Stop the tack

[bayoublade]

In the attached picture, on the bottom right hand side, there is a fixed-blade Buck knife that I was given years ago. Well on that knife, it's a rubberized handle. That blade sat in storage for years and, as a result, the handle is now tacky. Is there ANYTHING I can do to remove that? Wasn't really ready to do like goo gone or something like that... unless you guys think that's a decent option. Just throwing it out there for suggestions. Thanks all.

[Padre]

Brake disc cleaner or similar?

[Sea Monster]

I'd be reluctant to use any corrosives or solvents, in case it is the handle material "decomposing".

Maybe try scraping it to see if it's just a top "layer" of goop, and the material underneath is still good?

Start with warm soapy water, citrus cleaner, and work your way up to "harder" solvents?

Send it to me and I'll live with it 

[Steinar]

It is certainly the material itself. Common problem with lots and lots and lots of types of plastic'y materials. I'd try using simply using some soap and water and see if that helped first, if that didn't work, I'd escalate to very fine sandpaper. (My favorite plastic problem is a kind of plastic which is very common in folders and binders which react with laser printer pigment, removing it from paper and adhering to the binder instead. Binders which destroy printouts... genius... (And that's why I stick to cardboard or extra cover sheets when it comes to storing paper documents.))

Edit: Basically what the Sea Monster said, I guess.

[Syncop8r]

Would this also work for Bear Grylls-branded Gerber gear, which is also tacky?

[Padre]

Or any rubber covered SAK...

[zoidberg]

I've got a CS TM here waiting for a re handle.      

[Kev D]

I had this happen with some rubber coated binoculars, and could never completely remove the tacky though. It would clean up for a while but always came back fairly quickly, so I guess the rubber was breaking down.

[IvanDrago]

Put it in ethanol overnight. Ethanol will "dry up" your rubber.

[bayoublade]

These are all really great! Thanks everyone for your input!


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[bayoublade]

I had this happen with some rubber coated binoculars, and could never completely remove the tacky though. It would clean up for a while but always came back fairly quickly, so I guess the rubber was breaking down.

It is certainly the material itself. Common problem with lots and lots and lots of types of plastic'y materials. I'd try using simply using some soap and water and see if that helped first, if that didn't work, I'd escalate to very fine sandpaper. (My favorite plastic problem is a kind of plastic which is very common in folders and binders which react with laser printer pigment, removing it from paper and adhering to the binder instead. Binders which destroy printouts... genius... (And that's why I stick to cardboard or extra cover sheets when it comes to storing paper documents.))

Edit: Basically what the Sea Monster said, I guess.

The "tack" is minimal, but certainly there and present. I've no doubt the materials are breaking down which is a bummer... like a tent rainfly delaminating ... just not much you can do about it. Will probably just have to live with it.


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[bayoublade]

Send it to me and I'll live with it 

:-D if it didn't have such sentimental value attached to it, I'd probably put it up here for sale; not really a fixed blade user; hence the reason it sat in storage so long.


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