How To: Cleaning up an old pocket knife

Update - Newer video for smaller repairs: • I Really Screwed Up - ...
Welcome to the channel and please check out my latest videos!
Today we are in the garage cleaning up a "found" old pocket knife. These knives may have spent years or decades sitting in a tackle box, tool box, garage, car, or who knows where. At first glance, they could look worthless, but with a bit of effort they can become wonderful additions to your collection.
First off, please use caution working with your tools. Its up to you to know how they work, and how to not hurt yourself with them.
The knife today is an old Ka-Bar. It ended up taking me quite a bit longer than the 15 minutes that I mention at the start of the video, but overall still easily done in an afternoon.
What kind of projects have you tackled?

[@brianbb1175]

When my dad died I found his old wolf pocket knife, thanks for showing me how to clean it

[@crunchymunchy4551]

My grandpa just died and I got all his knifes and the only one I couldn't clean lead me here

[@leetyner6327]

Thanks for the tips. Two additional I’ve done is use an air compressor to spray some of the crud out, especially after using WD-40. Also, as a final touch put it in an ultra sonic jewelry cleaner.

[@gagnons994]

What a great video. My Dad (87) is a knife collector who has passed some of his knives on to me. Thanks for getting me started on cleaning up some of his knives. I know I'll appreciate them as much as he did.

[@mannihh5274]

Don't know about your dad and what kind of 'collection' he has, but if it's not just a bunch of random knives he bought over the years, you should first do some research. Be careful with rare collector's knives, most of the time a clean-up, especially rust-removal and/or polishing ruins their value, similar to coins. In case of old and rare heirloom-pieces some protective oil and moving all moving parts is just fine, even, if they look ugly.

[@bcsorensenman]

Fabulous to see someone restore things rather than just buy new. Kudos to you and easy on the steel wool. Try scotch brite, less abrasive and wears away less metal but does the same thing. Rock on.

[@jacdixie]

Really enjoyed watching you bring that old knife back to life! It's great to think about how, once upon a time, that was someone's tool, and that tool still has use and character today, brought out with a little attention and care. Thanks for the great video.

[@drakefaudel4826]

burntpandafur exactly what you just said is why I love antiques. its just amazing to think that something man made can outlive its maker.

[@deanP.]

Wow. That Kabar really turned out nice. I appreciate you showing how you cleaned it. I especially appreciate showing how you fixed the Blade by filing the kick. That's good info. Enjoy those old knives!

[@Baasicstuff]

If the knife is a lost cause like that Kabar I dont care what someone does but when Ebay first came out, some of the big sellers destroyed 1000s of knives buffing out some of the oldest Case knives ever made, they no longer do this. Mineral oil is the best, of course ;) love videos like this

[@nojustno1216]

Nice to see a like minded individual who like to give things of yesteryear a second go round. I fear that our throw away society for the most part has lost any desire to preserve items which are still quite usable with just a little TLC.

[@jprime84]

Thank you sir

[@mannihh5274]

@nojustno1216 - it's amazing, how much money you can save by maintaining, restoring, repairing used things and bring them back to life again.

[@dn41287]

Thanks I've got my Dads pocket knife in a little rough shape. Now I know how to get it cleaned up.I carry it just because it was Dad's and I want to preserve it.

[@ziggy71963]

Thank you. Someone handed me two older pocket knives last Friday. I cleaned one already and started to restore it. This is helpful as I continue to bring them back and sharpen them for use.

[@roncochran8232]

The best tutorial yet on how to clean and restore old knives

[@jprime84]

Thank you sir - I need to get back and make some new videos.

[@mercuryrising9174]

@@jprime84 brother i think that 50 yrold birthday cake inside the blade channel 😂😂😂

[@berkaybas5161]

Thank you for this. I needed to restore my grandfathers pocket knife and there arent tutorials for it so thank you

[@dunndicles]

Wonderful video, Man! I’m working on restoring a couple of old pocket knives, one of which was my Grandpa’s and it’s nearly identical to the Implerial you show at the beginning. I agree with you that the key is to take your time to get it right. I find working with these older folders very therapeutic. Well done, Sir! 👊🏼💥🍺

[@barkingspider2007]

What he said... The best tutorial yet on how to clean and restore old knives

[@spaceman4950]

its so hard to find old knives in the uk, i love refurbing and giving an old knife a life again. great video sir.

[@johnowls]

plenty on etsy

[@spaceman4950]

@@johnowls there are yes but they are hard to get hold of due to English laws.

[@johnowls]

@@spaceman4950 have you tried heinnie haynes or moonraker knives? i get almost all of my knives from Heinnie (new knives)

[@spaceman4950]

@@johnowls thank you sir I will try those.

[@aznboycols]

I have a Kutmaster pocket knife that my grandfather gave me back in the late 1940s. It's worn a lot of holes in my pockets through the years.

[@Beaverbush1969]

Thanks for showing me how to clean a knife, I never would have known otherwise 😀

[@deke2012]

Jeff you're doing really good so far, i metal brushes on the backsprings to get debris n rust out of there, the ones i use are actually really fine, most ppl dont even know theres 3 different grades on them out there, you can get a pack of those, carbon fiber bristle brushes (same thing as the tooth brush, only lasts longer n just a bit tougher grit on it) and also a brass brush with as well for like 3.99, just look over in the paint section near the paint brushes and you'll find them. I also use Meguiars Plastx for the grips, and that stuff works the best. It will also clean and polish the bolsters as well as the shield for you. For the inside towards the liners and backsprings, i use steel wool as well, BUT i actually take a small portion of the steel wool n pull it off making into a small ball, just small then the size of a dime, then i take a pick n push it down in there n let it scrub off all the rust n clean up really good. Use rem oil next time, same thing as WD 40, but it cleans better n penetrates a lil deeper too

[@martianshoes]

You can get inexpensive sets of black bristle, brass and steel brushes in sets at Harbor Freight. To me they are almost throw aways. Speaking og grades, there are 3 grades of Scotchbrite cleaning pads. Only the first 2 are applicable to this kind of work. Remember stainless knives (and metal) can be adversely affected by steel wool as it will induce ferrides; causing it to rust/degrade.

[@kennethzenker9993]

I restored cleaned a few old pocket knives but you tips will take my work to the next level. Thank You for the patience and video. Ken

[@jj2664]

Man, you’re definitely an expert.. if I ever need one cleaned up I’ll send your way!!!!! Keep on brother

[@bdcochran01]

There are quite a few approaches possible. I try to do the restoration outside in the sunlight. All of the potential chemicals, tooth brush, rags, ice pick, ear cleaners are assembled. The first step I follow is to open up all the tools/blades if possible. This allows an inspection which may determine what gunk there is, the composition of it and areas which require special treatment. The gentlest approach is to dunk the unit in warm soapy water, rinse off and try to remove areas of gunk with rags/tooth picks/ ice picks during the drying process. Then, not knowing what germs may be about, a quick dunk in alcohol. WD40 is a water displacer. So, it can have a role. Typically, I don't have to use vinegar. It is used on large tool/axe/hatchet restoration. If there is actual rust on a knife, I try 0000 grit steel wool first. Then you can escalate to rougher grits or vinegar. The final lube can be a silicon based spray, 3 in 1 oil, vegetable oil. Make sure that your previously rusted areas are not left exposed bare to the air. A nice challenge is cleaning the area of a Swiss knife where the tooth pick and the tweezers may have been kept. Yep, now you understand the need for rubbing alcohol and thin enough tools to get inside the compartments to work on removing gunk. Part of the restoration process should include provision for keeping the knife protected after restoration. This means a dedicated and possibly inexpensive sheath/placement in a nearly air tight baggie (I prefer ziplock closure) and periodic inspection.

[@grahamparr4710]

Three in one is fine as long as you do not suck the blade, have used it for years.👍

[@1guysdumbopinion669]

Pipe cleaners are great for getting crud out of the joints and the blade well.

[@bluehand9631]

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Thanks

[@markmattingly2929]

Did a good job I've been collecting for about 44 years. I just have a suggestion on your initial cleaning when you were looking for something then to get down there where your blade lockdown at I go to Harbor freight and buy their real cheap set of dental tools sometimes you can get the whole set with all different sizes ends for about 499 I keep three or four of them cheap kids around and I kind of blunt the ends a little bit cuz I don't want to scratch the actual knife itself and you can get into all different size with with no problem at all and it makes it easy cuz you can use a hook blade a 45-degree bladestrike play they're really neat little tools just thought I'd throw a little positive that you're my friend I seen you quite a few old nice vintage knifes you have there I have over 3000 and always looking for more!

[@ronwitcher7117]

thank you for educating me on cleaning knives , excellent video and explanation.

[@bluehand9631]

Good technique and the nice results. I also like to use bamboo skewers, Nev-R-Dull, and paste polishes of different grits. And there are also several good alternatives to DW. The mineral oil also works well on stag. There's just something about 'old bones' that call for some labor, even if the blades are worn down. Sweet old Kabar.

[@marycahill546]

I like that Camillus camp knife -- certainly worth restoring. You did a wonderful job on that little Kabar.

[@vtxdaryl]

Now I need to go buy some old knives to clean them using your methods. Thanks

[@petergambino2129]

I really enjoyed watching you work, excellent video. I found that turning my grinder around 180*, with the wheel spinning away from me, I have better control while grinding, buffing, and sharpening the knife. Liked and subbed!

[@ricktemmen6272]

I just watched this again to see the kick filing... Thanks so much Jeff, great job 👍

[@tilksy6171]

Im fully restoring an old pocket folder like this one. It has a long blade, screw driver and bottle opener. When I first got it everything was rusted and gunked shut. I let the whole thing rest in a bowl of vegetable oil for around 2 hours. After that the blade opened very difficultly but none of the other attachments would. I dont have a buffer like yours so I just used a very high grit sand paper and took all the tarnish off the outside of it, the inside and the blade. After that I let it sit in warm water for around 20 minutes, then took it out and began cleaning all the gunk from the channels and inside of the pivots. I had to use Q-Tips dipped in rubbing alcohol to really get it clean. After drying it off I have been lubing and working all the pivots of it with 3 in 1 oil. Slowly making process on the restoration wish I could do it as quick as yours though.

[@jprime84]

Xtranius great work! Keep it up.

[@tilksy6171]

Thanks! Your video helped a lot, unfortunately my local hardware store isn't open today so I can't run out and get WD-40. I tried breaking in all four tools pivots on the knife last night using 3-1. I made some progress but its really slow I have a feeling this knife was neglected for quite a few decades. I let the pivots soak in more 3-1 for about 12 hours but one pivot is still giving me trouble opening. I used dawn like you suggested and that got all the 3-1 oil off the handle, tools and even my hands nicely. I think I might apply some vegetable oil to the inside of the pivots.

[@Narrow_Gate_Forge]

Mean green is fantastic cleaner that is not hurting finishes on these old knives. I also use 0000 steel wool to knock off rust without losing the cool patina underneath.

[@johnmoooo5804]

A small ultrasonic cleaner will do wonders for removing hard to get at gunk.I got mine from Harbor Freight and really like it.Best regards.

[@SonnetGomes]

Great video. It's about time i clean my decade old knives. This video will help a lot. Thank you for posting this helpful video.

[@alisap.1802]

Great video, the best I've found on how to restore old slip joints.

[@silversmacked8669]

Great video. Nice to see a knife brought back to life again.

[@chrisbyars4422]

Totally enjoyed this video, very informative. Food safe mineral oil/ laxative is a great idea. Thank you for the video

[@rinna1899]

Very good tutorial. Thank you! I left an old stag fixed blade in my truck for over a year and really needed this tutorial. Also like how your channel has evolved. Keep making videos cause I'll probably burn through the ones you have. Take a subscribe.

[@chrisbyars4422]

Excellent tutorial video! I see a lot of the techniques I use ( bufffer wheel/black compound). Great tip on the mineral oil. To file the recasso down so the blade sits deeper inside the handle, that was genius! I would have never thought of that. Thank you for the video. Will sub.

[@patriot-hz1dy]

Thank you for this informative video on simple knife cleaning.. I'm a newbie to collecting these old used gems. Thanks for pointing out the mineral oil, I recently used three-in-one and failed to read the warning label LOL yes got it all over my hands after lubing up a number of old knives. Not to mention it does stink . I too have been Leary of letting things soak for long periods of time let's say in vinegar or mineral spirits for fear the scales may slightly Pull-A-Part from the adhesive. Maybe using some baking soda or some Dawn dish soap like you did may help. I think ultimately it's trial and error sometimes. keep up the good work!!

[@erikramaekers63]

No expert? :) Yes you are.Great work on a beautiful little knife.

[@richardkut3976]

Excellent, thank you.

[@ralphvaccaro2638]

A scotch brite pad works good too

[@williammoreschini4468]

That shrade in the bag with the metal handles are valuable

[@escargotiskuhol]

Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed every minute of your video! Thanks for uploading. Fascinating!

[@brittain522]

Great job! Beautiful little Ka-bar!

[@JimmyJones206]

You’re almost a half of a million views on your channel , That’s awesome congratulations early

[@luccabellag5443]

a toothbrush, DW-40, fine steel wool, and a container. IGHT THX MAN !!

[@germanshepherd13]

Jeff, great video and very helpful... your calm voice makes it easy to listen too and very informative. wish I can find my 1970 something Camillus cub scout knife, would love to clean that up but have no idea where it is anymore..

[@flamingdonut1822]

This helped so much everything in here is super helpful I recently got a knife that was in super bad condition so this helped a ton!

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

Jeff , I'm a relatively new subscriber, going through some of your videos, and greatly enjoying your take on collecting, buying, & caring for pocket knives. But I've noticed that your last video was about a year ago...I sincerely hope you are well and planning on doing a few more videos. I know that in this fast paced world, things come and go, but I really hope that we can expect more from you. I'm currently into traditionals, specifically canoes & campers, but I like pretty much all of your videos....don't let the detractor's negative comments get you down.

[@cherylkringelbach8800]

Nice job, inspired me to clean my collection again .

[@preacherjayk]

I bet that little Kabar, would be a great whittling/carving knife. With those blade shapes,,

[@davidcarroll2035]

Love your enthusiasm, I don’t know how I’m going to get hold of some old pocket knives as in the uk even the free to advertise sites don’t allow knives to be sold through them so I can’t figure out a way. But that aside you have sparked a dormant urge to restore some.

[@silverseto1158]

Great video, will try some of your methods in the future if I need to.

[@shanesims2864]

Great job!! Very informative !! THANKS !!

[@Narrow_Gate_Forge]

Hey Jeff, brand new subscriber here. I stumbled across your channel and am so glad I did! I too also get old disused, neglected vintage/antique pocket knives and breathe life back into them. I have several hundred if I haven't broken a thousand yet. Never counted them though. Maybe one day so I can inventory them. I have inadvertently gotten some duplicates but not as many as you would think.

[@jdd53]

Very nice work and a great video.

[@charlielaudico3523]

I carried pocket knives for my entire lifetime in 70 years old and still carry one today

[@DavidGuilbaultSongs]

Excellent. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@texasdeeslinglead2401]

thank you for not using a belt sander, or a grinder wire wheel to clean up your knives. and thank you for supporting the blade on a block. after viewing some cats work , I want to scream. but finally someone who pays attention to the hidden details .

[@jprime84]

I appreciate it! I am planning on doing another similar video edited down into a smaller package. I have learned a lot about KZbin production since this video. Thanks for watching.

[@kurleykrabbwrastler4056]

The tang stamp on this one dates it anywhere from 1950 - 1970.

[@letstalkpocketknives267]

Great video!! I have searched multiple times on YT for this exact video, an in depth step by step of somebody restoring a slipjoint. Thanks for filling the void! I have soaked them in 3-1 overnight before and then always do a thorough dawn rinse out afterwards. Im going to have to get a buffing wheel for my bench grinder, I have a bunch of older imperials and schrades that I could clean up. One thing I really want to get down is how to do a satin finish. I have tried 400-800 grit wet/dry but it always just looks bad :/

[@jprime84]

I hope it was helpful! I'll try not to be so long winded next time.

[@letstalkpocketknives267]

i prefer in depth rambling as opposed to scripted and concise :D

[@glockmpw]

Toothpicks are good for those narrow gaps

[@cmonsterz]

I really enjoyed this video, Jeff. Great stuff!

[@THOMMGB]

Jeff, I really enjoyed this knife restoration video. I learned a lot. I found an Ulster folding pocket knife in a thrift shop a few days ago. It has a can opener and bottle opener/screwdriver on one side and two knife blades on the other. It was a bit rusted and grubby. To me it looked quite old. It was only $1.49 so I bought it. I cleaned it up with fine steel wool and a little 3 in one oil. ( I know - wrong oil!) It looks a lot better and everything snaps shut, so I was very pleased. The one thing that seemed wrong was that the two knife blades had "exposed" knife points, meaning both blades need some adjustment with a file. Your video showed exactly how to do that, so I'm very grateful. I'm not sure what model knife I have or how old it is. Do you have any advice on how to find that out? Thanks a lot, Tom

[@rickvitoguitar]

Great video! Thanks. Do you know if old Imperial spring knives can be put back in working condition if broken?

[@mannihh5274]

@kingparismusic - look for a cheap, identical knife - maybe with diferent broken parts - and reassemble one to working condition.

[@JustMeScottG]

Great video thanks, I recently restored for the first time and really enjoyed it, have a lot to learn and this really helps. Any ideas on how to being back some life into a dull plastic handle?

[@jprime84]

Plastic is tough as too high friction will melt it if you try buffing, and some solvents could react badly and corrode or melt the plastic too I would imagine. If the plastic color is uniform throughout, you could attempt wet sanding with something like 2000 grit sand paper. Something like you would use to polish out a car finish with. Maybe even 5000 grit. Good luck!

[@Narrow_Gate_Forge]

I do the same thing with using a block to get the edge safe to scrub with the steel wool. One thing I do different is to add a layer of cardboard from an old box between the board and the knife. It kind of cushions when I am pressing into it. Maybe it's in my mind, but I feel like I get better results that way.

[@frankartieta4887]

I use a combination of fine sand paper and polishing compound. Those two things not likely to hurt anything and if done properly can make your knife look brand new !

[@semco72057]

Ka-Bar is the name on the first knife and they have been around for a very long time and still make pocket knives along with other types also. They would probably clean that knife up for you and return it to you for a reasonable price. Imperial is now part of Schrade and they are good even though they are made in China like all Schrade knives.

[@ewirman]

GREAt job. I recommend a Dremel to do some of the rubbing for you.

[@slick_slicers]

Thank you for that, very worthwhile.

[@johnmayo27]

Thanks for the tips on cleaning up knife 🗡 I got when I was magnet fishing and I have finds old things. John E. May-0 ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@toddhkennedy]

Super informative! Thanks

[@jeancena3556]

What are the odds I have the same knife as you there? Crazy coincidence

[@GIJoeFactotum]

Thanks - good info 😎

[@barkingspider2007]

That file you used to make a repair seemed to cut very fast. Is it that the steel is soft? I was taking the sharp edges off a knife in S35VN and the rate of re-profile was much slower. I picked up a diamond file and it went much faster. (probably not needed for older knives) Thanks again.. Great video!

[@_BigLife_]

Great process. Loved the video. New subscriber

[@llamov]

pipe cleaners work well

[@MidwestPicker]

Nice video, thank you.

[@Narrow_Gate_Forge]

Great transformation! I thoroughly enjoyed your process. My process is very similar. Can't wait to check out your other videos. Do you have any ideas for weak lockback spring tension? I haven't come across anything that wasn't very heavy involvement with specialized tooling.

[@jamesluther3506]

Is it okay to use lemon oil on most wood scale handles?

[@lenzielenski3276]

I hope no one actually does this. I restored one as an experiment and it was in far worse condition and came out better. You can sum up this entire video with "use a buffing wheel". If you do it like that you are going to create unevenness b/w bolster and scale and the blades will look wavy instead of flat. Instead, polish blades on a strop with 2-3 steps in compound (I think its red, then green, then white). They won't look like new but will be very presentable in about 15 minutes (per blade). With bolsters, I used the same strop (green) and used a rolling motion AFTER taping off the handle scale! Oh, and for lube and clean I used Breakfree CLP. Doesn't stink like WD-40 and easier to apply without making a mess. To clean the inside, WOOD is the hardest thing you want to use so you don't scratch up the interior! Toothpicks and Q-Tips (some with the cotton removed) did the job with no damage to the knife. FWIW

[@djdrisco123]

I would argue that he’s cleaning up the knife and not doing a full/partial restoration. Honestly, I’m currently torn between this method, which leaves much of the old character vs your method, which brings it to virtually new in box.

[@Narrow_Gate_Forge]

Oh man, air compressor!!! I am so stealing that idea!

[@lewisward4359]

Nice job.

[@donaldpiller1476]

Thanks.for the video.o learned a lot about cleaning old knives.

[@stephenfewson7188]

Niiccceeee work mate! G'day from Australia 🇦🇺

[@grahamparr4710]

Now the small blade has a flat edge would be great for whittling details.

[@johnowls]

When buffing the blades i would do it from the top so if it grabs it will throw the knife forwards instead of in your face

[@cherylkringelbach8800]

Cracked me up when hes cleaning the inside of knife and he i need something narrower than a screwdriver. How abiut a knife blade duh. Lol😅😅

[@jrxpod]

Great video, just a little constructive criticism would be to speed it up just a bit. Other wise 👍🏻

[@Markstervideo]

Nice job

[@generalbubba435]

I think to properly clean those old knives you should do a total disassembly. Knock out the pins & separate the different layers. Then do your cleaning routine. I think the results would be better.

[@jprime84]

Most of them are "peened" or mushroomed out such that you cant punch them out like a machined pin in a firearm or something. You would have to drill them.

[@grantlandneil]

I would use a "plastic razor blade" instead of something metal inside the liners.

[@johnclarke6647]

I let knives like that soak in two cycle gas overnight. Then, clean out the liners, rinse it again with two cycle and then blow it dry with compressed air. I then use some 400 wet or dry to clean out the liners, rinse with two cycle and blow dry, again. I use the 400 to get rust off the blades, sanding lengthwise on the blade to not leave scratches in the blades. I the hut it with jewelers rouge, rinse and blow dry, agin. I the lube the locking surfaces and work the blades until they are free and have some snap to them. I may let it soak again in two cycle and blow dry.

[@chuck4523]

Where are you from? I have a knife that needs a good cleaning

[@bluehand9631]

DYI

[@Proudathiest1]

I had an old knife that was so corroded. I couldn’t even get one of the blades out. I had a big old can of WD-40 like a half a gallon can or something and I poured some in a plastic ice cream bucket and submerged the knife in it overnight the next morning when I took it out, the knife fell apart in my hands.

[@lawrenceboensch2837]

I've always learned do NOT use steel wool to clean up steel items. Some knives have stainless steel (read that stains less) which free iron from the steel wool will cause to rust fast. Same thing with steel blades. It is the free iron that rusts quickest. Use scotch brite instead. It cleans as well and does not cause rust.

[@bluehand9631]

Or Nev-R-Dull. And don't use Nev-R-Dull on highly polished steel. Even it is too abrasive and will leave scratches.

[@gvanderweele2334]

Aluminium foil works very well on stainless and stained carbon steel with minimal. Or no.scratching! Aluminum is not as hard.as.steel will and you do not have deal with the steel.debris from the steelwool!