How to Clean a Stubborn Swiss Army Knife
Keep it Clean, Keep it Oiled and Your Swiss Army Knife Will Serve You Well
It's embarrassing, especially when you're using the Swiss Army knife in an attempt to look suave at a party (Guys, you know what I'm talking about: "Hey there, gorgeous, need a bottle opener? I can help you out -- err --Hmm. Hang on a second. Argh--[much more struggling and grunting ensues; attractive female slowly backs away]").
So, obviously, you need to take care of your Swiss Army knife. Keep it clean and keep it oiled. Sure, it's embarrassing when you can't open your future girlfriend's Corona because of a stuck knife, but it's downright life-threatening when you need to make a bomb out of a Hershey chocolate bar and a toothpick, MacGyver-style, and you can't open up the wire stripper (or whatever MacGyver would use to do that).
So here are three easy tips to keep your Swiss Army knife ready to use at any time.
First, make sure you have a genuine Swiss Army knife. That means it's made by Victorinox or Wenger, the two leading Swiss Army knife makers. Don't buy an inferior multi-use knife just because it's cheaper. In my experience, the cheaper knives get stiff and stuck much more often.
When the knife starts to get stiff, wash it in your dishwasher. This is the easiest way to clean it. It's much simpler than running it under a tap or rubbing it with a cloth. Simply open up all of the tools of the knife and put it in the utensils holder. If you can't get all of the tools folded out, don't worry about it. If you don't have a dishwasher, try soaking the knife in hot water for a couple of hours. That will probably do the job also, but it won't be quite as effective.
Finally, put a few drop of oil on the outsides of the hinges. I use 3-in-One Oil. You can find it at most hardware stores. Wal-Mart carries it, too. Just a drop or two at each end of the knife should be fine. If you overdo it, you'll have to wash the knife again, because it's hard to wipe off the extra oil. This oil works like a charm on Swiss Army knives.
There you have it! Regular cleaning and maintenance of your knife will keep it working for years or even decades. And, the next time you try to be smooth at a party, you won't fall flat on your face.
Published by Matt Busse
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12 Comments
Post a CommentPutting mine in the dishwasher did indeed warp one of my plastic sides. If anyone is worried about that happening to theirs, don't worry, the plastic sides snap off and on fairly easily. Pop them off, clean it, then pop it back on.
On an unrelated note, does anyone know if/where I can find replacement sides for a Swiss Army Knife? I've been scouring the internet for a good hour or so now and have found not even a mention of replacement plastic pieces. The side that holds my tweezers and toothpick is bent so they can't fit in there anymore. So sad :(
Oh and it wasn't this article that made me want to dish wash my knife, I did that all on my own.
basil that was seriously harsh think about what your about what your going to about to say before you say it. a kid could have written it so just don't say anything anymore. and what if sand is stuck in it and won't let you open it?
Funny, the only mentions I can find to Vic SAKs and dishwashers have to do with 1)knives with wooden scales and 2) kitchen cutlery
Haven't found anything either way about the plastic-handled pocket knives. It does seem, though, that many people have heard this "Victorinox Swiss Army Knives can be put in the dishwasher" though I don't know what the origin of that belief is.
Thanks for the tips mate, worked a charm!
I know these knives need to be compact and you don't want the blades/tools flopping around, but I wonder why they have to make these knives so tight? It is the clicking mechanism of the tools against the long springy steel on the backside that locks the blades in place, but it is the friction against the aluminum dividers that causes the sticking.
Basil, a dishwasher is a bully way to clean a swiss army knife, but the heated dry function can be troublesome. Luckily, it can be disabled with a touch of a button on most units!
This is perfect! I just bought a bag of 10 Swiss Army knives for $10 at the County Surplus and I need to clean them up. Thanks for this article!
I have one of those LEDs on mine. What do I do to clean it? Incidentally, the absolute best teething toy for a baby is a FOLDED Swiss Army knife. Also, the best way to get the blades stuck is to drench them in baby spit.
Basil's dishwasher must be a lot hotter than mine. This approach worked great for me. Thanks for the article. Now I'm off to perform surgery and repair an engine in a burning elevator at the North Pole. Wish me luck. At least I know my knife will open!
Hey, I think it's ok advice - besides, the knives are not so expensive that messing one up now and again will put you in the poorhouse hahaha. Nice article, and nice response to a grouchy who got up on the wrong side of the PC :).