Cleaning Bowie Knives The Right Way

Cleaning knives is a basic part of their maintenance. Without proper cleaning, knife blades will often rust and, in some cases, they will take other damage from substances to which they are exposed during use. Cleaning your knife is the single best, and easiest, way to preserve the blade.

You can clean Bowie Knives with solvents or with water, though the former may be required if you have adhesive residue or other tough substances stuck to the blade. There are various cleaners available for this, from industrial chemicals to substances made out of flowers that were used to clean blades all the way back to the days of the Samurai.

Bowie knives and other hunting knives tend to take a lot of abuse. Blood and bodily fluids from animals can corrode knife blades, and there are plenty of damaging substances found in most camp sites. The first line of protection for your knife is a simple wipe down. After you use or sharpen the knives, on every occasion, make sure to wipe it down with a soft cloth. A damp cloth is preferable, dry the blade before sheathing or folding it, but soft, dry cloth is better than nothing.

When you need to clean heavy-duty blades, such as Bowie knives, of a great deal of residue, you'll want to use one of the solvent products or cleaning oil. Cleaning off the blade is fairly obvious as far as the procedure is concerned, just don't wipe it so hard that you scratch the metal. The trick is the edge. Be sure that you either encase the edge in a thick cloth or, at the very least, hold it away from your hand at all times during cleaning. Cleaning a knife is easy, but safety requires your full attention.

Bowie knives and other sheath knives should never be returned to their sheaths when they're wet or dirty. In the days of swords, this was one of the most important things that people learned; wet and dirty blades can be severely damaged if they're not cleaned before they're sheathed. If you're in the field and have nothing available to assist in the effort, you can wipe your blade on any cloth or surface to remove blood or grime. Don't put the blade away dirty with the intention of cleaning it later, as this can do very rapid and real damage to the finish.