Is it clean?

When is your knife clean?

  • I don't use my knives

    Votes: 2 4.8%

  • After soap, water, hand towel polishing, and air dry

    Votes: 3 7.1%

  • Occasional soap, mostly rinse off and wipe dry

    Votes: 32 76.2%

  • I leave them dirty

    Votes: 2 4.8%

  • Not satisfied until It looks brand new

    Votes: 3 7.1%
  • Total voters
    42
It has to be like new. Most of my knives get rotated through my kitchen. At different times, over time.

Exception to the rule: Knives with poor QC become beater knives and are as dirty as my pickup's floorboards.
 
assuming we are talking about the knives were carry day to day.
soap and water rarely come in to the mix unless they've been exposed to something that requires it.
wipe dry or wipe away residue of whatever I was cutting, fold it and back in the pocket.
 
I try to keep my knives as clean as I can. Part of it is that I find the maintenance/cleaning part somewhat therapeutic. There are plenty of times when it can’t be done while I’m using it, or even immediately after, but I usually do clean them as soon as I can. Especially tape, glue, or other sticky stuff. I’m also a self-admitted chronic polisher. Brasso, Mothers Magwheel, and sanding films are my friends.

I actually completely broke down and cleaned a buddy’s Hogue auto last night by his request. Pretty sure he used it to make barbecue or something, as it was full of sticky shmutz. I couldn’t handle carrying any of my knives that crudded up.
 
I give them the ol' wipe with my work shirt most of the time.

Every once in a while I'll get a bug and scrub them out with dish soap and a brush and oil them. Kinda resets it to zero.

The packing tape funk kinda sucks and lighter fluid takes it off easily with a scouring pad. The scouring pad also has the added bonus of knocking down some polishing.
 
I think it's fascinating the then and now
Everyone knows of "grandpas" knife
The rural 1040s, early central valley, etc. Knives were knives were knives. Used in work, cut dirty stuff, trash. Some pits, Patina occasionally rusted. Wiped off on trousers and old bar rags. I use to stick my knives in hot dry dirt to clean them. Because they were used often as daily work tools, they didn't have the time to make them shine after each use, probably didn't care too much either
 
rockman0 said:
For tape residue, rubbing alcohol works great, put a few drops on the blade, let it sit a few seconds, wipe it with a paper towel and it's clean.
Click to expand...
There's a product called Goo Gone that's specifically made for removing tape, sticker and price-tag residue. Works pretty good for other stuff as well. I use it on knife blades that were used to open packages. Has a citrusy aroma that doesn't quite cover up the volatile chemical(s) smell.

To the original question, I like to keep my various blades as clean as possible. What I use on them greatly depends on what they've been used for. Sometimes just a wipe works, and sometimes a damp wipe works. Other times and grungier/stickier stuff require other cleaners.
 
Depends on the knife:
A folder will usually get wiped off on my leg or a paper towel if it's handy.
Any knife that may get food duty presses upon it (like an apple or pear at lunch) gets cleaned really well for obvious reasons.
OTF knives are checked for tape or gunk.

I'll clean them better when I touch up the edges later.
 
If a knife is in my EDC rotation, that is, it is not stored with the rest of the collection, I don't really care about it. I just use it until it goes dull. But I clean it and strop or sharpen it back to shaving sharp before it goes back to storage until next time. The blade is easy to keep clean, but I need a toothbrush and soap for FRN.
 
I guess it depends which knife I’m taking about. I have dedicated work knives that I’ll just wipe clean with a rag. But for my EDC’s , they have to go back in the rotation clean and like new.
 
I keep a spray bottle of alcohol on my bench, I use it to clean knives, and also on my diamond plates when I sharpen.

Soap and hot water if I’m near a sink, purel, Lysol wipes, pant leg have all been used in a pinch.
 
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