Outdoor Education:Use Wood Ash to Clean Knife and Ax Blades

Dick Moss, Editor

Rain is the inevitable consequence of taking kids on outdoor excursions. It means using knives, axes, saws and other bladed implements in wet conditions. And metal + rain = rust.

Fortunately, there's a way to clean stained, rusted and dirty blades using a material that's manufactured at almost every camping site — wood ash.

Simply place some ashes on a soft cloth and rub away at the stains and rust. The ashes are a mild abrasive that won't scratch expensive blades.

You can even use the ashes to store knives for years, instead of using polish or oil preservers. Just rub the blades with ashes, then wrap them in a soft cloth. When you unpack your knife, the ashes are easy to remove and your blade will shine like brand new.

References
1. Bob Holtzman, The Camping Bible: From Tents to Troubleshooting: Everything You Need for Life in the Great Outdoors, Chartwell Book, 2013.
2. Frank S. Golad (Editor), “Knife polisher.” Sports Afield Outdoor Skills, Hearst Books, 1991.

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