How to clean and care for a machete?

Question

I recently bought a 20 ince steel machete from a army surplus store. It works great for clearing through any vegetation, but I am new to using a machete, and I do not know how to properly care for it. What is the best way to clean it and get ride of dirt, etc.? Thank you

Answer 1

When you are done using it wash it off with soap and water and let it dry. Then use a rag and coat it with a light film of oil.

Answer 2

In addition to keeping it clean and oiled  (all of the previous suggestions were good), you need to buy a small flat file and keep it sharp.  A few strokes with your file every day or so of use will work much better than If you use it until it won't cut anymore, and then have to spend hours putting an edge on it.

Answer 3

Can't beat the old WD40 or simular product .Spray it on wipe it off then a light spray and leave it on

Answer 4

Oil - light motor oil for the metal and mineral oil for the handle.

Even after washing and drying, steel tool heads are still susceptible to rust when exposed to oxygen. In fact, as a general rule, the better the grade of steel used, the more vulnerable it is to rusting. So, considering the high cost of quality gardening tools, it just makes sense to keep rusting to a minimum.