how do i clean my mora miki

[shogun]

hi everyone i bought a mora miki..but the blade is staining quite bad how can i clean this &
where can i get a good stone too keep sharp..first knife ever would like too learn how too keep a knife in good condition..cheers shogun

 

[Ogri the trog]

First should be to query what you've been cutting to stain the blade, as it might wash off with soap & water.
Second, I'd say to get an old leather belt to use as a strop with some fine polishing abrasive like Solvol metal polish. The technique of stropping is something that has to be learnt, but good cutting technique, coupled with the ability to strop well can mean that you rarely have to use stones to sharpen your knife.
Next, there are many discussions on which grade of stone works better and whether water stones are better than oilstones - but for a fraction of the cost of either, you should read the "£5 sharpening thread" at the beginning of this subforum, it could save a lot of time & money as it is technique that will keep your knives sharp.
Lastly, be super critical of your own ability when you are learning to sharpen, if you can't make clean cuts on normal office paper without any tearing, then you are having to put in extra effort because you're using blunt blades - leading to increased fatigue and elevated risk of a slip and a cut to yourself.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[John Fenna]

It is called "Patina" and is worth cultivating...some folk go to great lengths with vinegar, BBQ sauce, onions etc to achieve it!

 

[Chris the Cat]

Its fine fella!
Give it a wipe down with hot soapy water as long as you dry it after! Then a wipe over with any oily rag,job done.
You can use metal polish if you want that 'shine' thing! but I same metal polish for the edge,via a leather strop.
Cheers.
Chris.

 

[rancid badger]

Looks like you've been cutting something like oak or sweet chestnut, although you can get the same effect cutting into potatoes!

Try washing off with plain water, then if that doesn't work; use solvol autosol to clean it up.
carbon steel and tannin ( as well as whatever is in spuds and onions too, come to think of it) don't mix well but the tannin can be washed off easily if done before it dries.

Sharpening is just another skill, that needs to be learned and the Miki is the ideal tool to learn on.

DMT waterstones are the ultimate in sharpening kit in my opinion, however; when you're just starting, get your self some sheets of wet & dry abrasive in various grades, from say 240 to perhaps 800 or as fine as 1200 if you really want to go fine.
Glue the wet & dry to strips of MDF and keep a piece of MDF for polishing with Autosol

You can strop on mdf if you wish or use a leather belt or piece of leather glued to another bit of MDF.

hope this helps a bit anyway

R.B.

 

[redneck]

The patina will even give it slightly more rust protection than a mirror polished blade, a patina shows a knife is being used, keep it!

 

[shogun]

thanx everyone for the info i just need too keep rust at bay & keep it sharp.thanx for all the help cheers allan

 

[phill_ue]

thanx everyone for the info i just need too keep rust at bay & keep it sharp.thanx for all the help cheers allan

Rea the 5 pound sharpening thread as advised or read Mors Kochanskis' Bushcraft book and that will show you the same technique. Use food grade oil to keep rust at bay unless you are just using the knife for carving.

 

[shogun]

i got a fallkniven dc4 today and sharpend ny mora miki you should have seen the wifes face when she had seen the bald patch on my arm...lol..atb allan

 

[maddave]

Most of my knives have a "patina" I tend to wash them in warm soapy water, dry them and then give those that aren't for food use a wipe with gun oil, or if they're for food a wipe with sunflower oil... That's it

 

[shogun]

cheers maddave i gave it a good clean in soapy water i have noticed after sharpening it the blade looks really polished..if i use a strop after sharpening will it get sharper?? thats what i need too get next a good bushcraft knife...atb allan

 

[maddave]

Like Ogri says, if you keep giving it a strop at the end of the day, you'll probably not need to sharpen it all that often. When you sharpen with stones etc, you create a "micro burr" on the cutting edge of the blade. The stropping breaks the burr off leaving a sharper edge. An old leather belt makes a great strop and an abrasive paste like solvol autosol or even toothpaste if your stuck works as the polishing compound.

 

[_scorpio_]

thats what i need too get next a good bushcraft knife...atb allan

you already have one, the mora. at least 40% if not a lot more people on here use moras because they are pretty much perfect for bushcraft and in the unfortunate but fairly common case where you use it your only paying £10 not £300 for a new one.
if you want a bushcraft knife that looks nice however look at the spyderco bushcrafter factory 2nds.

 

[Bumpy]

If you want to get rid of the patina try Barkeeper's Friend...

 

[Minotaur]

It is called "Patina" and is worth cultivating...some folk go to great lengths with vinegar, BBQ sauce, onions etc to achieve it!

Lol, all my new moras have this from chopping onions.

Damn, anyone else got a Miki and a clipper? Have a weird thing going on between mine. I prefer the Miki to just hold, but to use find the clipper much more comfortable. Cannot come up with a reason why. Think I have been bushcrafted, or something so want those sort of grips when doing things.