Anybody wax their INFI dimples?

M

Marvin8

Joined
Jan 18, 2010
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In order to prevent rust potential or merely for peace of mind?
If so, what kind of wax....car wax, candle wax, ear wax, etc.?
 
Marvin8 said:
Renaissance Wax looks like some darned good stuff, but MAN it's expensive. Looks like a little bit goes a long way, though. THANKS!
Click to expand...


I use and like Ren Wax myself.

The 200 mL can costs about $25 up front - which may seem like a lot, but a lot of the high end lubes are fairly pricy as well.

The larger can is a better investment per ounce (or mL) and will probably last the average user MANY years if just using on knife blades. For steel, it only takes a very thin layer to spread around - probably less than a drop for an entire blade.

However, Ren Wax is good for many things. Good on guns, wood, even micarta and many other things. However, if used on more porous surfaces, you will use more wax.

Also, Ren-Wax is not "really" considered food safe. If using your knives for food, food grade mineral oil is probably the best option. Most of the high end technical lubricants would not be considered food safe either. And most of those lubricants do NOT evaporate - leaving more residual chemicals and probably remaining toxic (????)

Ren-Wax contains: "White spirit (naphtha/petroleum)" as a solvent. Naptha is a common petroleum distillate that dissolves waxes - making the waxes usable and spreadable before the waxes re-harden. Waxes are typically hard in their natural form.

The naptha has strong fumes and will stink up a room pretty quickly. I keep telling myself to use the stuff outside, but I never seem to. The fumes dissipate pretty quickly and don't seem to be noticable after a few hours.

Naptha is quite toxic. It is bad stuff that you don't want to breath for a long time or ingest. But, Ren-Wax is very similar to using car wax in regards to solvents.

Many (MOST) waxes use similar toxic solvents. Car waxes, shoe polish, etc. You will notice the same smell. Similarly, most of the solvents seem to evaporate very quickly. I have always been curious how safe the wax is after the solvents evaporate and I can't find a good answer. For all I know, Ren-Wax might be "reasonably" safe on knives for food use "after" the solvents evaporate. But, I don't know for sure.

*** My "GUESS" (NOT Scientific) is that most (maybe All ????) of the Naptha evaporates. Any toxic chemical residues left behind after the wax dries on the metal is probably very minimal at worst and probably no worse than what you breathed and absorbed through your skin when you applied the wax to begin with. Which is probably less than when you waxed your car or polished your shoes - since those tasks require much longer exposure. But, don't take my "assumptions" about evaporation and toxic residue potential. I still can't find much about what the "residual" toxins might be after the Naptha evaporates.

Most people around here have coated blades.... On INFI no less. I don't see much need for bothering with any protection on a coated INFI blade.

INFI will rust, but not easily. And most any rust I have seen on INFI was very light and easy to remove .... except Decarb rust!
I honestly don't even regularly wax my satin INFI. But, I do sometimes. :confused:

Satin SR-101 = Definitely wax or oil!

The wax DOES go far and should last a VERY long time though. It really only takes a VERY small amount of wax to cover a large knife blade.

Also, if you keep a small applicator cloth "IN" the can, to re-use, you don't waste wax on re-saturating a new applicator each time. :thumbup:

I have about a 1.5"-2" square chamois cloth in my can. A small piece of sponge or similar left in the can would probably be very good as an applicator as well. :thumbup:

.
 
Great info...thanks! I think I'll try polishing some candle wax into the INFI dimples, and if that doesn't stick, then I'll just use mineral oil on the whole blade.
 
Wax... your knife....? :rolleyes: Man, I think some of you would be better suited collecting porcelain dolls.


edit... ok, I do rub a little mineral oil on my Vex after I wash it.
 
Why do you need to wax your dimples?

INFI dimples don't rust, unless you have one of the original 2008 Competition Finish knives. It's the decarb layer that rusts on those.

Do you have a stripped knife?
 
I assumed that those dimples would be a perfect collection point for mud, and therefore have a greater propensity for rusting. If you're telling me they don't rust, that's wonderful to hear. Thanks
 
For non-food knives: Boeshield (NOT the spray bottle, it clogs) from Brownell's.

For food knives, Pam or an equivalent OR mineral oil.
 
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I have yet to oil or treat my Infi. I just use it. Unless you have a Comp Finish, or you live in the everglades, or lots of salty water.
 
Recently received one coated Batac that I'm not worried about, but may get another blade with Competition Finish, which is why I'm wondering.
 
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