long term storage and cleaning

[gacop1]

i inherited my dads knife collection a couple of years ago and have had them stored in a safe deposit box in my bank; the humiity is controlled. i have coated them with Rig and wrapped them in smith and wesson pistol anti rust oil paper. most of them are doing fine after a couple of years but some have some rust. does anybody know a better storage system or prep. i don't plan on using or selling them so, they will be stored for a long time. i have Randall, Lyle, Loveless, Moran, etc. also any info on removing small amounts of rust on a few of the blades, mainly on the Randalls.

[whv]

welcome to ckdf, ga.
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of those you mention, the randall is made of o1 tool steel; the moran is forged of some high carbon tool steel - or a combination thereof if damascus; the lyle is most likely ss, as is the loveless. all of these will be subject to stain/rust/corrode to a greater or lesser degree over time, regardless of treatment, unless perhaps they are kept in a vacuum sealed chamber. remember that stainless does not mean stain proof.
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if they were mine, i would get some 'collector's insurance', have a nice display case made and keep them out where i could ogle them 8o. it sound as if there are some very fine pieces. additionally, i could then make a habit of handling them (which helps) and rotate them through a regular cleaning schedule, ending with a high quality wax. many will recommend "rennaisance wax", but wayne gaddard in a recent blade article found that "briwax" natural, a high end furniture wax, was best at protecting steel. most will advise not to use grease or petroleum products on a knife for fear of staining the handle material. handles also need protection. the same wax will also accomplish this for you.
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as far as cleaning up what you have, there are a number of products in general use for removing rust/stains from knives including simichrome polish, flitz, etc. these are available at knife supply houses and often at hardware or home improvement stores.
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if the damage is more severe, find a knifemaker near you to help restore them or leave them alone except for the above treatment which will prevent further deterioration. regardless of your course, take them out and redo the treatment occasionally.
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oh, and if you have the means, we would all like to see some pictures of these!!
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thanx
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he comes back to say:
i forgot to mention something. if you are storing these in their sheaths, don't! there are tanning chemicals in the leather that will stain the blades, furniture and handles. the leather also needs to be fed occasionally to protect it. the fellows on the sheath forum will be better informed about that, but a good coat of "feibings leather balm with atom wax" can't hurt.

[gacop1]

thanks wayne for the great info; i will try the funiture wax and simichrome; the first thing i did was to remove them from their sheaths and i condition the sheaths regularly. they are holding up just fine. I am in the process of finding some one to appraise the collection and will try to get a pic. posted. Most of these knives were purchased in mid 1970-1980, so they have been around quite a while. there is also a Horn folder and a unique folder made by a guy named Wood, i believe in California. The bill of sale is with it. i can't find any info about it. it opens by rotating and folding withing its handle. any info about it would be appreciated.

[whv]

more than welcome, ga, that's what we're here for.
re appraisal, bernie levine is one of the best. i don't know what appraisers charge, but he's world famous. couldn't hurt to click the link and ask him.
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by the way, make certain that you are sitting down when you get the estimate on your collection. i'd be willing to bet money that the loveless alone is worth 5-10 thousand, or more!!!

[gacop1]

WOW! i had a general idea of value, but thats a shock. I missed the blade show this year, i was hoping to get some info there. thanks for the referral. i'll keep you updated. any info on the Wood folder i mentioned?