Hunting knives, sometimes called survival or field knives, are an essential part of the field-dressing process. Hunting knives made with stainless steel blades are able to withstand frequent, heavy use better than their carbon steel-bladed counterparts.

Though they require less frequent care than carbon steel hunting knives, stainless steel hunting knives still require a bit of special care to maintain their performance. With the proper cleaning and storage practices, you can prolong the life of your stainless steel hunting knives.

There is a product which can be found easily called ‘bar makers friend’, this is a proprietry stainless steel cleaner that doesn’t leave scratches on the knife. Use a soft cotton rag to dry them and make sure the area where the blade meets the handle is clean and dry as this is the weak point of any knife.

Always use a fine lubricating oil on the blade after cleaning to stop any rust developing and remember to store the knife out of the sheath if being left for any length of time.

Always try not to immerse your knife in any form of water and if this does happen then dry it totally as soon as possible. This will assist in stopping any rust patches appearing.

If rust does attack your knife then make sure you use a harsher cleaner and scrub the rust off as soon as possible. Don’t leave rust on your knife as it will damage and weaken it very quickly.
Keep your knife sharp by using it on a lubricated stone. The angle you do this is very important but all knives come with instructions as to sharpening and I would suggest you read this info thoroughly and if you don’t feel confident as to doing it yourself then take it to a professional to do. The cost will be worth it.