Care & Sharpening
A folding tool is a set of moving parts with grit trying to get into them. Almost everything that goes wrong comes down to dirt in the pivot, moisture left on steel, or an edge that was let go too long. None of that takes much work to prevent.
Cleaning
Rinse or wipe out debris, then dry it completely. Warm water and a drop of dish soap is enough for most of it; a soft brush or compressed air gets sawdust and pocket lint out of the pivot. Dry it properly before you fold it away — trapped water is what starts rust.
Never put a tool in the dishwasher. The heat, the detergent and the long soak between them will pit the steel and strip the lubricant.
Oiling the pivot
One drop of light machine oil at each pivot, worked in by opening and closing the tool a few times, then wiped off the outside. If the tool touches food, use a food-safe mineral oil instead. Do this whenever the action starts feeling gritty rather than on a schedule.
A stiff joint is almost always dirt rather than a fault. Clean it first before you assume anything is wrong.
Keeping an edge
Strop regularly rather than waiting until the blade is blunt. A few passes on a leather strop after use will keep an edge far longer than occasional heavy sharpening, and it removes far less steel.
When it does need sharpening, hold a consistent angle — around twenty degrees per side suits most folding blades — and use light pressure with a whetstone or guided system. Consistency matters more than the equipment. Finish with the strop.
Do not use a powered grinder. It builds heat fast, and heat ruins the temper in the steel permanently. That is the one sharpening mistake you cannot undo.
Rust
Dry the tool after any contact with water, and give the blade a thin wipe of oil before storing it for a while. Sheaths and pockets both hold moisture, so a tool put away damp will find rust faster than one left out.
Light surface rust usually comes off with oil and a non-metallic scouring pad. Pitting does not come off, which is why drying matters more than any product you can buy.
Axes and hatchets
Keep the head dry and lightly oiled, and keep the sheath on when it is not in your hand. If the handle is wood, wipe it with linseed oil once or twice a year and check where the head meets the handle before every use — a loose head is a serious hazard, not an annoyance.
Sharpen with a file or a puck, working from the edge back, and keep the original bevel shape rather than trying to make it thinner.
Hammers
Check the handle for cracks and the head for looseness before use. Never strike one hardened face against another, or against a hardened tool such as a chisel head — that is how chips break loose.
Wear eye protection any time you are striking or splitting. That applies to hammers, axes and anything you are hitting with them.
Warranty
See our Warranty page for what is covered, what is not, and how to make a claim.
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