Beginning cleaning/oiling tips

[Mith Smithy]

Hey everyone! Nice to find this website and to meet you.
My father introduced me to these knives. He was an avid collector of all sorts of cool small gadgets. He gifted me a blue classic when I was 6. I lost it somehow when I was around 10. But my mother somehow dug out an old backpack I used when I was little and it was in there! So I've been carrying it on my keyring again for the last 10 years. So it's a solid 22 years old and I love it to death. I also have a red Spartan I love for more serious carry.
I was wondering if you guys have tips to clean both of them though, and sharpen them. I've seen videos of sharpening knives and I got a basic whetstone but I'm scared to death of ruining my blades lol. How do I do it properly? What's the ideal angle to pull it at, etc.?
Moreover, both of them need cleaning and oil, especially the Spartan - I've carried it hiking long distance trails and it feels like it's full of sand and dirt. Should I just go all out and clean them in hot soapy water inside and out, and then re-oil? In which case, should I really get the fancy Victorinox oil, or is a standard cheap alternative equally good?
Thanks guys!
-Sporky

[Mechanickal]

Hey there!

To clean any SAK without speSmurfpillsed tools, I give them a warm soapy bath with all tools opened fully.

I use an old toothbrush and hand soap to brush out the entire inside and outside. Don't forget to close the tools again and brush the tips of the backsprings too! They collect allot of junk.

Once you're done, dry it with a towel and let it air dry further (or use a hot air gun or hair dryer to speed it up)

Vic oil is food safe, quite thick but reaches into small places easily. I love it!
Some cheap mineral oil will do too though and is also food safe.

Oil up the pivot points on the inside of the knife. Open the tools halfway and place a drop under each backspring too (which are opened a bit when you open tools half way)

Open and close all tools a few times and you should be good to go.

I, myself, usualy let it sit for half an hour after this, open every tool again and wipe any excessive oil off.

[Mechanickal]

For sharpening, I use a honing steel.
I can get my SAKs sharp on this, even when they are nearly dull.

However, what works for you can varry. Some people prefer a freehand sharpening stone or sharpening system.

Try google to find some methods and how to's. The internet is filled with videos and instructables.

If you want to keep your old SAKs on the safe side, practice on an old potato peeler or look for some cheap knife to try it on before you start with your SAKs.

[Mith Smithy]

Good advice, thank you mate. But I still wonder what you mean when you say oiling tools half open etc.? The hinges are all on the ends obviously. So I should be dropping some oil into the end area while half open and then play around with it a little bit?
I should not put any kind of oil UNDER a tool?
Oh, I think I see what you mean. The tools all have springs similar to the classic's scissor spring? so a drop under the tool when it's half open?

[Mechanickal]

Just a few minutes...
I'm getting my bottom up and will take an example pic.

A picture says more then a thousand words...

[Mechanickal]

Right there:


The small flat surfaces of the springs are a part that tends to get real dirty from pocket carry.

[Mith Smithy]

Right, I see that Mine are all dirty as hell but did not stand out by virtue of the rest being dirty as hell too. Lol.

[Mechanickal]

[MacGyver]

...dry it with a towel and let it air dry further (or use a hot air gun or hair dryer to speed it up)

Some of the best advise have been given already, but just to add a little word of caution about drying you sak with any hot air devices... Be careful with that as the cellidor scales are sensible to higher temperatures. The material tends to soften and warp, sometimes a lot. And even more if you have the tweezers in place when doing it. Those things are like a loaded spring always pushing the front scale up in the middle, it the scale gets hot enough to deform, when it cools it will be permanently warped. Not to mention that very hot temperatures may also loosen the grip of the scales on the rivet bushings making the scale a little loose sometimes.
When i use the hair dryer to dry my saks i always use it in the normal (cold) air setting, no heating at all.
And also do not let alcohol anywhere near the scales also,it will ruin them, and with more prolonged contact even melt them... 

However i'm also known to be very "anal" about the scales on my Saks (look, fit and finish) so take what i've said above with a grain of salt.... 

As for sharpening i might also point out that the Vic dual sharpener has served me great. The V sharpener has the correct angle and the stone rod does a good job also. You just need to not let the blades get too dull, just a quick 5 or 6 passes and it's hair razing sharp again. 

[Mechanickal]

[Rapidray]

Great information. Thanks for sharing. Am going to YouTube the duel sharpener. 

[Mith Smithy]

Just did the cleaning and sharpening. I used a very basic whetstone and I probably don't quite have the hang of it, so the blades really aren't as sharp as that from a brand new Victorinox I just got. But they're sharper than before, lol. At first it wasn't really making a difference either way, because I was really afraid of applying too much pressure. After I started using water and a bit more pressure it worked alright. I'm gonna have to wait for some personal assistance or a tool like that dual sharpener before I can make my blades super sharp though!
Just for fun here are my two old knives. Spartan pic pretty blurry though




Thanks for the tips 

[Sawl Goodman]

about the Vic dual sharpener, too. Works well and is very portable.

[Blackbeard]

Been using this one $5 bottle of zoom spout oil for about 5 years and its still 2/3 full, the stuff lasts forever, a better value than the vic branded one. Lately i've been putting some of the oil  in syringes so I can get the oil exactly where I want it and not have to clean up as much. the needle lets out a lot less then the tube thats in the bottle

[pfrsantos]

If the blades are not too dull, try this:

[Mith Smithy]

Been using this one $5 bottle of zoom spout oil for about 5 years and its still 2/3 full, the stuff lasts forever, a better value than the vic branded one. Lately I've been putting some of the oil  in syringes so I can get the oil exactly where I want it and not have to clean up as much. the needle lets out a lot less then the tube thats in the bottle

Sounds like a great deal, and good idea with the syringe. The product does say irritant though, so is it actually food safe? That's an important concern to me. I bring dry sausage in the field a lot, great treat and fuel. 


pfrsantos: yeah I actually saw that! seems like a very ingenuous idea. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk openly sharpening my blades on a mug just yet.