Light cleaning.....

[OSCAR]

Does it devalue a vintage knife to lightly clean with Case Paste or Flitz, wiping with a microfiber cloth? Not looking to renovate, just bring back a bit of the original luster. Thanks.

[peanut740]

In my opinion, no.

[OSCAR]

I wouldn’t think so either. I don’t really look to profit, I collect for myself. Just curious how other collectors feel about it.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Does it devalue a vintage knife to lightly clean with Case Paste or Flitz, wiping with a microfiber cloth? Not looking to renovate, just bring back a bit of the original luster. Thanks.

Oscar, I don’t think it hurts at all. That is what those products were made for. So long as you don’t do damage cleaning, it will actually enhance the value of the knife. I regularly pull a knife out of a display case and use Simichrome on the bolsters when they are looking cloudy. Then I use a microfiber cloth with the correct kind of protectant and put a drop of Nano-Oil on each side of the blade at the pivot point. Wipe it down again and put it back in the case w/out finger prints. I usually use latex gloves to do this. You should especially use gloves when you use those polishes.
Most knives I photograph I have inspected and do this treatment to them before I take pictures. But I’m a little obsessive with this stuff.

[OSCAR]

Thanks SSK. I use a drop of Break Free CLP on the pivot. Teflon based it reduces friction and doesn’t attract dust to gum up the hinge. I like the idea you have about gloves so not to leave oils on the knife that will leave permanent marks. Thanks.

[dlr110]

I like to clean knives only to the point of removing as much dirt, grime and rust as I can without doing any damage to the knife. I can buy shinny new knives, but I love old knives, and it's okay for them to look old, you should see how old I look!

[RalphAlsip]

Does it devalue a vintage knife to lightly clean with Case Paste or Flitz, wiping with a microfiber cloth? Not looking to renovate, just bring back a bit of the original luster. Thanks.

Oscar here is a before and after example of a Case XX 6165 where I performed the activity that you are asking about. I used a metal polish (Wenol Blue) and a microfiber cloth. I did not use any harsh abrasive such as sandpaper or a mechanical buffer.

I would be mildly surprised if anyone would express an opinion that the after rendition is devalued with respect to the before rendition. The after version may not be worth more, but I don't think it is worth less. My enjoyment of the knife is certainly enhanced by my efforts.

[OSCAR]

Thanks Ralph. That polish did great. It looks like it is new. I’ll do Google search for it. Thanks