you to clean any folding knife the same way, including designs that have riveted construction and cannot be disassembled by ordinary means.
More importantly, in most cases, there is really no reason to disassemble your knife to clean it well. If you do choose to go that route, understand that you are crossing into a different skill set and a different level of complexity. Once your parts are clean, you must also have the skill, knowledge, and tools to put them back together properly so your knife operates as it should. The more complicated the knife and its construction, the more skill and attention to detail you’ll need.
No matter which route you take, cleaning your knife regularly will keep it in top condition so it serves you well when you need it most. Knife cleaning is also extremely therapeutic and a necessary “rite of passage” of all serious knife enthusiasts.