Sentry Solutions
Knife Care Products You Can Count On
By Dexter Ewing

As printed in Knives Illustrated - reproduced here with permission of the author.

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When it comes to knife care, most enthusiasts think of sharpening. True, sharpening is very important to how the knife performs, but topics like rust prevention and folder lubricant are equally as important as having a hair splitting cutting edge. Each year, we knife enthusiasts spend a considerable amount of money on our hobby. The knives we purchase bring us pleasure in the ownership and use of them; therefore it is important to ward off corrosion, one of the biggest enemies of knives. This is especially important if we use knives outdoors where they may be exposed to the elements. Knives are tools. Take care of those tools and they will provide you with a life time of good service (take care of them and they will take care of you!).

Thanks to the fine folks at Sentry Solutions, who are dedicated to producing knife care supplies that will keep corrosion at bay, your chore is much easier. Even if you have not used their products before, you might have read or heard about them previously. Sentry Solutions' products are as vital as having a sharpener - almost an essential "must have" item for anyone who uses knives.

TUF CLOTH AND MARINE TUF CLOTH

Keep in mind that the word "stainless" is not totally true. If conditions are right, any grade stainless steel will develop rust. In actuality, these steels are rust "resistant". The key to warding off this corrosion is to treat the surface of the blade. An age old method of treating the blade is to wipe a light coat of machine oil on the surface. Though this definitely works, it can get rather messy, and you get oil all over the handle. Then the oil coating smudges off during use, and frequent re-application is deemed necessary for full corrosion protection.

Sentry Solutions has put an end to all this mess by bringing out Tuf-Cloth. This product essentially is a lint free cloth (approximately 12" x 12" square) that has a special proprietary formula impregnated in the cloth. This formula contains mineral spirits, which is the active ingredient that provides cleaning action. The mineral spirits evaporate, leaving behind a dry film that bonds itself to the surface of the blade. This dry film protection will not wash off or attract dirt, thus it is long lasting. It basically seals the blade's surface from moisture, therefore preventing the formation of rust. Each Tuf-Cloth comes in a resealable plastic pouch that will prevent the cloth from drying out.

Therefore, Tuf-Cloth can go anywhere you go for instant cleaning of your knife blade. And should the cloth dry out, it is "rechargeable" by adding mineral spirits or Tuf-Glide (more on this later).

Marine Tuf-Cloth is very similar to the regular Tuf-Cloth, but it has a stronger formula that applies a thick shield of protection. It is for use around salt water or environments that have high humidity. Marine Tuf-Cloth does leave behind a more visible film than Tuf-Cloth does. But when you are keeping corrosion at bay while out in the elements, one could care less about how the blade looks! For most knife users, the regular strength Tuf-Cloth will provide sufficient enough corrosion protection.

TUF-GLIDE

Looking for a good lubricant for your folding knives? Sentry Solutions has it right here with their Tuf-Glide. Tuf-Glide contains the same formula as the Tuf-Cloth and Marine Tuf-Cloth products - mineral spirits is the active ingredient and carrier of the proprietary formula. Tuf-Glide should be used in conjunction with Tuf-Cloth, providing your folding knife with corrosion protection inside and out. Also, Tuf-Glide is an excellent lubrication for the pivots of liner lock® and rocker bar back knives. Since it will not wash off with water, it is also long lasting. Tuf-Glide provides the same corrosion protection as Tuf-Cloth, but for hard to reach places like the folder pivot. Available in a ˝ ounce bottle, it has a precision needle applicator so that one can put a few drops of Tuf-Glide in the right places with no mess at all. Tuf-Glide is also available in an 8 ounce refill just in case the precision applicator bottle runs out. This is perfect for "recharging" Marine Tuf-Cloth and Tuf-Cloth in the even they should dry out. All you do is open the resealable bag and pour some Tuf-Glide in, saturating the cloth inside.

BACKED BY THE TOP NAMES IN THE BUSINESS

Not only are Sentry Solutions' products favored by knife collectors and users, manufacturers and makers such as Benchmade, Cold Steel, Crawford Knives, Kit Carson, REKAT, and Emerson Knives all recommend the use of Sentry Solutions products to care for their products. Custom maker or production - those who make knives for a living come to trust in the effectiveness and quality of Sentry Solutions' knife care products.

To purchase any of Sentry Solutions products visit