How do you keep a carbon steel knife oiled in a survival situation?

T

The Real Hawkeye

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Aug 13, 2008
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Assume you have your knife in a real survival situation, and the weather is wet. How do you keep your knife from rusting if keeping it dry becomes impractical? Are there oils in the wilderness that you can find and use as steel preservatives?
 
I carry a small ziplock containing an oiled rag in my pack. It kept several blades and a rifle rust free during an entire week of heavy rains during a recent trip.

If you lose your pack and have only your knife, your best be is to keep it dry as best you can. Wipe it clean after use each and every time.

With all that being said, a little rust is not going to affect the performance of your knife in any way except perhaps cosmetically.
 
hollowdweller said:
I'd probably opt for a coated blade or stainless in that situation.
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HD if it's a survival situation then you are not going to be aware that it is going to happen !!!;)

If you are in a real survival situation though I seriously doubt that you are going to be overly worried about your knife picking up a little rust !!!!!!
 
You'll also find that with regular use the edge of the blade stays pretty clean from the friction of the constant use. Having 0000 steel wool (to be used as tinder AND as a blade cleaner) will keep the rust spots buffed off.

If you've planned ahead, a little Marine tuff cloth from sentry solutions in your PSK will certainly stave off the rust.
 
Also if you're surviving, if you take game, you can use the animal's fat (preferrably rendered so it doesn't go rancid) to coat the blade. Probably what the real "olt timers" did.
 
Its my opinion that carbon steel blades have been used for centuries in all types of situations, survival, or simply day to day living that required a knife, much more so than now. Once a patina develops it will help protect the blade to a degree anyhow.

Rust would be of little concern in a knife that was used constantly for various tasks...Now, using your knife and putting it away wet for an extended period of time? That is simply neglect of a fine tool.
 
Another option for buffing, if you are in the right area, is to take a nice piece of paperlike bark, such as birch, pine pitch, and the very fine silt found at the bottom of streams and ponds. If you know how to make pitch (boiling it and letting the pure poitch come to the surface), then collect it and smear it on the bark, then spread a thin layer of the silt over it. Once it dries, you have a rough but effective buffer (although it will probably leave some scratches) and even a backup blade sharpener. Obviously, your mileage will vary.

There's also rendering fat and collecting the oil to use, which will create a patina on your blade. Vegetable and nut oils pressed or boiled to the surface of water then skimming can also be used.
 
I know this is sounds like a stretch, but it works. No I didnt see it on Man vs. Wild. But the naturally produced oils in your skin, specifically the sides of your nose, can be used to oil the blade of a knife, as well as chap stick. Let the bashing began.
 
pitdog said:
HD if it's a survival situation then you are not going to be aware that it is going to happen !!!;)

If you are in a real survival situation though I seriously doubt that you are going to be overly worried about your knife picking up a little rust !!!!!!
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Well I guess then the question would be:

What is a real survival situation and how would I get into one?;)
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Normally the only instances in my real life that I would be stranded somewhere and unable to get out would be backpacking and normally if I'm backpacking I have a tent, knife knife care kit stone, all kinds of crap.

Now if I was driving in my car somewhere I could possibly be stranded I might have my Fallkniven F1 which is stainless or my Charley May Swamp oak which is D2 and highly rust resistant.

Those are the only 2 situations I could ever envision being in a real life woods survival situation so in one I wouldn't need the stainless and the other I would probably be able to choose stainless or rust resistant anyway.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Also if you're surviving, if you take game, you can use the animal's fat (preferrably rendered so it doesn't go rancid) to coat the blade. Probably what the real "olt timers" did.
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I read a story where a man had a high carbon steel at sea for 72 days - he oiled it and cared for it by using the oil from Fish's eyes.

I think Cpl is exactly right - animal fat would certainly work.

TF
 
Brian Jones said:
Another option for buffing, if you are in the right area, is to take a nice piece of paperlike bark, such as birch, pine pitch, and the very fine silt found at the bottom of streams and ponds. If you know how to make pitch (boiling it and letting the pure poitch come to the surface), then collect it and smear it on the bark, then spread a thin layer of the silt over it. Once it dries, you have a rough but effective buffer (although it will probably leave some scratches) and even a backup blade sharpener. Obviously, your mileage will vary.

There's also rendering fat and collecting the oil to use, which will create a patina on your blade. Vegetable and nut oils pressed or boiled to the surface of water then skimming can also be used.[/QUOTE

I like to carry just a pinch of steel wool. You can put a drop or 2 of mineral oil in it for rust resistance too. Plus worse comes to worse you can use it as tinder:thumbup:
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I carry fishing reel oil in my PSK. I also have an oiler I made out of spent shell casings and a nail, that I got the plans from the backwoodsman.

If for some reason I didnt have any of those, sand will polish up a blade, or I would use animal fat or plant oils.
 
cmgray said:
I know this is sounds like a stretch, but it works. No I didnt see it on Man vs. Wild. But the naturally produced oils in your skin, specifically the sides of your nose, can be used to oil the blade of a knife, as well as chap stick. Let the bashing began.
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No bashing - been using "nose oil" for lube, etc, for decades.

Tip: Don't rub the edge of your knife on your nose! Use your finger to transfer the oil from nose to knife! :thumbup:
 
cmgray said:
I know this is sounds like a stretch, but it works. No I didnt see it on Man vs. Wild. But the naturally produced oils in your skin, specifically the sides of your nose, can be used to oil the blade of a knife, as well as chap stick. Let the bashing began.
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First thing I thought of.
 
In my factory Mora sheaths I have a small wad of PJ coated cotton ball stuffed inside. Fire starter and (half decent) blade protection in one. Just poke back it out through the drain hole with a little stick and you're good to go.

BKRHD
 
I have a small oiled rag wrapped around a small sharpening stone and I keep it in an old altoids tin. I have a few extra fish hooks in there also so I know I have a few that wont get rusted. I glued some 220 grit sandpaper to the bottom for the heavier stuff but I've had this kit going for about 5 years and have never used the sandpaper (bottom of the tin is dented now anyway).

I've also used a bit of sand mixed into a paste with water to remove rust and used forehead oil to keep it from rusting. But I'm a fairly greasy guy so it might work better for me.
 
Grampa said:
No bashing - been using "nose oil" for lube, etc, for decades.

Tip: Don't rub the edge of your knife on your nose! Use your finger to transfer the oil from nose to knife! :thumbup:
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I strop my carbon steel blades on my nose all the time. Only problem is it seems to be getting bigger. ;)
 
cmgray said:
I know this is sounds like a stretch, but it works. No I didnt see it on Man vs. Wild. But the naturally produced oils in your skin, specifically the sides of your nose, can be used to oil the blade of a knife, as well as chap stick. Let the bashing began.
Click to expand...

it works!

one can use earwax too.
 
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