How to Clean a Rusty Hunting Knife

how to clean a rusty hunting knife

Fortunately, rust on your hunting knife does not mean the end of the road for it. It is possible to save your rusty knife by cleaning it properly. In this article, we give you tips on how to clean a rusty hunting knife.

One of the common problems that affect hunting knives is rust. Rust on a hunting knife is not only unsightly, but it can also add impurities to your food.

Rust also makes the knife unstable and blunt, thus affecting its performance. One of the most common causes of rust in hunting knives is prolonged exposure to moisture.

How to Clean a Rusty Hunting Knife

Use Baking Soda

One of the best ways to clean a rust hunting knife is by using baking soda. It works best on a hunting knife with light rust. Before you apply baking soda, you need to clean the blade thoroughly to remove dirt that may interfere with the rust removal process.

Avoid cleaning the knife with water; instead, use a suitable cleaning solution.

Create a baking powder paste by pouring a fair amount of baking soda into a bowl, then add some water or lemon juice. Stir the mixture thoroughly until it becomes a paste. Apply the paste on a toothbrush, then scrub the blade until the rust is gone.

For an extremely rusty hunting blade, use steel wool to scrub the blade. However, if you use steel wool to scrub the blade, be gentle to avoid damaging it.

Once the blade is clean, rinse it off with warm water, and then wipe it dry with a dry cloth.

Allow the knife to air dry thoroughly to remove all moisture present. Remember that the reason why the knife had rust is because of exposure to moisture. To prevent the same problem from occurring again, ensure that it dry’s entirely before storage.

Afterward, apply mineral or vegetable oil to keep the blade well lubricated and protect it from getting rust in the future.

Use Vinegar

Another great way to clean a rusty hunting knife is by using white vinegar. The cleaning process is simple and straightforward. However, to get the best result, ensure that you use white vinegar that contains acetic acid to attack and remove rust.

Pour white vinegar into a bowl.d then soak a towel in the vinegar. Wrap the towel around the hunting knife blade for about five minutes. Please don’t let vinegar soak for more than five minutes because you risk damaging the blade.

Once the blade is done soaking, gently wipe it with clean, warm water. If there is still some rust, you may use baking powder paste to remove it. Once the blade is sparkling clean and free of rust, wipe it with a dry cloth, then leave it to air dry until it is entirely free of moisture.

Add some mineral or vegetable oil to protect the blade from getting rust in the future.

Use a Salted Potato and Soap

This is one of the most recommended natural ways to clean a rusty hunting knife. Potatoes contain oxalic acid, which is one of the main ingredients used in cleaning products.

Cleaning a rust hunting knife using this process is easy. Simply stab your rusty knife into the potato for a few hours, then remove and wipe the blade with a soapy sponge to remove the dissolved rust.

Adding salt to the potato is highly recommended because it acts as a mild abrasive and scrapes off the rust as it dissolves. Once all rust is gone, rinse the knife with clean, warm water, then let it dry completely before applying oil to protect the knife from getting rust in the future.

Use an Onion

Onion can also help to get rust in your hunting knife. Onion contains sulphenic acid, which is very effective in removing rust in metals. All you need to do is cut the onion into two parts, then scrub the juicy part on the rusty hunting knife until all rust is gone.

Once all rust is gone, gently clean the blade with clean water, then wipe it with a dry cloth. Air-dry until it dries completely. Apply a suitable non-petroleum oil to protect the knife from getting rust in the future.

Use Lemon and Salt

This technique is very effective because it combines the abrasiveness of salt and the acidity of lemon to get rid of rust in your hunting knife. Gently cover the rusted area in your hunting knife with salt, then squeeze some lemon juice over the layer of salt.

Let the mixture sit for about 2 hours. Use a toothbrush to remove the loose rust from the knife’s blade. If the rust is still present, use steel wool to get rid of stubborn stains.

Rinse the blade using clean, warm water, then wipe it with a dry cloth. Let it air dry, then apply oil to prevent future rust.

Use Citric Acid

Citric acid is very effective in getting rid of rust in a hunting knife. The only disadvantage of this technique is that it may remove paint and other coatings in the blade. So, if your hunting knife has paint or additional important coating and you don’t want them removed, this may not be the best method for you.

To remove rust your hunting knife using this technique, pour five tablespoons of citric acid on a bowl, then top up with warm water until the bowl is half full. Submerge your rusty hunting knife on the mixture and let it soak overnight.

The following day, scrub off the dissolved rust using a toothbrush or steel wool if the rust is stubborn, then rinse it off with clean, warm water. Wipe the knife with a dry cloth, then let it air dry until it is completely dry.

Apply a suitable non-petroleum oil on the blade to prevent future rust.

Final Thoughts

The last thing that any hunter wants to spot on their hunting knife is rust. However, if your hunting knife already has rust, it is not the end of the road. You can still save it by removing rust using the techniques recommended above. These rust removal techniques are very effective, and they don’t damage the knife.