Maybe you were looking through your grandfather's treasure box, took a shine to the knife, and Gramps said you could have it.

Or maybe you've started collecting antique pocket knives in earnest. That describes myself. I'd been looking for a good, manly collection to start for a while now. I wanted to do something vintage-y, small (I don't need a wall full of antique swords), affordable, and practical. With that criteria, it was easy to settle on pocket knives (every man needs them!). There are many thousands of varieties that have been made for decades and decades, they can often be cheaply acquired at antique stores and garage sales, they store great in a shoebox (or in a pocket), and are eminently useful.

Whether you buy an antique knife or one gets passed on to you, it's likely that it'll be rusted, grimey, dull…less than ideal for both collecting and using. So how do you go about restoring the knife to its former glory? With some digging on internet forums, as well as talking with a couple antique dealers, I was able to nail down a solid method for cleaning antique pocket knives and ensuring their fine fettle and usability for years to come.