Carbon steel care, olive or fretboard oil

[GABaus]

For instances in which you might need to coat the blade and might not want to carry a bottle of oil such as a multi day canoe trip, you can apply a thin layer of lip balm to the blade reaplying as needed of cource.

 

[Mo2]

The problem with mineral oil is that I can't find it at my local stores. Only in 5 liter (over a gallon) bottles. Turns out that it isn't very common in the Netherlands.

For now I have returned to olive oil to at least not poison myself.
The fretboard oil does make an exceptional care product for untreated wooden handles.

I believe it's called liquid paraffin eup in Europe.

In America the food safe label is "usp" and "eup" in Europe.

I'm not in Europe so I can't say for certain, but the little research I've done suggests this
Here's one reference of many I've read http://www.sonneborn.com/products/europe-africa-middle-east/white-mineral-oils

I assume you can get this in the pharmacy aka drug store department as a laxative section, but again I dunno Europe.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

The problem with mineral oil is that I can't find it at my local stores. Only in 5 liter (over a gallon) bottles. Turns out that it isn't very common in the Netherlands.

For now I have returned to olive oil to at least not poison myself.
The fretboard oil does make an exceptional care product for untreated wooden handles.

I also cannot find mineral oil easily down here, so baby oil is the replacement.
For a more permanent coat, plain Vaseline should be better than oil. Both will not go rancid.

 

[Pteronarcyd]

Baby oil is just scented mineral oil. It's obviously nontoxic, but the scent might be disagreeable when used with food. However, this shouldn't be a problem unless you use the blade right after coating it, as the scent should dissipate quickly. The wintergreen scent in Frog Lube, for example, seems to dissipate within two days.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

deleted

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The 'white mineral oil' that works best with knives (oiling or sharpening) can be found in various disguises. The oil supplied with electric clippers or electric razors is an example. I've also seen it labelled for use for lubricating paper-shredders, food-processing equipment (USP 'food-safe', obviously), and for cutting boards (also food-safe).

Norton's own sharpening stone oil is also graded food-safe, if you happen to find it in your area. That's what I've been using to oil my own knives. I've also been using some of the stuff labelled for food-processing equipment, found at a restaurant supply store locally, which is as close in consistency & 'cleanliness' as I've seen to the Norton product. I've liked it as a very close alternate favorite, for use on my oil stones.

The key is to look for the oils that are completely colorless & odorless. If it looks a little 'yellow' or smells like a petroleum product, it's probably not as pure or clean ('food safe') as the better-suited 100% mineral oil products usually considered safe (or at least 'safe enough').

 

[Joseph H.]

https://www.bol.com/nl/p/pure-wood-...type=product&itm_lp=1&itm_id=9200000054306267

You can use this or a similar product. Its designed for protecting wood and kitchensteel of all sorts.
And you can buy it in small quantities local.

Enjoy your knife!

 

[Hurrul]

If you have access to vasoline (as noted earlier in the thread) or white petroleum jelly (a common 1st aid item in the US) would work.

When I have been in a pinch, w/out frog lube, rem oil, or mineral oil, I have gotten away with beeswax based lip balm. Worked well enough in a humid environment.