Never leave the knife to stand in water for any length of time for this reason also. this has been done by the use of Arkansas Stones. Make sure that you remove it from its sheath to allow the air to circulate around it to reduce the chances of any moisture or condensation which could lead to rusting.

Should you find any nicks or burrs in your blade an artificial stone called a Carbo Ark Stone can be used to quickly remove enough metal to restore the edge to your blade.

Made from Novaculite, a silicon quartz found in the Ozark mountains, Arkansas Stones come in a variety of grades to help keep your blade in top condition. An important aspect of survival knife care is giving regular attention to the sharpness of the blade. The simplest form of survival knife care is keeping your knife clean. This will depend on the material that the handle is made from- a rubber handle will need no specialized cleaning but wood handles will need to be treated with linseed oil, a leather handle with a proprietry leather cleaner and bone handles need to be washed and dried well in water, but never soaked.

Whilst cleaning your blade you can also examine it for any nicks or burrs that will need attention. Traditionally in the U.S. They are much more efficient than traditional honing stones when used dry, an important quality in a potential survival situation where access to water or honing oil may be limited or non existent. Should your blade have had a day of heavy use, perhaps you have used it to help construct a shelter or set traps, then a hard Arkansas Stone should be used to restore a really keen edge. Vintage Pocket Knives
Don't forget to clean and treat the handle at the same time. Another important advantage they have for survival knife care is that they are able to be made with different grades on each side for the ultimate versatility. Between trips store your knife in a dry, well ventilated, spot. A more modern alternative to Arkansas Stones for survival knife care are diamond plates.These are steel plates with diamond grit bonded to the surface and have several advantages over the more traditional honing stones.