soaking/cleaning a SAK.

[captain spaulding]

I received a SAK that needs some extra TLC and I did my usual soak in hot soapy water and then took the brushes to it to see if I could get the grime out. It seemed to clean up well, but after it dried it was apparent it needs something more. So I am wondering what the next step is. What have you used to soak a SAK in to get it back in proper working order? WD-40 maybe? Any input is definitely appreciated.

[tattoosteve99]

I had one that did the same thing. Cleaning just didn't work . So I gave a good blast o wd40 and let it soak overnight. Then cleaned it again with dish detergent.  Again better but not good enough. I did this 3 times, all while working all the blades and tools, and now it's good as new

[captain spaulding]

Thanks Steve. I will give it a go. 

[Breezy12]

I've never tried it on SAKs, but I have used Bar Keeper's Friend on several Leathermans that were incredibly grimy/dirty/filthy after getting them off ebay.

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/

I use the powdered version with a damp sponge or rag, and a toothbrush to get in the tight spots.  Then I towel-dry the tool when I'm done and let it air dry for a bit, then hit it with some WD-40 and let it soak overnight.  I have been very pleased with the results I've gotten using it on Leatherman MTs and knives.    might be worth a shot...

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I've had good luck with just plain hot, soapy water and a toothbrush.  I pop the scales off, open all the tools, and just dunk it and scrub.  Sometimes a little soaking is needed depending on how much crud there is built up.

Afterwards, I dry it as well as I can with a towel, and use canned air to blow out the remaining water.  Then I lube it thoroughly with Phil Wood "Tenacious" oil, wipe it down, and reattach the scales.

I did that with an old CT34 my wife gave me that was pretty beat up.  A good cleaning, a bit of polishing on a few of the tools, a couple of replacement bits, and a new pair of sapphire plus scales, and it's as good as new.   

[captain spaulding]

Normally that will work for me as well, but after the normal routine it is still in need of a deeper clean. I thought I had WD-40 around but I cannot find it. Im just lagging on getting a new can.

[GigaHz]

I think I have had 3 now that no amount of soaking in WD40 or Dawn would get them to snap. After I drilled out the rivets, I found super glue in one and the other two were corroded so bad I had to grind and file the liners flat again.

[JNieporte]

When the normal tricks don't work for me, I soak the tool overnight in Break Free. If that still doesn't work, I take the scales off and let the tool sit in a pot of boiling water with some dish soap in it, for about an hour. The scales can be glued back on, but only once or twice.

[Jammybstard]

You could try soaking it in an oxy-action style sanitizer.
I have some stuff for cleaning homebrew equipment called Chemipro Oxi.
I not tried it on a knife yet,  but its amazing how much crud it can break down on a ling soak.

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[powernoodle]

You can open it up and run it through the dishwasher.  Then thoroughly dry and lube.  An ultrasonic bath might be good (for the SAK, not you), though I have never tried it.

[PTRSAK]

Dishwasher is fine IF you remove the scales. If you don't remove them first, you'll probably be removing them afterwards.... to replace them.

[Northern Geek]

Won't using a dishwasher risk damaging the aluminum liners? I had a coffee pot made of aluminum that didn't take well to being put in the dish washer.. 

[dks]

Use a low temperature and little powder.

With plastic scales you might get some scratching and dulling. The dulling may be removed by polishing with a cloth..

I have washed SAKs etc  (Cheap) in the dishwasher when  had too many to bother doing them individually with no real problems.

Also US clears are good and damage frre but only for lightly dirty items

[GigaHz]

More info here.
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,38504.msg618163.html#msg618163

[Deklan]

Has anyone used lighter fluid (eg from brands like Zippo) to remove rust stains and other goo-like substances from SAKs?  I should think that it would be okay on stainless steel parts (for example, blades, can opener, etc.), stainless steel scales and alox.  How about on cellidor scales? 

[captain spaulding]

Its been in the WD-40 since last night.   

[k12cop]

Thread resurrection...just wondering how it turned out Captain, because I have an old pioneer and farmer that have been getting the wd-40 treatment heavily, but they still don't have that good walk and talk.

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[Singh]

WD-40 is good for one thing: displacing moisture. (it's great for frozen locks)

for cleaning, I 'd use something else.

I know SAKS are stainless steel, but I cringe at the thought of cleaning metal things with water. Besides, water won't eat away the gunk.

Here is what I do (the following will eat plastic, so take the scales off):

I would soak it in orderless mineral spirits for a day, then scrub with a nylon brush. The mineral spirits really get into all those nooks and crannies and dissolve the gunk. On the really dirty stuff,  I've soaked for a day, scrubbed, changed the mineral spirits, and repeated the process until everything was clean.  Afterwards, I oil things with mineral oil.

Mineral spirits. It's cheap and it works.

[Monrogue]

Lots of helpful tips here everyone   I'll have to try to remember this in the future if/when I need to do some serious cleaning of my MTs/SAKs. 

[captain spaulding]

Thread resurrection...just wondering how it turned out Captain, because I have an old pioneer and farmer that have been getting the wd-40 treatment heavily, but they still don't have that good walk and talk.

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This is the after shots of the knife. I will see if I can find the before shots somewhere. 

I never did use vinegar to get the white salt stains off, but might actually do that today. Thanks for reminding me. 


http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,39980.msg640451.html#msg640451

[KTesh]

To any NooB

For Heaven's Sake...  DO NOT!!! use rubbing alcohol to sterilize your plastic scaled SAKs.  Alcohol attacks the plastic, discoloring it and making it extremely vulnerable to scratches.

If you did already, try putting the knife in hot soapy water to dilute the alcohol, then allow it to dry completly to try to reduce the damage you've done already.