Removing odor after cleaning knife

[PlacidWaters]

I used some petroleum and chemical products to loosen up the blades of my Swiss Army knife and now I can't get the odor off it. I use it for food preparation. I tried air drying, soap, vinegar, and baking soda. None of those worked. Any other ideas?

By the way, I tried a variety of products to loosen the blades, and two blades are still stuck pretty hard. Is this knife beyond hope?

 

[givemethewillys]

It might be worth sending it in to Swiss army (Victorinox or Wenger?). I've had my Victorinox serviced before because the scissors weren't cutting right, and everything came back like a new, freshly sharpened knife afterwards. I think it only cost shipping, or maybe a small fee, I can't remember. I was impressed though.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

Hmmm your knife stinks. I'd say try out it in a bed of baking soda for a bit? If not I'd humbly submit to get a solid knife setup with ceramic bearings (I prefer a flip opening) and a separate mutitool. Leatherman makes a micro setup that's great. Combined they shouldn't be any heavier. I cary a 2.5 to 3 inch EDC knife on my person wand a tiny multi tool in my kit. Works great. SAK are old and antiquated and the metal is really bit good. You'll be shocked when you use a real knife nowadays. D2 steel and bearings are now sort of standard on EDC blades.

 

[AbleGuy]

Odor removal:
Try rubbing lemon or orange peel on it. Maybe a lemon juice cleanse.

Stuck Blades:
First soak with boiling water, then use needle nose pliers to pull them apart.
Or…liquid wrench or WD-40 might work [but then you're back to dealing with the stinky smells].

 

[BritKLR]

Knife odor? Never heard of such an issue with stainless steel and quality components....

 

[OverlandNA]

Pop the scales off, wash them with dish detergent, take the steel part outside and spray it with carb cleaner. Shake well. Put the scales back on and use knife oil with a needle applicator to put 1 drop on each pivot point.

 

[PlacidWaters]

Thanks for all these great ideas. I removed the scales as suggested and went through the whole process again: hot water, soap, scrubbed with toothpaste, baking soda and vinegar. What got rid of the odor in the end was mouthwash! I oiled the hinges with mineral oil since this is a food knife. At this point the blades are about 75% unstuck. Much better than before, but not good enough.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Is this a new knife or an old one?

 

[PlacidWaters]

Is this a new knife or an old one?

About 15-20 years old. I cleaned all 3 of my Swiss Army Knives today, all around the same age, and concluded that you really have to do this on a regular basis. Cleaning and oiling helped a fair amount but didn't restore them to the original easy opening and that satisfying snap when they close.

 

[MiamiC70]

Why not to use folding knives for food prep. 🙄

 

[PlacidWaters]

A first world dilemma for sure.
A legitimate 'ExpoGuy simply wipes off a blade then cuts up their veggies.
Basic knife hygene is not rocket science !

Well, the first step is to not clean your knife with toxic substances, as I did. Once you've done that and the substance seeps into the innards and into the plastic, then you have a dilemma.