Knife Cleanup Help

I have had this Kukri (Ghurka) knife since the mid 1980's (my late teen years) when I purchased it from a local mil surp store. It originally came with the leather scabbard which also held 2 karda (auxiliary knives)...which unfortunately are long gone. For some years, this knife was my constant companion and accompied me on 100's of miles of trails and was my tool of choice around many mountain camps. Then for reasons, now only known to the surly winds of time, I stopped carrying the knife and it sat abandoned in the bottom of an old toolbox that was only re-discovered when I moved recently.

Now that I re-discovered the knife, the memories I have of it is compelling me to get the knife cleaned up with a little TLC. I am looking for some suggestions on the best way to clean the knife and preserve it from staining and rusting any further. I am not looking for a showcase finish as the knife may find it's way back into my current hiking and camping kit. Also one day, I may decide to gift the knife to my son and I would like to be in a little better shape then it is now.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Hmmm WD-40 and Nylon Scrub pads? Soak the blade in WD-40 but not up to the hilt since i do not know what the hilts materials are but yeah id personally soak it for like 10 minutes to see how well it loosens the rust up then 10 minutes for every check till the rust is easy to scrub off. A bigger picture would be welcomed it is a nice knife and closer look at its damage would help more.


OH and to preserve it i been wondering myself the best ways to most people rub their knives down with oil and check on it once in a great while. Some oil brands are rem oil and my favorite 3inOne oil.

I been looking at possibly doing something more long term and been pondering if dipping the blade in wax (what kinda wax is still a question most likely a rubbery bottle topping wax) to keep moister off it OR slathering it in something like petroleum jelly which i have heard people actually packing their dive knife sheaths with to keep salt water off um sooo yeah oiling would be the most common my ideas may not even work lol

Wire brush to knock off the loose rust, and polishing compound to shine it up, either manual or power variety would do.

I would start with a Dampened SOS pad,Using a Circular motion,Then Clean it off under water,dry it,then start on the pitting with #0-Coarse Steel Wool,& work your way down to #00-Medium,Then #000-Fine,& Finish with #0000-Extra Fine,After that I would wipe it down with some Hoppe's#9 nitro-solvent(Gun cleaning fluid)let it sit for an hour,then wipe it off with a clean cloth,& wipe it with a Silicone treated cloth for protection! Sound's like alot,but All this should take you a couple hrs.,& aprox. 15 bucks from a Hardware store or Wal-Mart if they exist in them parts.Too bad you lost the 2-little blades,that normally accompany these Traditional Kukri's,as They are Purposely Hardened,To use as sharpening tools for the main blade.These Blades are Normally crafted from Truck Leaf-Springs,Pounded/Annealed by hand over a Dung Fire,& The Ghurkas(Royal Nepalese Guard) Still carry & use these Masterful Designs.Probably the Most versatile Blade design,ever crafted! Good Luck & Enjoy!

Nice old cutter. Does it hold a good edge? Just curious. I remember a lot of cheap knock-offs in that era. But they didn't look nearly as good as yours.

A steel wire brush will take off the rust, but scratch things up as well.

I recently cleaned up a number of chisels and saw blades with a little paint thinner and a brass pot scrubber brush (most houseware departments carry them). The brush got right down into the rust pits and cleaned them up nicely without scratching. The paint thinner seemed to help loosen the rust without damaging the handles. So, a pretty fast but low-risk cleanup. I was quite happy with the result.

My $0.02

EDIT: just to clarify, the brass potscrubber brush I'm talking about is arranged like a fine wire brush, not like a blob of steel wool on a handle. Seems there are both types out there.

get a hard rubber type block (aka a bit of give) and reap it with 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper, and sand it out. Many many custom knoves just have a 600 or so grit "brushed" finish

I would give four-ought steel wool (0000 - extra fine) and some light oil a try.

Thanks to all the suggestions. It has taken a myriad of suggested methods to get this knife cleaned up to this point. I still have a bit of work yet, however it is starting to look much better!

Instead of keeping the knife, once I am done making a new scabbard for it, I will be giving it to my son...he is the same age I was when I first purchased the knife.

To answer Doug's question. Yes the knife holds a very good edge and it is the real thing with buffalo horn handle...so I believe that is. When I purchased it years ago, I was told by a few knowledgeable knife enthusiasts that this knife was probably 20-30 years old at the time and could also possibly date back to the WWII era.

Looking good! Now I wish I'd made you a generous offer beforehand.