Jay Fisher: World Class Knifemaker, Photographer, Writer

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"The Best Living Knifemaker" -- in the 2007 "Best of the West Sourcebook" by True West Publications

 

CARE OF YOUR CUSTOM KNIFE

 

This is actually a popular page on my site. You might be surprised how many knife makers, dealers, purveyors, or factory knife outlets on the internet do not include simple instructions on how to care for your custom knife, or any knife for that matter. Some people think that when the knife sale is over, the transaction is complete. I think about it differently. That is when the knife goes into the field, into the hands of the user, and that it when it has to prove its worth.

A fine knife is like any investment in a tool, you have to do some simple things to care for it. Unlike silverware, which may sit in a drawer for years without the slightest care, a custom knife is a finely made tool, with an organic component (the carbon in the steel), and can deteriorate if not cared for. The simplest comparison would be to a fine custom-made firearm of blued steel. You must keep it clean, dry, stored with access to dry air, avoid sudden changes in moisture, shock, corrosive environments, and handling.

The use of a knife is also an important factor. A knife is not a pry bar, not a screwdriver, not a shovel or an axe. Please read these instructions below for a clear, concise description of knife care.

Other makers: This page has been used with my permission by other knife makers, dealers, and internet sites. You might see it somewhere else and recognize it. If they don't list my name or website, they have stolen the page and violated my copyrights, and I want to hear about it here. If they have used my name and website address, they usually have my permission. If you would like to include this information on your site, please email me here for permission.

 

Thanks for caring for your knife!

 

Featured Point of Knife Care:

--from the FAQ Page here

My number one complaint is that the client has stored his knife in the sheath, or forgotten that he's left it in the sheath (sometimes for months or years) and that there are little spots of rust starting to form. I can't say this enough: don't store knives in sheaths! Incidentally, what do you think would happen if you stored a blued firearm in its leather holster for years, and never looked at it? Sure, you want to keep it with the sheath, and carry it in the sheath, but long term storage in the knife sheath is probably the most destructive thing you can do to your fine custom knife.

There are a couple things that can cause this problem. First, you must remember that stainless tool steels can corrode. These are not low carbon junk steels that factories often sell, or completely rust free austentitic steels used in cheap Chinese kitchen knives; these are fine, high carbon martentsitic stainless tool steels, and as such, are more resistant to corrosion than non-stainless, but can still corrode! I have posted this on my care sheet that I give out with every knife (and has been available on this website since the beginning in standard and military form), so there's really no excuse for not reading it. It makes no difference whether the sheath is leather or kydex and aluminum, whether the air is as humid as Florida or as dry as Nevada. The knife blade needs to breathe, and stay dry. When humidity and temperature changes in the normal course of the day or seasons, condensation can form on any steel. If the steel is allowed access to free air, it can stay relatively dry, and corrosion can not gain a foothold. But if the knife is stored in the sheath, and an ever so slight bit of moisture is allowed to stay against the blade, the blade will start to rust. On a mirror polished blade, this can be ruinous, and if the knife has been custom etched, the only recourse is to grind off all the etching and corrosion, regrind and refinish the blade (including polish) and re-etch, which is very expensive and time consuming and may not even be possible. Even if the knife is coated heavily with wax, long-term storage in the sheath will encourage corrosion. Don't do it!

I believe a knife should be handled. Held once in a while, waxed and buffed, fondled, looked over, admired and cherished. To put it away in a drawer or closet is almost an insult. Look, if you want to store the knife long term without ever looking at it, there are a couple options:

  • you can clean it thoroughly with denatured alcohol, dry it completely with warm forced air, then coat it heavily and well with high quality wax and then put the knife (without the sheath) in a well-sealed plastic bag with a new dry packet of commercial grade dessicant, or

  • you can coat the entire knife with cosmolene, a plastic and oil based melted-on military grade storage medium (which I can't guarantee will not affect woods, epoxies or gemstone long term), or

  • package the knife up neatly and send it to someone who will care for it

Look, it's simple: store your knife where it can breathe, not in the sheath, not where there are fluctuations of temperature or humidity, out of bright sunlight and high heat sources, and pick it up and fondle it, buff it off with a soft cloth, wax it now and then.

 

 

I get lots of email about knife care. Here's one about bone handled knives:

Hi Jay,

I wonder if you can give me some advice.  I have a set of beautiful antique bone/sterling tipped handle knives.  The bone is suddenly looking really dull with small cracks.  Is there a way to bring back at least some of the bone's beauty and increase the longevity?


Thank you, J.

 

Hello, J. Thanks for writing.

Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to preserve bone, as it is porous and changes dramatically with moisture and temperature. A light microcrystalline wax and keeping them out of the sun is best. If the knives are valuable antiques, the less you do to them, the better.

 

Good luck, Jay
 

Thanks for the advice....BTW you have a very good website...J.

 

Care of your custom knife:

Your knife has been constructed with the finest materials available. It is, however, a tool, and though some fine knives will never cut anything but gasps of admiration, even those need some consideration. Jay Fisher’s High Quality Custom Knives are built to last for several generations, with sheaths that should last at least one generation with moderate care. There’s no reason your knife can’t outlive you, unless you’re a relentless cutting maniac! Some important tips:

Þ The weakest part of ANY knife is usually the tip, which happens to be the most abused part! Take care of the point, and the rest of the blade will follow.

Þ NEVER THROW KNIVES, unless specifically designed for that use.

Þ NEVER use knives to pry, dig, or chop.

Þ Do not leave knives and sheaths in direct sun or high heat. High ultraviolet oxidizes woods and bleaches the color out of some gemstone. Heat bakes the protective oils out of most hardwoods and weakens adhesive bonds.

Þ Hand wash blades when necessary with non-abrasive gentle detergent, polish blades and fittings with good quality polish like Simichrome.

Þ Clean handles and sheaths with damp cloth and buff with soft dry cloth.

Þ Do not oil sheaths; this will cause them to soften, weakening their protective function, softening glues, sealants, and dyes.

Þ Protect carbon steel knives with a light coating of hand-buffed wax, not oil. Oil attracts dust as well as weakens the sheath. Renaissance® wax is the best!

Þ Some carbon steel knife blades are blued. Nitrate bluing is a very thin patina that will wear away, leaving a gray metal finish. Sodium (gun) bluing is black, more penetrating, but will also eventually wear away. These are hot blues; used to temper, lightly protect, or cosmetically enhance the blades. They are rust inhibitors, not rust preventatives.

Þ Etching is used in the maker’s mark and for some cosmetic enhancement. If you live long enough to polish away the etching without the help of power equipment, you won’t have any fingertips left!

Þ Wood handles usually benefit from a light coating of furniture wax and a good hand rubbing.

Þ Brass and Nickel Silver fittings can be buffed and lightly waxed for protection. It is normal for some scuffing to show on the front bolster or guard, this is where the sheath holds the knife. Polish brass often, coat with wax.

Þ For long term storage, store your knife WITH the sheath, not IN it! The chemicals used in tanning of leather sometimes react with moisture in the air, leading to corroding of even stainless steels! Condensation even within military grade kydex sheaths can invite corrosion. If you can't keep it in the open, dry air, store with photographic quality desiccant in a plastic bag.

Þ KEEP KNIVES SHARP! Most accidents occur when dull knives are pushed too hard.

Þ For sharpening: THE RAZOR EDGE BOOK OF SHARPENING BY JOHN JURANICH (Warner books 38-002) or go to: http://www.razoredgesystems.com/

It is interesting to note that if you have one of my knives that has a stainless steel mirror polished blade, with 304 stainless bolsters/fittings and a gemstone handle, the most ambitious care requires only an occasional dusting and once in a while waxing. Most gemstones will outlast the blades!

"It gives me great (if somewhat apprehensive) satisfaction that ninety percent of the pieces I make will still be admired centuries after my bones are dust."

                                         --Jay Fisher

Care of your custom military and combat grade knife here
 

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FAQs:  38 Most Frequently Asked Questions Custom Knife Design Fee Funny Knife Emails, Stories New Stuff! My Museum Quality Blades and Sculpture
 Where's my Knife, Jay? Current Works and Events More Than You Want to Know about Custom Knives My Investment and Collector's Knives
 Current Knives for Sale Client's News Custom Knife Sheaths My Daggers
Military Tactical Knives Portal  New materials acquired   Custom Knife Stands My Fine Swords
All Military, Tactical Knives, Styles, and Info Delivery Times Custom Knife Blades  
Commemorative Military and Tactical Knives My knife making history and career Custom Knife Handles My Practical Working Knives
USAF Pararescue Knives  Knife Pattern Alphabetic List Gemstone Knife Handle Material Custom Knife Care
Most popular PJ Knife, the PJLT Knife Anatomy, Parts, Components  Gemstone Handle Alphabetic List Master of the Image
Current  Tactical Knives for Sale  Knife styles and types Hardwood Handle Materials My Creative Writing
Fine Kukris (Khukris)  Kitchen, Chef's Knives Ivory, Horn, Bone Handle Materials My Family
The Best Locking Combat Sheath Made  Hunting Knives Manmade Handle Material Links Relative to this Site
Military and Tactical Knife Care Previous Featured Knives  The Business of Knife Making Search this Site
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