Baby Oil

B

barber oregon

Joined
Nov 19, 2000
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234
I'm looking a for non-toxic rust preventative for my carbon blades in my BOB. It has to be non-toxic since theres a possibility that they'll be used for food preparation.

The most common (and a good one) suggestion is mineral oil.

I have a bottle of baby oil in my BOB as a skin moisterizer -- isn't this mostly mineral oil?

Can I use baby oil as a non-toxic rust preventative on blades?
 
Baby oil is a ultra refined mineral oil. I think that you would do better to use something better to coat your blade with. I do not think it would be thick enough to stay on the blade at room temp. much less when heated by ambiant temp. outdoors.
I know a guy who used lard on the blade he used. Rust can be prevented by reducing moisture ond oxygen exposure to the blade. A chef I know uses olive oil to lube and protect his SAK.
 
barber oregon,

for shorter periods of time I would recommend Ballistol, which is completely non-toxic and approved for use in the food industry. But since it is an oil, it won't stay on the blade forever.

For long-term storage the ultimate sealant is good ol' .. wax. It never-ever evaporates and if you use bee-wax it's completely non-toxic as well. Another possibility would be to buy White Lightning wax (the lubricant for tools/folding knives) and put that on the blade, but I think a candle made of pure bee-wax is cheaper. :)

-Connor
 
I give them a light coating of shortening, like Crisco. I use this on my neck knife which gets pretty sweaty here in Brazil. I also use it on my machetes. So far I haven't had any problems. Mac
 
Baby oil is mineral oil and fragrance. I make the stuff. Don't use it on my knives though. The fragrance chemistry is kind of complicated, but I can't imagine it doing anything good for steel.
 
barber oregon,

you could just rub it onto the blade, but this coating would possibly not be complete. The perfect way would be to melt a candle in a small pot of some kind and dip the complete blade into the molten wax, pull it out and let it dry/cool and repeat 2 or 3 times. Then wrap some cloth around the blade and it will be perfectly sealed as long as the wax coating isn't compromised.

-Connor
 
thats a great idea, never thought about totally dipping the blade, what kind of container do you use? I thought about a shallow pan to lay the knife in
 
paleo25,

you can use a longish tin can, like one for sausages, or whatever has the appropriate "form factor" for your blade. Put the beeswax candle inside and put the tin in a water bath to melt the wax. It's a bit slow, but the best way to do it. Heating the wax in a pan directly on a cooker/stove is a bad idea, the wax will get too hot too quickly.

-Connor
 
thanks, sausage dosent come in cans around here or at least I have never seen it like that.... I will try and use a 32oz beer can:D I have a new knife to coat anyway
 
I've been told Clove Oil is safe for food prep knives,as is used on Japanese swords also.found at your local pharmacy
 
I know sword enthusiasts typically stick to mineral oil or gun oil. When it comes to big blades, I've heard bad things about wax for long-term storage.
 
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