cleaning a Leatherman Skeletool

E

edb

Joined
Aug 30, 2002
Messages
740
Where I used to work, I could carry my Skeletool on my belt, so it would
stay pretty clean and gunk-free. At my new job, it has to go into my
pocket, where it will certainly gunk up with link, perhaps rust some
from when I sweat, etc.

Any suggestions as to cleaning it? Is it not advisable to put it in the
dishwasher (after removing the drive bits)? If it should not go in the dishwasher, then maybe a spraying with Breakfree CLP, a soak in hot water, a blast of air from a canned air container...?

Any replies are appreciated!

Thanks
 
I spray mine with brake cleaner occasionally. Dissolves and rinses out most of the gunk and dries almost instantly. Sometimes I take a q-tip and take most of the fluff off the tip and then use it to get into the slots to get lint and stuff out. I don't have any rust issues with it.
 
A nice bath in warm (almost hot), soapy water. Use some dish soap. Rinse in the almost-hot water. The warm water will warm up the blades, handles, etc. very nicely. That'll aid greatly in the drying, whatever moisture you don't reach with a rag or paper towel will evaporate fairly quickly. If you desire, a little WD-40 sprayed into the joints will flush out any remaining moisture that might be there.

After it's dried completely, lube it as needed.
 
i clean my multitools with alcohol swabs and the countycomm cleaning stick. alcohol swabs can be had for about $3 for 100 from any drug store. this method takes a while but you will get all the gunk out of the crevasses this way. then just add lube and you are done.
 
Try running it under extremely hot water to flush all the gunk out. It works on pretty much everything else, so it ought to work on the skeletool. :D Dry thoroughly and apply a little lube of your choice.
 
Don't take it apart...it's a B* to get it back together....I just blast mine with some seafoam or other parts cleaner, followed by a run under hot water, a nice blast of air with the compressor, let it air dry for 10-15 minutes and then blast it with some wd40, a good shake down and lint-free towel wipe off.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
A nice bath in warm (almost hot), soapy water. Use some dish soap. Rinse in the almost-hot water. The warm water will warm up the blades, handles, etc. very nicely. That'll aid greatly in the drying, whatever moisture you don't reach with a rag or paper towel will evaporate fairly quickly. If you desire, a little WD-40 sprayed into the joints will flush out any remaining moisture that might be there.

After it's dried completely, lube it as needed.
Click to expand...

Okay, let me ask a continuation question: What's the best type of lube to use for a multi-tool or knife without gumming it up? Thanks!
 
ono724 said:
Okay, let me ask a continuation question: What's the best type of lube to use for a multi-tool or knife without gumming it up? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Tuf-glide works well but seems to get gritty in some of my knives. I also use CRK Flourinated Grease. The CRK grease is the best lubricant i have ever used.
 
edb said:
If it should not go in the dishwasher, then maybe a spraying with Breakfree CLP, a soak in hot water, a blast of air from a canned air container...?
Click to expand...

Should work, maybe not exactly in that order.
Probably first blow it out with compressed air or brake cleaner.
If you use brake cleaner, the soaking probably won't be necessary, but couldn't hurt.
After soaking and rinsing, another blast around of air or cleaner to remove moisture left in the mechanism.
Wipe down and lube with Break Free.

I've used Break Free for years to clean and lube my handguns and never had a problem.

NOTE: If you use brake cleaner, make sure you give all parts a good application of protection. Brake cleaner does remove gunk great, but it also strips off ALL the oil or lube that was on the knife.
 
ono724 said:
Okay, let me ask a continuation question: What's the best type of lube to use for a multi-tool or knife without gumming it up? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Teflon based dry lube works well, something like Tri-Flow.

I also use a can of compressed gas to blow the gunk out of my knives and guns when they collect lint. These are sold in computer stores to blow dust out of keyboards, etc.
 
ono724 said:
Okay, let me ask a continuation question: What's the best type of lube to use for a multi-tool or knife without gumming it up? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Looks like several others here have weighed in on this. As you can see, there are lots of possibilities. I've been getting by for years with just an occasional light application of WD-40. Some prefer to use mineral oil (it's food-safe, if you use your knife in the kitchen). Others here like Break Free (I haven't tried it yet, so I'll offer no opinion there), and still others like other products. It comes down to personal preference, based on how/where you use your multi-tool, for the most part.
 
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