Knife/multitool repair/reconditioning

[FP]

I have a Swiss Army knife that my grandmother gave me over 15 years ago that I have used quite a bit. It is still in great working condition however it could use a good cleaning/resharpening.

I would eventually like to give it to my son. Any suggestions where I can get it cleaned and sharpened? I do not want to do it myself as I have ruined a few knives in the past after trying to resharpen them. Not a trade I want to master

 

[SunSamurai]

A .... knife store?

 

[shortylickens]

Try to find a cutlery store at your local mall.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd practice on an old knife. Knife sharpening's very easy, especially on the Swiss Army knives; the metal's fairly soft. Use real Arkansas stones. You can start on a coarse synthetic if the blade's gouged, or very dull, but the order would be medium Arkansas - hard Arkansas otherwise. Use a light oil on the stone, and wipe it down when finished.

For cleaning, blow the fuzz out with your mouth, then run it under hot water. If you want it spotless, then clean it with alcohol, using a Qtip to get in the joints. After it's dry again, oil all the joints with a light oil, and you're finished.

Or go to a store, and probably get raped :^P

Edit:
Knife sharpening really is an essential skill to learn if you use knives, especially pocket knives. Swiss Army's in particular dull quickly, but on the other hand, they also sharpen quickly. A dull knife is a dangerous knife, and if you have to take it to a shop to sharpen it, you'll be there every week.

 

[eldorado99]

I'd just open up all the tools and brush the whole thing with a stiff brush and some soap, lightly re-oil everything and then take it to House of Knives for a re-sharpening.

 

[Squisher]

How have you ruined a knife trying to sharpen it? The only thing that pops into my head is a pedestal grinder.

 

[eldorado99]

How have you ruined a knife trying to sharpen it? The only thing that pops into my head is a pedestal grinder.

 

[duragezic]

So you use the Arkansas stones to sharpen?

I've been watching a lot of nutnfancy and bought a couple of pocket knives. They don't need sharpening now but they will. Also I have a cheap Swiss Army mini tool and a leatherman that could use it.

I have a "sharpening rod" for kitchen use (don't know if it's ceramic or what) but I realize those rods are for fixing up bent edges, not actual sharpening. I did run it on the old SAK and it helped a lot, but I think I need an actual sharpener.

Do I want stones? Or something like a Spyderco Sharpmaker?

 

[lxskllr]

So you use the Arkansas stones to sharpen?

I've been watching a lot of nutnfancy and bought a couple of pocket knives. They don't need sharpening now but they will. Also I have a cheap Swiss Army mini tool and a leatherman that could use it.

I have a "sharpening rod" for kitchen use (don't know if it's ceramic or what) but I realize those rods are for fixing up bent edges, not actual sharpening. I did run it on the old SAK and it helped a lot, but I think I need an actual sharpener.

Do I want stones? Or something like a Spyderco Sharpmaker?

I like stones. I've never really been good at using rods. A nice set to get has 3 stones on a triangular mount; Coarse synthetic on 1 side, medium Arkansas on another, and hard Arkansas on the other side.

 

[eldorado99]

So you use the Arkansas stones to sharpen?

Yup, call 'em whetstones up here though. And you use leather after that to take the burr off the edge of the blade.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swi...dp/B000VY2Y7M/
$15 for two

 

[duragezic]

What about a Hunter Honer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzQ5CNZTBy8

Looks simple and effective. Maybe it can't put as good of an edge as stones but I don't have any sharpening skills. I wonder if this would work well.

 

[duragezic]

No one used the Hunter Honer?

It seems like its advertised like a piece of crap "As Seen on TV" thing but I am hearing people saying that it rocks. Plus, that dude can fucking sell the product. If I was there I'd buy one after seeing that. It could be shit in a box and I'd be sold.

 

[Colt45]

Buy the same model and pretend it's the same one.

 

[George P Burdell]

Buy the same model and pretend it's the same one.

This.