Rusty Old Pocket Knife Restoration 

When I was a kid, my grandmother, who had a lot of grandsons, thought every boy ought to own and know how to use a pocket knife. While helping her on the farm, I needed my pocket knife numerous times daily. I’m now 67 years old and still always carry a good pocket knife. She usually wound up buying Hammer Brand knives on her trips to town because they were affordable and good quality, I still have one now. Thanks, Dave, you made me smile.

I just came across a old box full of antique BOKERS, OLD TIMERS and CASE pocket knives at a yard sale a few weeks ago .. All different styles and sizes, 15 in total for $5.00.. They were a little rusty but I got em cleaned up real nice and hair popping sharp.. May GOD Bless you and your wife🙏

It turned out well. I like those old pocket knives. They remind me of my grandfather.

I absolutely enjoy buying old knives and bringing them back to life. I sometimes think they are telling me stories of where they have been and what they've done, some even before I was born.

I have an old Sabre pocket knife that I did a restore on. My favorite knife for cleaning trout and squirrels. It was made in this place called USA. Thanks for the visit. It was fun and interesting as always.

Try prep n’ etch at Home Depot. It’s phosphoric acid and will clean that up easily with less sanding. Use an old tooth brush you will be amazed. I just cleaned up a WWII navy rope knife. Looks awesome and kept the patina. Used my work sharp with a strop, it slices phone book pages like a hot knife through butter. Next, oil like you do. Please try, you will love the method. Rinse well with hot water and then use WD40 to disperse water, as it was designed to. Have tools restored that are 100 years old from my great grandfather. They don’t make tools nearly as well as they did back then. Love your channel!

Do more of these restoration vlogs dave. I truly enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for your video. Just came across an old and rusty Case knife in my grandpa's tackle box. This vid answers a lot of my questions.

I'll definitely be doing that I know where to get loads of those old knives thanks for the inspiration im now of to watch your wife's channel. Take care 👍 and all the best

That was enjoyable to see you bring that knife back to usefulness and life. You called it an "antique" but it's only vintage. "Antique" has to be 100 years old by normal definition. Now, you got me in the mood to go find a vintage knife and restore it!

Old pocket knives have feelings. They get extra happy when they are brought back to life and get to be useful again 😊👍

Really enjoyed that video,I love old pocket knives. Each one has a story...still have my first old pocket knife from 53 years ago.

I really enjoyed that video. I like those old knives. Quality was much better in those days Thanks for sharing.

I remembered that I have my dads old pocket knife and it is in desperate need of cleaning, can't wait to clean it up and give it to my son. Thanks for the lesson.

Hi Dave, you are a man of patience and with attention to detail. Last year, I restored a knife from 1980s and one from mid 1990s. I used Freeze Off by CRC, and it got most of the rust off, as well as restored much of the snap. I also used a warm bath of dish washing soap solution for cleaning out residue with a nylon brush. I used a ceramic sharpener for the blades, and lubricated the joints with oil for electric hair clippers. I gave the larger knife to my younger brother and I kept the SAK style knife for myself.

I enjoyed this! I like restoring old knives like this into functional pocket art myself

I had a "blast" restoring a few Klien Tools folders from back in the day. Awesome little knives. Thanks for the vid

Great little video Dave. I've spent a lot of time sittin around outside cleaning up old tools & knives with my moccasins on. I have a pair of moccasins on right now that my friends told me to throw away 2 years ago. I just stitched & glued on new soles. They're too comfortable to throw away. Thanks for sharing eh!

I’ll make another suggestion you might appreciate: next time you come across a beat up shell handle knife, pop the shells off and knock the pivot pins out of the frame. Completely clean all of the liners and springs and the blades to bare metal. Use the liners as a template on some of your exotic hardwoods and pin the knife back together and profile down the handles. You’ll have a totally clean and rebuilt knife with nice wood handles vs old celluloid covered sheet metal. 👍

..Always nice to have a good pocket knife,, nice resto..stay safe...

It’s got great patina!!

I have some old pocket knifes feom my grandpa who passed away a few years ago. I was looking for a video on how to clean them, and the knife you are cleaning is exactly the same one I have, with many other ones too. Good video!

We're on the same page here, Dave. I love cleaning up old things and putting them back into service. A great little afternoon project. And, I could smell that PB Blaster all the way over here on the shore of lake Ontario!

Your video brought back memories of my dad and his pocket knife collection that I found when cleaning out his house. Nothing expensive but everything was affordable and in pretty good shape,

My grandpa gave me a whole bunch of great little pocket tools over the years, several antique but pristine pocketknives, my first real belt-carried "deer knife", his beautiful Korean War-carried zippo with a big jewelled coat of arms of our family on the front, and a little double barrel .45 derringer when I was a kid. I was way too trusting as a kid and often had lots of friends come over to my house to spend the night and have parties and stuff. One night I had a buddy come over with a kid tagging along behind him I didn't really know that well but had seen around at daycare/middle school throughout the years. I will never forget the morning I woke up and my friend's "friend" had left already...but not before he cleaned out the entire knife / keepsake chest I kept on my dresser, as well as almost all my video games. I think he must have been moving soon or something, and took the opportunity to rob me blind beforehand because I never saw that kid or my stuff again. Years later now that my grandfather is long gone it breaks my heart that some little POS kid stole his things I had to remember him by.

Ok that knife is all cleaned up and ready to work ! Now you have to hit the woods and do the kabobs again ! Thank you for a great video as usual .

Very fun and relaxing! Thanks for sharing with us!

That's I good find for sure. I find so much good old stuff there. You just cant buy that kind of quality for such a good price anymore.

I love resurrecting old neglected knives, good work Dave.

Hi Dave, I was watching your video on knife restoration. Two of my knives were sitting in a tin can a rusted and the joints very bad , I could hardly opened them. I soaked them in 10 percent vinegar for about 1/2 hour and the rust literally wiped off with a rag . After that ,I just oiled the joints with DW 40. I was amazed how well it worked.

Just spent my time IN lock down watching Dave clean a knife good video's mate all the best from Australia

Great looking project 👍

Nice Work 👍 those old Colonial , Hammers and other less expensive folders from 30s,40s and early 50s are actually very well made. The handle scales may be thin , but the springs and old carbon blades are good stuff

I really enjoyed this video, restoring something most would overlook is very satisfying.

We just found you. Very enjoyable and informative. Thanks for all you do.

Great video, I for sure will be looking for old rusty knives.

Beautiful old pocket knife brother. I still appreciate a good ol carbon steel blade knife, they serve my purpose and I can't help but like the patina that builds over time. I still carry a old Schrade Stockman and it's been a great knife. Thanks for sharing

I enjoyed that. Relaxing. Thanks.

I'm stuck in Green River, Wyoming waiting on a transmission swap. When I get back on the road I plan a pit stop on the Snake river in Idaho to get a lil radical. Good stuff Mr. Whipple

I like the remaining patina. It gives the knife character.

Looking good thank you Dave

Nice job 👌

i love vintage knives... awesome man

I enjoyed this one as well. I much prefer a "back in service" restoration to a "show room shine" restoration. Thanks

Happy you shared this 'clean-up' project with us Dave. SoOOoo nice to see a good, young man 'appreciate' the simple things in life = You're parents raised you well. Here in QC Canada, we are experiencing some mighty muggy weather as well. 'Normal' weather is a thing of the past...it is one day at a time, and I can see that you will fare well through it all. Health and God's blessing on you n' yours!

Nice video I found two ideal knives that look like that

Enjoy watching your video

Great job man lot of patients

Suggestion, use a block of wood to support the blade, keep stress off the pivot.... great video!

Thanks for this video! I’ve had my eye on a few vintage Girl Scout knives similar to this- all in similar condition. I haven’t purchased them bc I was sure if they could be restored but now I know all the tricks!

Was just looking for a video on sharpening knifes. Figured you might have one. I have a stone and been shown how to but I feel I’m not so good at it. Never as sharp as I guess I hope it to be bit sharp end to do the works I do. I get little nicks in the blade even though I try to avoid using it for the wrong job. I got a leather man last year and live that thing. I carry it every day and I use it every day. But it’s time to sharpen the blade as i noticed There’s nicks in the blade. Thanks for all you post.

Good job!

Very nice restoration job...use to live in Michigan and been to Trufant many times...take care

In the '60s in elementary school, those of us who were "Police Boys" (crossing guards) were given a Police Boy pocket knife by the Duluth Police Department. They're quite a collectible now. Funny how times have changed. Thanks for the video Dave🌲🌲🌲

Nice job, Mr!

Nice little piece of history, Yes its most likely a Imperial made knife possibly from the 50's , but hey you never know unless you search the numbers it could be an original Hammer brand, Imperial bought the brand back in the 30's. Keep using and oiling to break down the rusty joints, Good find

Good job Dave

Nice job Dave

Awesome little knife, that's a wood carving beast right there.

Hey Dave thank you for the video I enjoyed it and you did a good job there cleaning up that old knife and I like it

I have that exact same knife. Mine was real tight when I got it, loosened up well and took an sage with no effort. I need to do a more complete restoration/cleanup on it.

Just learned new stuff. Thanks.

Very interesting process, sir :) I have an old Schrade "Old Timer" I think I'll dig out and restore. Congrats on what appeared to be a successful knife sale ... that was fun to watch! Later, my friend ... God Bless

Thanks for the great video and advice, Dave. Always enjoy watching your channel. I have several small/pocket knives that could use some attention and care. Looking forward to getting them back in tip-top shape. It’s a shame how people just throw things away these days instead of bringing them back to life. They don’t realize that new doesn’t mean better. New things are made so cheaply. I’d much rather have something of quality that is older.

Looked very good after you got done

I love that knife,, my grandpa had one almost identical,thank you for sharing.

Dunno how I missed this one... Nice restoration video Dave!! I've got several old pocket knives I restored too, some I got on my own n others were given to me. I love making an old knife look new again!

Nice job on the knife salvage/restoration, so far, Dave. But if you'd like to make that vintage knife look as good as new, have a go at it with a bit of Flitz polish. You'll be pleased and amazed at how much better it will look

I love this video. Good job!

Very nice. I have a knife just like that in my desk drawer. Too cool to get rid of, but didn't really know what to do with it. Now I do, thanks!

Simple things become fascinating when you get tired of staying home...

Great video.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

I have pulled apart a pocket knife my father got from my mother when he started his first job from college. The pocket knife is missing the black inserts and was going to see if I could use antlers from the deer I shot to fit and mold into it but it’d be a stretch due to the shape of the scales area. I wouldn’t be against other options. Let me know if you have any ideas. It’s an imperial Ireland 2 pocket knife. My parents have both past and want to keep a sentimental piece of my fathers and bring it to life a bit. Let me know if you have ideas. Thanks! Love your cabin builds too!

Try wrapping a small piece of sandpaper around a pink rubber eraser using the eraser as a sanding block. You can hold the flat part of the eraser against the flat part of the blade like a block to scrub or use it as a buffer on curved parts like polishing your shoes.

Nice restoration Dave. I have quite a few slipjoints, but never considered flushing them out with Brake Clean. ... Mike Latham, owner of Collector Knives in Sulphur, Oklahoma (bet it smells great there) recommends using STP to lubricate the actions of slipjoints. STP might bring the "Walk & Talk" back to that small pen knife blade. ... I wish I'd met you when we both lived in Delta Jct. We have a lot in common. Bet we'd have been good friends. ...

Hi Dave, So good to see you redo an otherwise castaway knife. I love it when people can see" beyond the rust". Great feeling of satisfaction. I redid my Dad's old hand planes and hand saws. I always feel close to him as he always took care of his tools. I never did until later in life. Now I see the real value in things made right here long ago when quality mattered. Besides I like to be cheap. LOL!! Any plans to do concrete back in AK this summer? Hot over here in the Arrowhead , but cooling off tomorrow. 50 is my 90 degrees LOL! Hi to Brooke and thanks for a great video!

Dave I have a remedy I use for cast iron skillets you may like. I put a couple of cups of Arm and Hammer super detergent in a topless steel barrel. Fill it halfway with water. Lay a board across the top and attach a copper wire long enough to go into the water and center it. I would attach the eye of the skillet to this wire. Take a manuel battery charger and clip the positive to the wire with the skillet. Clip the negative to the barrel rim. A couple of amps for a day or two will take the buildup off the metal. I wirewheeled the skillet until it looks new and season it. This should clean any metal like a knife or handtool. I made a lot of money reconditioning old cast iron and reselling it too. Just make sure not to short out the center circuit against the barrel while charging.

Great way to spend an afternoon. You’ve probably extended the life about that knife for another 50 years😁🇺🇸

Have you watch a YT pocket knife restoration video before? That knife has a long way to go 😉

I just got one of your custom knives in the mail today. What a beast! The handle feels great. I’ll do a video on it after a use it a little.

Thanks Dave

Nice video Dave. A job well done!

Thanks, I need to clean my Dad's vintage pocket fishing knife 🔪

Hay Dave ,I Was doing this very same thing the other day on a Ka bar knife.always carry a knife very handy tool,thanks for the hint on Trufant did know it was open yet.cheers friend. 😉

Another great video Dave. Great find on an old knife! Next time you're at your local auto parts store, grab a box of tough grade garage surgical gloves and maybe where them to keep all those fluids and cleaners off of your hands. It absorbs through your skin and is hard on your liver!

Cool; I know nothing about pocket knives, but it was an interesting video. When you were getting into the grooves with the sand paper I was thinking, maybe a small wire brush?

that was enjoyable to watch thanks

Good ole resto job! I think I have a knife like that one somewhere in my mess!

I heard you mention the "oil", but I never heard you say when you were using the Break Clean. Was that just initial clean up? I have about 45 pocket knives, but recently ive gotten more interested in finding old knives to restore. Thanks for posting this! God bless you!

Hi Dave...great video...Just think of all the pocket knives that have been passed down.... I have an old Barlow that my Grandfather passed down to me...It could use some of your treatment!.... I will try it!...Tks Dave & Take Care!

Nice job. The steel on these old knives is SO much better than the junk from china.

Very cool.

Looking good

Hey Dave, believe it or not, I have never seen someone restore a knife before. I found this video extremely interesting and informative. That's a nice looking knife. Thank for this video. As always, take care and be safe. See you next time.

Hey, Dave. Love you Man. Youre everything good and you are everything to Brooke, your children, family, friends and your sub family. I love you so much. Helluva Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Just a suggestion, get some 0000 fine steel wool. Great for finishing curved surfaces, It doesn't scratch by the naked eye anyway.

Good stuff Dave. Thank you for not using any power tools. I wonder what the scales are.

You can wrap your sandpaper around a three-corner file to help get into some tight spots.

That knife sure cleaned up well. I kinda had my doubts when I first saw it. Looking at it, it's clear that whatever the scales are made of, they chose well. I have an old Camulis Boy Scout "Whittler" knife where I can tell that the resin scales have shrunk a bit with age. I was just looking up the knife, which I originally thought was probably made in the 80s-90s. However this particular knife was supposedly produced from the late 1947-1969. I suppose that if it's 50+ years old, then it's in great shape even if the scales have pulled back from the bolsters a bit. Now if I can just figure out where the heck I put all my whetstones!

Yah the last three day's have been yuckie in white lake mich. Great job on that lil knife!!