I have stopped carrying my sak in my pocket because there it (the sak) fills up with sweat, pocket lint and unknown sticky type material. This makes the parts very hard to open. I have had past success using soap & water in an ultrasonic bath. Then, rinse thoroughly with clean water & dry overnight. Next, soak in WD-40 for a while. Drain, & wipe down carefully. Just be sure that you don't leave it in the ultrasonic bath for too long. Over time, the bath tends to gets hot and the water evaporates. Petrified soap is very difficult to remove. I really wish that the sak could be easily disassembled for cleaning.