How to Maintain a Multi-Tool

Multi-tools such as the well known Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife require that you maintain and care for each of the tools to keep them in working order and to prevent one faulty tool from affecting the entire instrument.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Clean the entire surface of the multi-tool with some lightly soapy water. If you see rust on any of the surfaces you should scrub it off with an abrasive material such as steel wool. Then, open each tool one at a time and clean the entire surface of the tool in the same way. Finally, add a light coating of oil such as WD-40 to maintain the mutli-tool properly.
2. Rinse the multi-tool thoroughly if any part of the tool comes into contact with sea water or, generally, any kind of dirty or brackish water. Dry the tool thoroughly after the rinsing to prevent corrosion.
3. Sharpen the blades of the multi-tools knives to maintain sharp and effective edges. For straight blades, any ordinary sharpening tool like a sharpening stone does the job. For serrated blades, however, you need to used a sharpening system designed to maintain the curved edges of the blade for proper care.
4. Use the screwdrivers of the multi-tool only on correctly sized and shaped screw heads that are clean and undamaged. Leathermen or Swiss Army knives that have Phillips head screwdrivers need special attention in this area since fixing a damaged Phillips head is extremely difficult.
5. Attack tough stains with a stronger cleaner than regular detergent. Turpentine or mineral spirits help get rid of rough dirt on Swiss Army type knives and Leathermen style tools. In both cases, though, you should stay away from chlorinated detergents since these can destroy the multi-tool.