How To Clean An Automatic Knife

Unlike stock-still blades, folders, slipjoints, Swiss regular army knives, and the almost obscure variations of each, a particular blazon of knife can present a claiming when doing routine cleaning: the automatic pocketknife.

Most often referred to as an automatic, motorcar, switchblade, or "out the front" (OTF), this blazon of knife isn't exactly welcome in some parts of the world - many jurisdictions accept banned either owning or carrying these types of knives.

But, in an increasing number of locations, these knives are legal and are becoming more popular by the day. The fans of these specialty knives dear them considering they are ultra fast to deploy, easy to open with i hand, fun to handle and employ, and platonic for for self defence.

These blades use an automatic mechanism for deployment which adds an chemical element of complication to their performance and to how they should be maintained. Most importantly, unless something is seriously wrong with your automatic knife, or unless yous are very familiar with automatic knife maintenance, you really don't need to disassemble your knife (if you harm your pocketknife during disassembly, it may not be covered under warranty). Fortunately, in a few simple steps you can effectively maintain and clean your car pocketknife without fifty-fifty removing a fastener.

In about cases, a boring or mucilaginous machinery is caused past the intrusion of dust and droppings into the moving parts of the knife. If your pocketknife is used in harsh environments, and is not fully stainless, corrosion can build upwardly internally, likewise causing parts to demark.  Anytime your knife isn't performing at peak, a cleaning is warranted.

How to Clean an Automatic Knife

Step ane: Deploy

Start by opening your knife. Carefully, using a gentle cleaner like rubbing alcohol, clean the blade of the knife, removing whatsoever adhesive remnants, tape, glutinous rest, or dirt. Cotton swabs are ever helpful in removing dirt from near the knife's edge and from tight crevices. One time the bract is clean, yous can movement to cleaning out the internals.

Step ii: Air

Whether it's compressed air for keyboards, or an air compressor with a blower attachment, use high pressure air to spray debris out of the mechanism. The tiny straw zipper that comes with Dust-Off can exist key to blowing junk out of tight spaces.  Some folks may loosen the handle screws in lodge to allow a gap so air can menstruation through, without disassembly; this is an piece of cake method to get rid of lint, particles, and other debris.

In one case you lot believe some of the debris are blown out, cycle the action of the knife a few times to further break upward anything else that might be hanging effectually. Then continue with another round or two of air pressure, making sure to also focus on the slider.

If yous remain unsuccessful in getting debris out of the mechanism, you can, as a concluding resort, always send your knife dorsum to the manufacturer for service using the instructions posted on their website.  Pop automated pocketknife makers similar Benchmade, Protech, and Microtech provide no-toll or depression-cost maintenance and sharpening services to users per their instructions online.

Step 3: Lubrication

Our favorite part! Nosotros suggest our Original lube for automatic knives, where pocket-size moving parts need to operate at high speed. Apply a reasonable corporeality of Knife Pin Lube, allowing information technology to soak into the knife'due south mechanism, bicycle the action a few times, then add a few more drops.  Milk shake abroad backlog lube and remove whatsoever dirt that becomes visible with cotton fiber swabs (retrieve that Knife Pivot Lube cleans your pivot equally you utilize it so some dirty remainder is to exist expected).

Be certain too to add a small drop of lubricant to the slider/switch itself, as all activeness from this part of the mechanism is what ends upwardly deploying the blade. This is also an area for major clay ingress, and build-upwardly.

Footstep 4: TLC

Treat the blade correct! Not that it's already obvious, keeping moisture and corrosives abroad from the pocketknife volition lessen the probability of a mechanism rusting/sticking, or even worse, parts declining due to corrosion.  A high quality lubricant not only makes your knife operate smoothly, information technology also repels moisture, prevents corrosion, and keeps metal parts from galling or wearing prematurely.