Knife Maintenance

D

dejhantulip

Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
13
Hello community,

I just wanted to post a question out there to help me take care of my knife as best as I can :)

I purchased a field knife by Nathan the Machinist, which let me tell you, it's a beauty to hold and use!!! (not Nathan, the knife lol :p)

Anyways, I live in a very humid country (Bolivia, South America) and the climate is very hot so hands are quite sweety most of the time I use the knife. Also, due to the fact that sometimes I have to leave home for long periods of time 60 to 90 days sometimes, the knife will be stored in a drawer.

So anyways, in the past, I have had knives that corroded... now I want to make sure I take proper care and maintenance of this 3V beauty that I purchased from Nathan. Any suggestions? I have read online that I could use Tsubaki oil (which I belive is camellia oil) to prevent corrosion, discoloration, and rust--in addition, of course, of having the blade shine like new!

Any other recommendations? Or maybe alternatives? Could I use organic olive oil? What about chia oil? Maybe vaseline? Any tips in general?

Thank you very much guys!



ORLANDO
 
Just simply keeping it dry will do wonders
If it gets wet, dry it.
If it gets sweaty, rinse it off and dry it.
 
There are a lot of variables, such as what you cut with the knife and what your particular sweat is like. I've known of people whose sweat was much more corrosive than average, for instance. 3V is not technically stainless steel but it isn't highly rust prone carbon steel either.

In general people use various oils for protection. There are common oils, machine oils, gun oils that can provide various levels of protection. You can find informal tests of corrosion protection of various oils on the net. If you need more protection I have heard of using wax, in fact a person I read about in South America used wax on his firearm to keep it from rusting. AG Russell used to sell a product called "Rust Free" that was supposed to provide good protection. It was a thick liquid like glycerine. Renaissance wax is a product that some knife collectors use but there are probably more common products that would work well.
 
Do not use cooking oils like olive oil or vegetable oil - they will go rancid.

As bladeboss said, keep it clean and dry.

No need for fancy expensive oils. Vaseline will work. 3-In-1 oil works very well. Use pharmacy grade mineral oil for blades that touch food.

Car wax will work for long term storage.

Check out this oil test ...
[video=youtube;O7ZThs1y8xs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ZThs1y8xs[/video]
 
You don't want to use something that dries into a sticky varnish like vegetable oils or standard WD-40. The "WD40 specialist Long Term Corrosion Inhibitor Spray" is supposed to be pretty good.

I like air tool oil, it's nondrying and has added corrosion inhibitors. It doesn't take much, the thinnest film will work, it shouldn't be slippery to the touch when done. Apply a drop to a towel and wipe it on. The fasteners are black oxide coated 18-8 stainless steel and won't rust so there is no need to oil them.
 
Let's go to Maintenance, Tinkering& Embellishment.
General Knife Discussion is for discussing the knives themselves, aspects of maintenance, sharpening, modifications,metc belong elsewhere.
 
I like TW25B grease for long-term storage. It is non-toxic, has no odor or shelf-life, and washes off easily with soapy water. It has the consistency of warm bacon grease. Wash your knife in soapy water, dry completely, apply a thin coat of TW25B grease, and store it.
 
Ive had great results using the Sentry Solutions ToughCloth/TufGlide on my knives and firearms. Another option when your going to store the knife for a few months is to wrap it in VCI paper or seal it in a ziplock bag with a VCI disk.
 
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