Cleaning brass with vinegar...or lemon...or tomato sauce?

D

Darryus

Joined
Sep 29, 2011
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I started this thread because after searching the forum (maybe I did not search enough) I couldn't find anything about cleaning the brass with these: vinegar or lemon juice or tomato sauce. This is what I have been reading on the internet: you can clean the brass with either one of these three... the tomato sauce is good for objects that you wanna clean, but you do not want scratches on them, you just put some on the brass, leave it there until it starts to dry and then remove it with a dry cloth. The vinegar...you put some on a clean dry cloth and you rub on the brass. And the lemon...either you cut a slice and put some fine salt on it and rub the brass (it will scratch a little, it is for really tarnished brass), either you cut a lemon in half, squeeze it into a cup and then you put fine salt in it until you get a paste, kinda like toothpaste (it will scratch the brass a little also).
So, what i tried was the tomato sauce, actually I used ketchup :)), yes ketchup, I heard it is sort of the same like the tomato sauce - regarding the brass cleaning. The result: it worked, but only a tiny bit...but still, it is visible.
I'm writing this because in my country you do not have Brasso. There are other products available that would clean brass, but I was more curious about the enviornment-friendly solutions.

I hope it makes sense what I said here, please do not take my word for it and do not try it on your objects, it is what I have been reading recently and thought I should share.

If there is a similar discussion (that I couldn't find on the forum), someone please erase my post or move it.

Thanx.

Have a great day!:thumbup:

Darius
 
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You can use any of those as well as Tabasco sauce. Pretty much anything with an acidic base will remove the tarnish but be careful. If you get it on the blade or other parts you might end up with a patina you didn't want.
 
Yes, I was careful not to touch anything else withe the "wonder sauce" but I didn't know that I might get a patina on the blade. Thank you for the heads up!Didn't know about the tabasco sauce either...
 
Not sure if it would be much of an issue with a Buck using 420HC since that's a stainless steel but on carbon steel blades some guys use mustard, ketchup, etc, to force a patina, sometimes in a pattern on their knives.
 
Coke or Pepsi will also clean brass, I understand the diet stuff works better. It works better than vinegar because of the phosphoric acid in it.
 
Who knows how big of an issue it would be but given the fact that I could buy my 112 and 110 with so much effort... :D, I ain't gonna risk it to find out! But I do know that there is "good patina", preventing the red rust from appearing on the blade. Well, my dear bucks are new for now and thank God I don't have to consider forcing a patina on the blades in order to keep the rust off.

Please excuse me if my english is a bit rusty here and there...maybe I should consider putting a patina on my english.:D
 
Your 110 and 112 are stainless, and will not take or develop a patina. No cause for alarm, or reason to tread lightly.
 
So, I googled the Pledge Orange Oil...another product we don't have here...that's too bad, I was really interested in something that I could clean the whole knife with. For example, I'm not sure if the vinegar or coke or the lemon juice should be in contact with the moving parts and the wood.
My question is: can I use something that the brass, scales and moving parts will "be ok" with? Something "home made".
Thanx.
 
You could use toothpaste too: it's a fairly fine abrasive I've seen used for cleaning coins.
 
Darryus, don't worry too much about it. Whatever you use, you'll have to clean the knife afterward; you really won't hurt anything unless you use something really corrosive or chemical-based (paint thinner, etc.), and even then, you'll only have to worry about the finish on the wood.
Try cleaning with whatever you like (coke, vinegar, lemon will all be just fine). Afterward, warm water and soap, with an old toothbrush or something similar. Then, dry it off & blow all the water out of the slot and joint, and apply just a few drops of your favorite oil to the joint (and mineral oil to the wood to restore its lustre).
These things are way more durable than you seem to suspect.
 
I like mineral oil a lot. It can remove the tarnish from the brass as well as shine up the wood and lube the pivot. And it's pretty common too.
 
Hey, thank you guys! Great advice from everybody:thumbup:. I used vinegar and it did the work :D. I will try to get some mineral oil in the future.
@puukkoman, thanx, much appreciated your advice too! I don't suspect they are poor quality at all, I'm just a maniac when it comes to my favourite things:), I feel I should handle them like a newborn:D. I know and I trust Buck quality, I just wanna treat my "precious" with extra care (even if not needed). I guess it will take some time to get used to everything (cleaning, using and so on).

Big kid with new toys here,

Darius

P.S. I'll try to post some photos this week with the knives being shiny and all.
 
thanx! The underground is a salt mine. It is very large and also very deep. It has a little lake, with sculls (is this the term for that 2-person boats with paddles?), it has modern elevators and also wooden stairs that go all the way down. Mini-soccer field, benches for people to rest on...And the lights there are also magnificent. It is a really beautiful place. Glad you like the pictures ;)

Later edit: that mini soccer field is more like a tennis court. The idea is that people can go down there and feel comfortable, while breathing that salty air. I will post another picture with that small lake. When I first got there, I felt like I was in a Jules Verne book. An underground lake and boats that you can paddle around!
 
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