How to Take Care of Your Pocket Knife
Taking proper care of your pocket knife is important, especially if it’s a premium one. Premium pocket knives such as the Boker Fellow Damascus or the Robert David Laguiole Damascus Folder are very pricey, so if you aren’t interested in giving them the proper care and attention, then I’d assume that you have trees that grow money in your yard!
The topic of caring and maintaining pocket knives has been covered extensively on the internet. In the online world, you can find heaps and heaps of articles regarding this subject. However, the vast majority of those articles contain excessive amount of complicated instructions and How-Tos which a lot of beginners find extremely overwhelming.
This article though, will not make you scratch your head in confusion! My objective in this article is to keep things simple and easy to understand, so you can begin taking care of your highly cherished pocket knife without feeling all mixed up. Please note that the care and maintenance advice outlined in this article can be applied to just about all kinds of knives.
(1) Don’t Use it inappropriately
What I mean by this is use a pocket knife like it’s meant to be used. So many people treat a pocket knife like it’s a screwdriver and vice versa. A pocket knife is a pocket knife. You don’t use it to unscrew hinges and things like that. To unscrew things, you use a screwdriver.
Also remember that a pocket knife, particularly the premium ones aren’t supposed to be used for cutting a cardboard or a roofing paper. Perhaps you can use a really cheap pocket knife to cut those things, but what’s the point? You’re better off using a cordless cutter.
Don’t use your precious pocket knife on cutting boards that are constructed of really tough materials such as granite, smooth thick glass, ceramic tile, and the like. You risk ruining your knife if it’s used on cutting boards made up of the aforesaid materials.
(2) Storage Tips
a) When you’re not using the pocket knife, be sure to wipe it with a bit of oil. You don’t have to go crazy like soaking the blade with oil. Just a light wipe is more than sufficient
b) Store your pocket knife in a place that’s dry to prevent corrosion and rust from creeping in.
c) Avoid storing your pocket knife in a sheath that’s made of leather. Sure a leather sheath looks cool and all that, but the problem with this material is that it retains moisture. Moisture trapped on your knife is obviously a bad thing because it induces corrosion. I think it would be best that you avoid storing the pocket knife in its sheath, no matter what material it’s made of.
(3) Regular Cleaning and Oiling
Knives are bound to collect corrosive residues, especially if they are used regularly. So in order keep your pocket knife free of corrosive residues and prevent long-term damage, be sure to use some mild soapy water to clean the entire length of blade. Make a habit of doing this after each use.
After cleaning with mild soapy water, do allow the blade to dry completely. Also before storing the knife away, be sure to coat it with just a little bit of clean oil for optimal care. From time to time, you should examine your pocket knife to see if there’s any corrosion build-up, and coat it with oil.
(4) Keep it Sharp
You’ll want your pocket knife to be sharp at all times. You want it to be able to cut things as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. Now, when it comes to knife sharpeners, well, there are plenty of varieties out there, but I’d advise you to obtain one of the three main ones. For your info, the three main ones are ceramic crock sticks, diamond sharpening sticks, and the ever popular sharpening stones. Each sharpener has its share of good points as well as bad points. All-in-all, each sharpener gets the job done well and good.
During sharpening, be sure to sharpen the blade’s original angles. A user manual is always included with a good quality knife sharpener, so refer the guidelines and directions described in the manual and you’ll be fine. I’d just like to add that when you’re sharpening your pocket knife, avoid grinding away the blade.
Do the process in a slow and controlled manner. After several sharpening strokes, check the blade to see if it has achieved your desired sharpness. After completing the sharpening process, wipe the blade clean and lightly coat it with oil.